Rural Outreach Advocate
Hours: 40 hours per week- Monday through Friday; occasional evenings and weekends
Reports to: Shelter Supervisor
Salary/Hourly Rate: $17.50
Mission: To provide a safe and empowering environment for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault through advocacy, education, shelter, and family support services.
Qualifications:
- Associate or bachelor’s degree in human services or a related field is preferred, but equivalent experience will also be considered.
- Basic knowledge, understanding and experience working with victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
- Self-motivated, self-directed, organized, responsible.
- Ability to respond effectively to crises.
- Excellent oral, written, and electronic (social media) communication skills
- Skilled at building interpersonal relationships in the community
Perks:
- This is a position that works very independently. After the orientation period, the Rural Outreach Advocate typically spends half of his/her time working out in the community, building, and maintaining relationships in our nine counties.
- Managing social media accounts for Safe Place is a creative facet of the position.
- Safe Place offers a competitive benefits package, including paying 85% of the single employee’s premium for health, vision, and dental insurance.
Responsibilities:
Outreach Responsibilities:
- Maintain complete confidentiality of client and staff information.
- Provide information and education about Safe Place’s programs to agencies and citizens in the communities we serve through displays, fliers, presentations, speaking engagements.
- Maintain established outreach relationships within the nine counties we serve (Aurora, Davison, Douglas, Hanson, Hutchinson, McCook, Miner, Jerauld, and Sanborn).
- Promote and participate with local Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Response Team (DVSART).
- Develop professional relationships with key individuals and agencies within our outreach area.
- Manage social media accounts for Safe Place, collaborating with other team members.
- Attend county and community functions relevant to domestic violence/sexual assault issues.
- Assist in the development of rural county/community services.
- Work in cooperation with the South Dakota Network Against Family Violence & Sexual Assault Program.
Advocacy Responsibilities:
- Direct client services to include trauma informed care, advocacy, in-take, protection orders, and sexual assault.
- Work closely with the shelter staff to communicate needs and to ensure seamless continuity of services.
- Assist victims with support and advocacy services (transportation, safety planning).
- Assist victims with legal advocacy, including obtaining protection orders.
- Provide referrals and information about other programs to victims.
- Provide on-call crisis advocacy alternating one night a week, weekend and holiday rotation with other on-call crisis advocates.
- Accurately complete reports and paperwork in a timely manner.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Rotate on-call duties as assigned.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Direct client services to include trauma informed care, advocacy, in-take, protection orders, and sexual assault.
· Document all interactions as required.
· Maintain safety and security precautions.
· Crisis intervention and safety planning with clients/potential clients.
· Respond to emergency requests and/or needs by clients.
· Rotate on call duties as assigned.
Hours of work:
- Monday through Friday; occasional evenings and weekends
- Travel within the nine-county area, valid driver’s license/clean driving record required.
- Aurora, Davison, Douglas, Hanson, Hutchinson, McCook, Miner, Jerauld, and Sanborn counties
- Ability to adjust hours as needed to cover events and needs of the position.
