Advocate (CSEY) - Northeast Texas (Van Zandt & Kaufman County)

Job Description

Job Description

Unbound Now is ending human trafficking by identifying victims, supporting survivors, seeking justice, and leading system change. We are motivated by our faith in Jesus and work each day as individuals driven by hope, oriented towards service, and committed to excellence. To learn more about our values, please read our Statement of Faith. 

Job Title: Advocate

Job Status: Full-time, Exempt, Grant-supported (1 year, but plan to apply for continuance)

Job Location: Unbound Now Local Office (Hybrid: Combination of on-site office hours, field-based advocacy, and remote administrative work as approved by supervisor)

Job Summary: The primary function of the CSEY Advocate is to provide individualized crisis response and ongoing case management and support for youth survivors of sex trafficking, using sound professional judgment and best practices to ensure high-quality services and maintain compliance with established program, state, and federal standards.

Compensation: Annual Salary

Benefits: Unbound Now is proud to offer a premier benefits package that prioritizes the health and financial security of our team members and their families:

• 100% Employer-Paid Health Insurance: We cover 100% of medical premiums for both the employee and their family. 
• Employer-Paid Life Insurance: Fully covered for the employee at no cost.
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with a 3% salary match (eligible after 90 days; 1-year vesting).
• Dental & Vision: Comprehensive plans available at the employee’s expense.

Schedule/Availability: 40-50 hrs/wk. Evening, weekend, and holiday calls required. Scheduling flexibility is needed.

Work Location Flexibility: While eligible for remote administrative time and documentation days, this position requires active in-person availability for client crises, scheduled appointments, team meetings, on-call coverage, and on-site office requirements. Remote work flexibility is secondary to direct survivor needs and operational demands.

Working conditions: Work is performed in standard office environments, remote home office settings, hospital/court settings, juvenile detention/shelter settings, or other professional business environments. Work duties may occasionally require exposure to weather extremes, hazardous environments, noise, fumes, odors, bodily fluids, and high-stress situations.

Travel: Frequent travel within the immediate local area and occasional in-state or out-of-state travel required for survivor transportation, court accompaniment, or professional training.

Job Responsibilities:

• Respond to calls from law enforcement, CST care coordinators, and other referral sources when on call; arrive at the victim’s location within the required time frame.
• Meet immediate physical needs - clothes, food, toiletries, etc.
• Provide ongoing field-based advocacy, case management, and emotional support.
• Independently coordinate referrals, service planning, and documentation of services for assigned caseload.
• Conduct comprehensive assessments, develop service plans, and make independent decisions in the field regarding the safety and well-being of assigned youth, strictly aligned with established organizational policies, safety protocols, and statutory mandates.
• Provide transportation with parent or guardian permission to appointments and services as needed and as feasible.
• Meet with each assigned survivor every other week if in town; meet with survivors placed out-of-town monthly; maintain communication through other means in between weekly meetings.
• In coordination with the MDT, help create and update safety plans for survivors.
• Attend CPS case staffings and MDT emergency response meetings and scheduled staffings.
• Document all interactions with survivors, their families, and partner agencies within 72 hours.
• Complete DFPS monthly and quarterly reports accurately and promptly.
• Build and maintain good relationships with organizations that provide services relevant to trafficking survivors.
• Promptly fulfill statutory mandatory reporting obligations; alert the supervisor when difficult situations arise and recognize red flag behavior to report to the supervisor.
• When not otherwise available, provide an appropriate level of support to non-offending family members of victims to help create a good home environment to which the victim can return while maintaining needed boundaries.

• Convey a service-oriented approach:
  • Communicate an eagerness to be helpful, starting with every referral, initial contact, and/or initial engagement and continuing through service delivery, with all stakeholders. 
  • Provide those seeking assistance with help, even when they are ineligible for advocate services or are seeking something outside Unbound Now’s scope.
  • When referring someone, offer a warm handoff to others whenever possible.
  • Balance the limitations of the advocate role with being resourceful, including seeking help from others as needed.
  • Be consistent, reliable, and flexible. 
  • Collaborate actively in support of partners’ objectives.
• Ensure case management in collaboration with ongoing system and service- or investigation-based case management, continuing case management beyond others’ eligibility parameters.
• Ensure that case management is carried out in a manner that is relationship-based, trauma-responsive, and survivor-centered.
• Apply specialized training and use professional judgment in determining the best way to serve youth during crisis and on an ongoing basis.
• Commit to in-person meetings with your supervisor every other week (a recorded Zoom video call supervision may occur once every 30 days) and participate in weekly advocacy team meetings/case staffings.
• Participate in Unbound Now’s advocate resilience group.
• Complete all Unbound Now required training on time.
  • Submit timesheet hours and grant allocations daily per grant guidelines.
  • Submit travel reimbursements daily, adhering to travel guidelines.
  • Submit expense documentation properly and within required time frames per company expense policy, following all Ramp Monthly Closeout Instructions and Process.

Desired Outcomes

• Trauma-Informed Youth Stabilization: Youth survivors receive immediate, compassionate, and safe crisis intervention addressing basic needs, physical safety, and trauma response.
• High-Quality Youth & Family Continuity: Youth survivors experience reliable, relationally grounded case management with consistent progress toward safety, stability, and family reunification or self-sufficiency goals.
• Multi-System Partnerships: Strong, collaborative working relationships are sustained with CPS/DFPS, juvenile justice, CST care coordinators, law enforcement, legal aid, and youth housing partners.
• Audit-Ready Regulatory & Grant Compliance: Case records, DFPS reporting metrics, grant allocations, timesheets, and expense reports are documented accurately within required timeframes.

*This position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. The scope of the position may change as necessitated by organizational demands

Working Relationships:

Supervisor: CSEY Program Coordinator or Director of Survivor Advocacy

Works with: Unbound Now local office team, CST care coordinators, and MDT partners, other Unbound Now survivor advocacy teams, and the HQ team

Supervises:
None

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Criminal Justice, or a related human services field required.
• Experience working with victims of human trafficking, victims of child abuse and neglect, or youth experiencing homelessness and/or addiction.
• Formal training in Trauma-Informed Care, Stages of Change Model, and Motivational Interviewing (MI) required.

Competencies & Core Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment under high-pressure, fast-paced field conditions while maintaining emotional composure.
• Advanced skills in youth survivor-centered engagement, trauma responsiveness, boundary maintenance, and de-escalation techniques.
• Proven success navigating adult systems (judicial, medical, housing, social services) and building rapport across diverse agency cultures.
• Strong organizational skills with proficiency in entering timely, accurate data into case management software in compliance with state, federal, and grant standards.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, maintain high productivity, track time/grant allocations accurately, and preserve professional boundaries when performing administrative tasks from a home environment.

Job Requirements:

• Mature Christian faith, as evidenced by participation in a local Christian church; commitment to the vision, mission, and core values of Unbound Now using the HOPE model. Active participation in staff devotions and consistent prayer support for the ministry, donors, and volunteers.
• This position is eligible for hybrid work flexibility for administrative duties, documentation, and reporting. Remote privileges are contingent upon business needs, full coverage of direct service/crisis calls, and ongoing performance. The employee must maintain a confidential, quiet remote workspace with reliable high-speed internet to protect client privacy (HIPAA/VAWA/DFPS standards) and facilitate team communication. On-site office presence and field-based client visits will always take priority over remote work.
• Must be at least 23 years of age or older; pass employment eligibility verification (Form I-9); provide three references (supervisor, professional, personal); agree to and pass all required background checks, including mandatory DFPS/CPS criminal history checks, child abuse and neglect registry checks, FBI fingerprinting, and ongoing youth protection screening protocols.
• Abide by all Unbound Now policies, mandatory reporting laws, state and federal CSEY statutory mandates, MDT protocols, and organizational safety guidelines at all times, including strict compliance with Child Protection and Abuse Prevention policies. Maintain strict adherence to administrative governance, including prompt completion of required youth advocacy, safety, and grant allocation logs.
• High level of emotional maturity, strong personal responsibility, and a dedicated service ethic toward youth and families. Action-oriented, positive, innovative problem solver, adaptable, trustworthy, and tenacious in achieving child safety goals, while maintaining absolute data security, youth privacy, mandatory reporting boundaries, and strict confidentiality protocols.
• Demonstrated experience in youth crisis response, CSEY care coordination, or juvenile justice/child welfare systems with a high level of accountability. Ability to operationalize youth advocacy strategies, manage high-risk runaway or crisis situations, support youth and family safety plans, contain field expenses, and complete time-sensitive case documentation with excellence.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with proficiency in case management software. Proven ability to build rapport and collaborate effectively across juvenile justice systems, CPS/DFPS caseworkers, CST care coordinators, law enforcement, specialized youth shelters, and regional CSEY task forces.
• In-depth knowledge of youth human trafficking dynamics, juvenile trauma, internet exploitation, and Unbound Now's core prevention and intervention programs. Ability to maintain a hope-filled posture, practice robust vicarious trauma mitigation/self-care, and serve as a collaborative brand steward across all community and youth-serving operations.
• Ability to manage client assistance funds, youth emergency needs, field spending, travel reimbursements, and grant-funded allocations responsibly within budget guidelines. Valid driver’s license, reliable personal vehicle, valid car insurance coverage, and compliance with safe youth transportation policies (including required parental/guardian or legal custodian consents). Full willingness to serve in an on-call rotation for 24-hour emergency youth crisis response, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Physical and Driving Requirements

• Must possess a valid driver’s license and be able to operate a personal or company vehicle as needed for work-related travel.
• Demands the ability to respond on scene during all hours of the night.
• Occasional physical demands may require the ability to lift or carry loads up to 50 pounds.
• Frequent demands require close visual attention to detail and prolonged periods of mental concentration.
• Ability to enter documentation into a case management software system.

Equal Employment Opportunity & Faith Statement: Unbound Now is an equal opportunity employer. As a faith-based non-profit organization, Unbound Now exercises its legal right under Section 702 of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to hire individuals who align with our Christian faith, mission, and core values.