Shelter Advocacy Program Manager

Shelter Advocacy Program Manager, Community Shelter

The Community Shelter is seeking a Shelter Advocacy Program Manager. The Shelter Advocacy Program Manager is primarily responsible for providing oversight to the Shelter Advocacy Manager and will provide training, supervision and guidance to the Shelter Advocates. They will assist staff in creating an environment that is client focused and promotes safety, healing, and empowerment for residents. This position requires the use of a personal vehicle and/or the ability to drive a 15-passenger van.

About SAFE:

• SAFE’s mission is our name: Stop Abuse For Everyone. We achieve our mission by acknowledging and responding to the intersection of child abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking, and domestic violence.
• The SAFE Alliance grew out of the courageous work of the Center for Battered Women, the Austin Rape Crisis Center, and the Austin Children’s Shelter, all respected, women-led human service agencies created by volunteers and informed by survivors who needed support, safety, and justice.
• With over 20 programs and 400 staff, we have been serving the Austin community and beyond for over 30 years.
• The SAFE Alliance strongly encourages members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color; LGBTQ+ identified people; gender-nonconforming people; individuals with disabilities; veterans; and people who speak a language in addition to English.

About this position:

• We need one person to fill the role of Shelter Advocacy Program Manager. This is a full-time, exempt position at our Community Shelter locations which is using a scattered site model to provide in person services. We will pay you an annual salary of $53,000 dependent on experience and an additional annual language differential of $3,600 for those who are English/Spanish bilingual. 

Key Duties:

• Assists the Community Shelter Director in oversight of client services that include client intakes, case management, support, education, referral, and collaboration with internal and external programs.
• Participates in the interviewing, hiring, and onboarding of new employees. Provides weekly supervision to team members to develop skills, provide support and feedback.
• Training, Facilitates and coordinates the training, for new Shelter Advocates and interns.
• Supporting shelter advocates in providing client focused services by ensuring advocates:
  • Provide trauma informed support and guidance to survivors of child abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence and/or human trafficking residing in our Community Shelter program.
  • Provide support to survivors living in our Community Shelter program with immediate needs, address barriers to clients’ goals and safety, and anything else that will help them re-establish their lives.
  • Maintain a safe environment by de-escalating or responding to crisis situations in a professional and respectful manner, engage the support of emergency services when needed, and document any such incidents according to our program standards.
  • Provide processes and support for clients with communal living, problem solving, and crisis intervention & conflict resolution.
  • Offer opportunities for community building by ensuring advocates are available at each site.
  • Provide a process for the Client’s documented completion of Safety Planning and Coordinated Assessment.
  • Stays up to date with the application processes, enrollment procedures, and any new information about frequently used social services: medical, mental health, legal, childcare, housing, parenting, financial support, educational, counseling, and others.
  • Builds networks, when providing service coordination with other SAFE Programs.
  • Serves as a program manager who meets one on one with clients as needed, in helping with items such as client concerns, shelter exit plans, and in support or follow up as requested by other shelter staff and program director.
• Communicates proactively with staff from other programs to ensure that agency services are coordinated and working in tandem with each other.
• Maintain excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage details and multiple priorities effectively and possess the ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Ensures the completion of all requisite agency and program paperwork for program administration and communication purposes. Assist with quality assurance checks when closing client case files. Completes data entry for direct client assistance.
• Assists with maintaining systems for documenting the effectiveness and efficiency of services. Ensures systems for counting, collection, and reporting on the shelter advocacy program.
• Provides community education presentations as required.
• On Call Requirement: Serves on back up manager rotation; ensure 24/7 on call availability to shelter staff during weeklong rotation.
• The ability to drive agency vans and/or your personal vehicle to visit and support multiple sites.

Qualifications:

• Possess a Master’s degree in Social Work or related field or equalivant relevant life, work, or volunteer experience.
• Four years’ experience in direct client work required. Preference given to those with experience in a residential, crisis, and/or homeless or domestic violence shelter program.
• Two years supervisory and management experience in a comparable position.
• Experience and skilled in data entry/collection using online database to track program outputs/outcomes and in the use of computer software including Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience working with domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or homeless programs.
• Experience working in a high stress, fast-paced environment while maintaining a calm and professional demeanor.
• Experience establishing rapport, trust, and boundaries with clients.
• Experience in working with varied ethnic groups and demonstrated cultural competence.
• Have a valid, State of Texas Driver’s License, and:
  • At least three (3) consecutive years of driving experience OR one (1) year of driving experience if over 27 years of age; AND an acceptable driving record; AND if in possession of an out-of-state license, obtain a State of Texas Driver’s License within 90 days of beginning employment.
• Pass all required criminal history background checks (including an FBI fingerprint check), as well a pre-employment drug screen and TB test (if applicable).
• All employees are required to comply with policies regarding COVID-19, which may be subject to change.  COVID vaccines are still highly recommended, and we encourage employees to get vaccinated if they are able.

About our benefits:

• Full-time employees receive employer paid health insurance, short-term disability, and life insurance.*
• Optional dental, vision and pet insurance.*
• 403(b) retirement plan with an employer match, and 15 days of Paid Time Off (PTO), 4 Personal Holidays, 8 Paid holidays, and more*
• We’ll provide you with an amazing work environment where you’ll get to make a difference every day.

Please Note: All new employees regardless of employment status will be required to start their employment on either the 1st or 16th of the month and will be required to attend a three-day new employee orientation that is held both in-person and virtually on the first three days of the month.

*Benefits are prorated based on date of hire and hours worked. Eligibility is dependent upon FTE, status, etc. 

For the most up-to-date and comprehensive list of our job openings, please visit our career page.