Domestic Violence High Risk Team (DVHRT) Specialist

Status: Full-time
Hours: 40 hours per week (32 work, 8 company-sponsored time)
Company Sponsored Time: We offer a 4-day, 32-hour work week, and YWCA will provide this role 8 hours of Company Sponsored Time for you to use on Fridays to maintain work-life balance while maintaining pay at 40 hours a week
Pay Range: $24.96/hr + $1 bilingual differential
Benefits: Visit our Benefits and Perks Tab by Clicking Here  
 

The DVHRT Specialist is responsible for providing direct long-term advocacy to survivors who have been identified as being at high risk for lethality. High risk advocacy includes: crisis intervention and descalation, safety planning, emotional support, legal advocacy and court support, and referrals. Working closely with the Legal Services Manager, the DVHRT specialist coordinates with DVHRT community partners (consisting of law enforcement, prosecution, perpetrator treatment, department of corrections, and legal aid) to monitor the ongoing safety of DVHRT cases as assigned by Legal Services Manager.

There is a strong social justice component to all program positions within YWCA, requiring critical thinking through the lens of racism and intersections with poverty and other forms of oppression. Knowing the core principles of anti-racism and grounding those principles in everyday work are required job skills and core values.

Mission

• Gain approval for, track, and participate in activities that meet the organization's 1% for Social Change initiative. 
• Incorporate the YWCA’s commitment to social justice by understanding how racism, sexism, classism, and other oppressions intersect and are embedded in institutions. Seek opportunities for continued learning about racial, gender and class equity.
• Assure that participants, staff, volunteers, and community partners are treated with respect and dignity regardless of race, ethnic background, gender or socioeconomic background.
• Provide leadership and direction to program staff, ensuring YWCA’s commitment to racial and gender justice is embedded in program decisions and operations. 
• Think through the lens of racial equity and its intersections with poverty. Use the core principles of anti-racism and grounding those principles in all daily tasks

Direct Services and Program Support

• Provide a survivor-centered, empowerment-based approach to advocacy, effectively supporting high risk survivors in identifying their own needs and goals and increasing survivor safety including: .
• Collaborate with DVHRT partners to provide comprehensive high risk services.
• Provide crisis intervention, emotional support, information, safety planning, and resource referral over the phone and in person.
• Provide court accompaniment or docket observation for survivors of domestic violence.
• Support with obtaining Domestic Violence Protection Orders.
• Information about accessing Crime Victims Compensation.
• Provide back up walk-in support as needed. 
• Track and maintain data on high risk survivors to be reported to Geiger Institute. 
• Work independently to complete assigned tasks and, in collaboration with the Legal Services Manager, provide training support to SafeChoice staff.
• Co-facilitate trainings and conduct presentations on DVHRT services.
• Attend all DVHRT meetings:
• Provide updates on high risk survivors.
• Take meeting notes for DVHRT partners.
• Act as Meeting Coordinator when Legal Services Mangager is not present.
• Utilize strong de-escalation and empowerment skills to best support survivors and families impacted by domestic violence and to minimize the effects of secondary trauma.
• Proactively maintain yearly domestic training requirements as required.
• Be present for and appropriately participate in staff meetings as required.
• Ability to be flexible with legal services which may fall outside of regular business hours.
• Maintain a calm and professional demeanor while working in a high-stress and unpredictable environment.
• Maintain appropriate personal/professional boundaries with participants and co-workers to maintain clear, open, and unbiased lines of communication.