InReach Advocate

Position Overview

Are you a creative problem solver committed to empowering and supporting survivors? Are you passionate about helping survivors of domestic and / or sexual violence to secure permanent housing? Are you dedicated to working across organizations and systems to advocate with survivors? YWCA of Greater Portland helps domestic violence survivors navigate systems and attain safe and stable housing as part of YWCA USA, the largest and oldest provider of domestic violence support services in the world. In this role, you will support survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence to access housing. The Domestic Violence Advocate will be on a mission to support vulnerable survivors with trauma-informed and survivor-centered services.

YWCA is on a Mission

YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. For more than 120 years, YWCA of Greater Portland has invested in our community, supported survivors, and advocated for the most vulnerable among us: women, children, seniors, the unhoused, and the incarcerated. As one of 200 Associations nationwide, we are proud members of YWCA USA, one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the nation.

Key Responsibilities

Responsive and strategic housing support

• Use a housing-first approach to support survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence to attain or retain safe housing, frequently in emergency and/or chronically houseless situations. This may include, but is not limited to, landlord negotiation/mediation, medical
• and/or legal advocacy referrals, harm reduction, safety planning, and attendance at
• formal or informal hearings.
• Provide ongoing support to program participants by conducting intake assessments, determining eligibility, and coordinating services.
• Serve program participants consistently and proactively through referrals, waitlists, and similar county-wide forums.
• Provide emotional support and basic needs supplies as requested by survivor.
• Create safety plans alongside survivors using a harm reduction lens.
• Build rapport with survivors by regularly visiting partnering indoor and outdoor shelter sites and/or encampments.
• Provide ongoing housing retention support to help survivors with transition as requested.
• Apply knowledge of Fair Housing and VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) protections and/or landlord/tenant laws and contextualize the survivor’s experience while maintaining confidentiality.
• Meet all contractual obligations for housing survivors and conduct meaningful outreach activities.
• Coordinate engagement with other domestic violence, mental health, anti-poverty, and legal service providers at the directive of the survivor.

Conduct data collection, analysis, and programmatic evaluation

• Collect program data including participant demographics, services delivered, and participant feedback.
• Complete all data entry, filing, and eligibility requirement tasks in a timely manner. Such activities require adherence to federal, state, and local laws and contract requirements while working within multiple agency systems. All work must be carried out while maintaining absolute participant confidentiality.
• Track expenditures against program goals and maintain accurate and timely financial records including all credit card receipts.

Participatory teamwork and responsible representation

• Engage consistently in anti-racism practices and approaches with internal and external work based on a deep understanding of historical and present-day structural racism.
• Collaborate with multi-agency InReach teams to coordinate services and discuss programming. *May be collaboratively assigned to the JOIN InReach Team and would work more closely with JOIN managers, meetings, and procedures.
• Develop and maintain positive professional relationships with housing providers in the Greater Portland area, social services agencies, city and government officials, the Survivor Services team, and YWCA as a whole.
• Attend and meaningfully participate in all scheduled meetings with department, agency, and external partner teams.
• Commit to ongoing participation in continuing education including DV and Fair Housing legal changes.
• Uphold the YWCA of Greater Portland’s mission, vision, and values by acting with integrity, accountability, and responsibility toward survivor participants, service partners, fellow employees, volunteers, donors, and everyone the organization engages with.

Skills, Knowledge, and Experience

• Required: 40-hour Domestic Violence Advocate Training and Motivational Interviewing Training (both provided upon hire).
• Bilingual / Bicultural strongly preferred.
• Comfortable in rapidly evolving situations that require advanced creative problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to self-manage workload priorities and calendar while being responsive to survivor needs and priorities. High self-motivation is key.
• Ability to manage caseload to a monthly budget and other contractual requirements to serve the greatest number of participants possible.
• Knowledge of and the ability to effectively use survivor-centered best practices (including reflective listening) to find participant-led solutions.
• Ability to build rapport with survivors from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds, maintain and respect confidentiality, and consistently treat others with respect and dignity.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; strong attention to detail and solid data entry.
• Experience with or ability to quickly learn Microsoft Office, Excel, Google Suite, Adobe Acrobat, and an Android cell phone.
• Flexibility, kindness, discretion, and a sense of humor are essential.

Job Conditions

• This position requires field work throughout Multnomah County in various indoor and outdoor shelter locations, encampments, villages, and homes to meet survivors where and when they feel safest. Because of the responsive and unpredictable nature of field work, safety planning and related communications are prioritized.
• Must be able to provide own transportation, travel is reimbursed.
• Laptop, phone, and all other supplies needed for fieldwork including PPE, relevant weather- and theft-resistant gear, work boots, etc. will be provided.

Benefits

• 100% Employer-paid comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage (with a no deductible option).
• Generous paid time off (including 13 paid holidays).
• Employer paid Life, Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance.
• Unlimited access to no-cost Social Justice Trainings (see ywcapdx.org) and additional position-specific professional development.

Application Instructions

This posting is active until 11/12/24. Interviews will be conducted between 11/25/24 – 12/13/24. To apply, please email the following materials to employment@ywcapdx.org:

• Cover letter that highlights what inspires you about our mission and how your personal and / or professional experience will strengthen YWCA and support our growing Survivor Services Department
• Resume
• 3 to 5 references

A single PDF file is preferred. Only complete applications will be considered.

Please review the full job description on our website.