Client Safety & De-escalation Specialist

Client Safety & De-escalation Specialist

Unarmed Safety / Security Role

Background

Still She Rises, Inc. (SSR) provides free legal representation to pregnant women, women with children, and women who are child caregivers. Our direct-services legal representation focuses on defending clients who are navigating criminal, child welfare, housing, and economic justice systems. Our work is grounded in client-centered, innovative, and holistic legal representation.

SSR seeks a calm, grounded, and highly observant team member to help maintain a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for clients, families, visitors, and staff. This role is ideal for someone with experience in unarmed security, crisis response, behavioral intervention, community safety, or other public-facing roles that require strong judgment, de-escalation, and clear boundaries.

About the Role

The Client Safety & De-escalation Specialist is a visible, steady presence in SSR's office and helps ensure that daily services can continue in a safe, welcoming, and orderly environment. This position supports client and visitor flow, monitors shared spaces, responds to disruptions or escalating behavior, documents incidents, and helps staff follow safety and emergency protocols.

This is an unarmed role . The position is not law enforcement, clinical care, case management, or facilities management. The Specialist does not carry a weapon and does not exercise law enforcement authority.

The role emphasizes early intervention, verbal de-escalation, trauma-informed communication, and respectful redirection. In rare situations involving physical aggression or imminent safety risk, the Specialist may use trained, nonviolent physical intervention or disengagement techniques as a last resort, consistent with SSR protocols and applicable training.

Key Responsibilities

Safety Presence, Access, and Client Flow

• Maintain a visible, professional, and welcoming presence in front-of-office and shared spaces.
• Support appropriate client, visitor, and community member flow throughout the office.
• Help monitor entrances, lobby areas, meeting spaces, and other shared areas for safety, access, and disruption concerns.
• Help ensure visitors are directed appropriately and that staff are aware of immediate safety or flow concerns.
• Open and close the office according to established procedures.
• Conduct routine checks of public and shared spaces to identify safety, access, cleanliness, or facility concerns.
• Report maintenance, access, or environmental issues that may affect client or staff safety.

De-escalation and Incident Response

• Serve as the primary first point of response for disruptive, escalated, or high-stress situations in public or shared spaces.
• Use calm, trauma-informed communication to support individuals experiencing distress while maintaining clear behavioral expectations.
• Apply verbal de-escalation, redirection, space management, and environmental calming strategies before considering any higher-level response.
• Help staff determine when to involve supervisors, leadership, emergency services, or other supports.
• Respond to urgent situations in accordance with SSR safety and emergency protocols.
• In rare situations involving physical aggression or imminent safety risk, use only trained, nonviolent physical intervention or disengagement techniques as a last resort.

Front Office and Reception Support

• Provide break and meal-period coverage for the Community Reception Coordinator as needed.
• Answer the main phone line when providing coverage and route calls appropriately.
• Greet clients, visitors, and community members respectfully and professionally.
• Help maintain a calm and organized front-office environment during busy or stressful periods.

Documentation and Communication

• Complete timely and accurate incident reports, daily notes, or other documentation required by SSR.
• Document disruptions, safety concerns, responses, outcomes, and follow-up needs.
• Identify patterns or recurring concerns and elevate them to leadership.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with staff about immediate concerns affecting client flow, office safety, or service delivery.
• Maintain confidentiality and professional discretion at all times.

What Success Looks Like

A successful Client Safety & De-escalation Specialist is calm under pressure, respectful with all people, and able to balance compassion with firm boundaries. They notice concerns early, intervene before situations escalate when possible, communicate clearly with staff, document accurately, and help clients and visitors experience SSR as both welcoming and safe.

Required Qualifications

• Experience in a public-facing role requiring calm judgment, conflict navigation, safety awareness, or de-escalation.
• Ability to remain calm and professional in unpredictable or emotionally charged situations.
• Strong verbal communication skills, including the ability to redirect behavior respectfully and clearly.
• Strong observation skills and attention to the physical environment.
• Ability to write clear, timely, and accurate incident notes or reports.
• Ability to follow safety protocols, confidentiality expectations, and escalation procedures.
• Commitment to trauma-informed, client-centered, and culturally responsive practice.
• Ability to stand, walk, move through the office, and respond quickly to urgent situations.
• Willingness to complete required safety, de-escalation, trauma-informed care, and confidentiality training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as an unarmed security officer, safety ambassador, behavioral intervention staff member, crisis response worker, or similar role.
• Current or prior CLEET Unarmed Security Guard license, or ability to obtain licensure if required.
• Training in CPI, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, Mental Health First Aid, trauma-informed care, conflict de-escalation, or safe physical intervention.
• Experience working with people experiencing trauma, behavioral health challenges, emotional distress, housing instability, substance use, or system involvement.
• Experience in a legal services, nonprofit, healthcare, school, shelter, social services, or community-based setting.
• Bilingual ability, especially English/Spanish, is a plus but not required.

Required Training and Professional Development

Because this role includes safety response responsibilities, SSR will provide or support training to ensure the Specialist can respond safely, respectfully, and consistently with organizational protocols.

Required training may include:

• Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, CPI, or an equivalent evidence-based de-escalation and safe intervention model.
• Trauma-informed care and client engagement.
• Recognition of behavioral health and emotional crisis indicators.
• SSR safety response, escalation, and emergency protocols.
• Confidentiality and client information protection.
• Incident documentation and post-incident review practices.
• Bias awareness and culturally responsive communication.

Ongoing expectations include refresher training, scenario-based practice, participation in team safety drills, and adherence to SSR's documentation and review processes.

Compensation: $65,000 annually, plus medical, dental, vision, life insurance, FSA, and a 401(k) with a 4% employer contribution. Generous PTO and a supportive supervision structure are provided to support sustainability in this work.

How to Apply

Visit stillsherises.org and click on the Careers tab. Please submit a cover letter and resume when prompted. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

This position will remain open until filled. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by May 31, 2026.

Still She Rises is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring, and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, experiences, orientations, and communities to apply.