Women's Advocate

**Job description**

**POSITION**: Shelter Worker - **Full Time Women’s Advocate (Unionized)**

**POSITION REPORTS TO**:Program Manager or Designate

**PROGRAM DESCRIPTION**:
Homeward Family Shelter has been in operation since 1990. The shelter provides safe and secure emergency shelter for abused women and their children. Homeward Family Shelter is staffed 24 hours a day and can accommodate up to 13 women and 22 children at any given time. In addition to emergency shelter, women and their children are provided with other basic necessities such as food, clothing, diapers and other personal need items. In addition, other shelter supports include assistance with efforts to obtain housing, social assistance, medical and legal help. Staff have expertise in the areas of advocacy, group facilitation, housing, immigration, family law, parenting and violence prevention, and must be capable of working with women and children in their efforts to re-establish lives free from violence.

**PURPOSE OF THE POSITION**:
The **Women’s Advocate** works within a collaborative team to provide meaningful and relevant services within a theoretical feminist framework; that includes a working knowledge of the dynamics and effects of violence, trauma and oppression. The **Women’s Advocate** works as a resource to colleagues and clients and is responsible for providing a full range of services, which includes crisis intervention, informal counselling, and the development, implementation and evaluation of workshops for both residents and colleagues.

**Hours of Work**: 37.5 hours per week - Full time Rotating Schedule (includes evenings and weekends)

**Starting Salary**: $26.81 per hour

**RESPONSIBILITIES**:
**1. Resident Support**
- applies knowledge of the issues of trauma and the dynamics of woman abuse to develop and implement effective support strategies
- completes intakes, assessments, risk assessments/safety planning, goal planning, weekly counselling, and departure planning, and other case management support as required
- participates in case conferences and acts as an advocate on behalf of residents
- provides daily support services to residents (e.g. weekly allowance, bus tickets/taxi vouchers, first aid, long-distance calls and assists with completion of forms and statements)
- accompanies women to appointments as necessary
- exercises the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all residents
- uses mediation, facilitation and negotiation skills to maintain a co-operative, supportive and productive house environment
- conducts regular scheduled security checks and fire drills and necessary follow up as required
- provides information and referrals to residents
- prepares and provides relevant information at shift change
- liaises with professionals and agencies in the community to facilitate access to services by the residents
- researches, creates and obtains material to address the needs of residents
- responds appropriately to needs presented by residents and ex-residents
- communicates any issues relating to building to the Facilities Coordinator

**2. Violence Against Women Counselling**
- works with women individually and/or in groups to establish a plan that will facilitate a safe and effective path to independence
- provides crisis intervention, informal counselling, safety planning, and referrals to callers
- provides crisis intervention, informal counselling for women and their children in the shelter
- demonstrates and maintain knowledge of relevant issues

**3. Mental Health/Addictions Counselling**
- applies knowledge, stays current and demonstrates skill in the area of mental health and addictions
- conducts assessments and identifies residents’ mental health/addictions issues
- provides information and referrals to detox centers, treatment programs, supportive recovery programs, and other relevant mental health /addictions services
- negotiates treatment plans with residents that focus on harm reduction
- demonstrates and maintains knowledge of relevant legislation regarding addictions/mental health

**4. Group Work**
- facilitates weekly resident meetings to determine emerging needs and to encourage a cooperative living environment
- develops, implements and evaluates psycho-educational and mutual-aid groups that address residents’ various issues including the issues of trauma and woman abuse
- collaborates with community partners to ensure holistic and efficient service delivery to residents

**5. Team Work**
- engages with the staff team in reflective practice to ensure the development and implementation of quality programs and services
- contributes specialized knowledge and expertise to team members to develop meaningful and relevant services for women and children
- actively participates in creating a collaborative and dynamic team environment

**6. Administration**
- adheres to all policies and procedures of Homeward Family Shelter
- completes administrative duties as outlined in Homeward Fami