Domestic Violence Advocate

Position Title:  Domestic Violence Advocate

Agency/Program: Freedom House

Status: Exempt/Full Time

Hours Per Week: 34

Salary: $60k 

Supervisor:  Assistant Program Director

Start Date: [Immediate]

Benefits Package: 100% Employer paid Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Matched Retirement Plan, Paid vacation, Sick days, Personal days, Paid National Holidays, and more.

Schedule: Monday through Friday, 9AM to 5PM, after hours on call as needed

Equipment Operated : Computer/Laptop, Printer, Scanner, Phone, Adaptive Devices, etc.
Work Environment: This position will spend time at the program site and have an independent (private) office.
Travel: A minimum three days on-site per week and as needed. Remote work is arranged on the rest of the working days including meetings. (Subject to change.)

About Barrier Free Living (BFL) 

Barrier Free Living (BFL) is dedicated to helping New Yorkers with disabilities live independently in the community. Through its various programs, BFL provides a broad range of residential and nonresidential services to disabled survivors of domestic violence, transitional shelter to the disabled homeless, and outreach to physically disabled individuals with mental health and/or chemical addiction issues. Services include case management; housing placements; independent living skills training; occupational therapy; short and long-term individual counseling; advocacy within the medical, mental health, child welfare, law enforcement, and criminal justice systems; and referrals to outside services. 

About Freedom House

Freedom House - a crisis shelter for victims of domestic violence - provides a safe and confidential place that is accessible for those with or without disabilities. Freedom House offers comprehensive services to families and single individuals in recovery from their experiences of trauma. Services include (but are not limited to) individual and group counseling, case management, assistance with housing and government benefits, on-site child care, occupational therapy, medical consulting, and psychiatric services. This state-of-the-art facility is the first completely accessible domestic violence shelter for individuals with disabilities in the country.]

Role Summary

The Domestic Violence Advocate provides trauma-informed counseling, advocacy, and case management services to survivors of domestic violence residing at Freedom House. This role supports residents in achieving safety, stability, and independence through comprehensive service planning, crisis intervention, and coordination of internal and external resources. Working collaboratively with the clinical team and community partners, the Domestic Violence Advocate helps ensure residents receive high-quality, person-centered care while contributing to the overall mission of Freedom House to provide a safe, accessible, and supportive environment for survivors

Responsibilities

• Supports Director of Social Services to manage administrative, clinical and operational functions of the program

• Provides supervisory coverage when Director of Social Services is not available

• Provides Supervision to MSW interns 

• Holds case load providing individual and group counseling with adult shelter residents

• Completes comprehensive service plans for residents and ensuring appropriate follow-up activities related to service plan goals and benchmarks

• Conducts telephone screenings of calls from the domestic violence hotline

• Collaborates with the clinical team to promote multidisciplinary care

• Participates in clinical meetings and trainings

• Ensures timely and accurate entry of resident statistics and case notes

• Ensures that SORTS is up to date and accurate

Qualifications

• MSW or equivalent degree, with counseling and case management experience

• Experience with victims of domestic violence and/or familiarity with disability issues preferred

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Ability to work in fast-paced, residential environment

• Excellent language skills in American Sign Language or bilingual English/Spanish desired

Equal Opportunity Employer

BFL provides equal employment opportunity to all applicants, with employment based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, pregnancy, citizenship status, marital status, creed, genetic disposition or carrier status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. Applicants who need a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential job duties are encouraged to submit requests to HR for consideration.