job Navigator & Mobile Crisis Advocate

Department: Survivor Services
Reports to: Diversion Manager 
Status: Full time, hourly / exempt
Wage: $25.48 per hour

Position Overview

Are you a creative problem solver committed to empowering and supporting survivors? Are you passionate about helping survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence secure permanent housing? Are you dedicated to working across organizations and systems to advocate alongside survivors? YWCA of Greater Portland assists domestic violence survivors in navigating systems and securing safe and stable housing as part of YWCA USA, the largest and oldest provider of domestic violence service in the world. In this role, you will be the initial point of contact for survivors and their connection to the services, supports, and housing needed to rebuild their lives. You will contribute significantly to the YWCA’s mission to eliminate racism and empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. 

YWCA is on a Mission

YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace,

justice, freedom, and dignity for all. For more than 120 years, YWCA of Greater Portland

has invested in our community, supported survivors, and advocated for the most

vulnerable among us: women, children, seniors, the unhoused, and the incarcerated. As

one of 200 Associations nationwide, we are proud members of YWCA USA, one of the

oldest and largest women's organizations in the nation.

 

Key Responsibilities

Strength-based, trauma-informed crisis response

• Serve as the first point of contact for survivors seeking relief from domestic and sexual violence.
• Assess and triage needs and connect to in-house and/or other service providers to best meet survivor’s needs; conduct Safety and Stabilization Assessment (SSA) and/or additional assessment tools, if needed.
• Ensure rapid response to survivors by monitoring the Mobile Crisis “Hotline” which includes a dedicated phone number for crisis services, a services email address, and standard office-based walk-in availability.
• Work with the survivor to determine needs using a strengths-based approach and trauma-informed approach.
• Provide survivor-led safety planning and options counseling, and additional supports in partnership with the Domestic Violence Advocate.
• Coordinate engagement with other domestic violence, mental health, anti-poverty, and legal service providers at the directive of the survivor.
• Provide co-advocacy services at the directive of the survivor, offering support, information, referrals, and individualized safety planning.
• Work primarily onsite (East County and/or Gateway Center); meet with participants at YWCA office locations and/or off-site following safety planning best practices.
• Promote healthy relationships and maintain appropriate boundaries.
• Be willing to be uncomfortable and sit with survivors through big emotions without trying to manage their emotions or solve all their problems.
• Provide excellent, responsive, and flexible survivor-led service to all participants.

Compassionate information, referral, and survivor-led services navigation

• Become an expert in how to creatively access and use all available resources and supports available to survivors with intersectional identities and diverse lived experiences.
• Host and/or facilitate Survivor Support Groups that meet emerging and evolving Survivor needs by coordinating speakers, presenting on educational opportunities and other resources, and partnering with colleagues and other community partners to deliver meaningful content.
• Help survivors complete a variety of documents including requests for protective orders, Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) enrollment, or others.
• Coordinate Survivor Resources including HOP Cards, Free Geek, and other community partnerships.
• Use a “housing-first” approach to support survivors of domestic violence to safely attain or retain safe housing with a strong knowledge of Fair Housing and VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) protections and/or landlord/tenant laws.
• Complete all data entry, filing, and eligibility requirement tasks in a timely manner. Such activities require adherence to federal, state, and local laws and contract requirements while working within multiple agency systems. All work must be carried out while maintaining absolute client confidentiality.
• Provide back-up Gateway Center Navigation.

Participatory teamwork and responsible representation

• Engage consistently in anti-racism practices and approaches with internal and external work based on a deep understanding of historical and present-day structural racism.
• Represent the program, YWCA, and Gateway Center responsibly, and act as a team member with other agencies housed at the Gateway Center.
• Develop and maintain positive professional relationships with providers of housing in the Greater Portland area, the Survivor Services team, and YWCA as a whole.
• Coordinate engagement with other domestic violence, mental health, anti-poverty, and legal service providers at the directive of the survivor.
• Attend and meaningfully participate in all scheduled meetings with department, agency, and external partner teams.
• Meet all contractually required domestic violence trainings plus 12 annual hours of YWCA Social Justice Training annually; commit to ongoing participation in continuing education including DV and Fair Housing legal changes. 
• Uphold YWCA of Greater Portland’s mission, vision, and values by acting with integrity, accountability, and responsibility toward survivor participants, service partners, fellow employees, volunteers, donors, and everyone the organization engages with.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

The Ideal Candidate

• Commits to eliminating racism and empowering women, strives for equity in all aspects of their work, and has a strong understanding of trauma-informed principles and practices.
• Communicates clearly, consistently, and kindly with agency partners, and colleagues, and responds in a timely, compassionate, and appropriate way to multiple partners.
• Manages a complicated and frequently deadline-driven work environment with consistent and effective self-care strategies and techniques.
• Advocates for social justice, including furthering the rights, protections, access to safety, and empowerment of historically oppressed, under-represented, and/or marginalized communities. 
• Regulates personal emotions and practices self-care while enduring high amounts of stress and vicarious trauma.
• Brings an intersectional lens to the work that focuses on lived experience, resiliency, and opportunities for calling in and deeper learning.

Skills, Knowledge, & Experience

• Required: 40-hour Domestic Violence Advocate Training and Motivational Interviewing Training (both provided upon hire).
• Experience in domestic violence advocacy preferred through any combination of education, employment or lived experience; willing to provide training.
• Comfortable in rapidly evolving situations that require advanced creative problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to self-manage workload priorities and calendar while being responsive to survivor needs and priorities. High self-motivation is key.
• Ability to organize, prioritize and complete multiple and varied tasks.
• Ability to manage caseload to a monthly budget and other contractual requirements to serve the greatest number of participants possible.
• Ability to effectively use survivor-centered best practices (including reflective listening) to find participant-led solutions.
• Ability to build rapport with people from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds; consistently treat others with respect and dignity.
• Ability and willingness to work as a team member and support the mission and goals of YWCA of Greater Portland.
• Demonstrated culturally responsive communication skills (both written and spoken)
• Computer skills including working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and virtual meeting tools.
• Desire to actively participate in self-reflection, continued education, and professional development.
• Dedicated responsiveness with a strong customer service orientation.
• Bilingual and cross-cultural knowledge, experience, and skills a plus.
• Flexibility, kindness, and discretion are essential. 

Job Conditions

• While YWCA is a primarily remote organization, this position requires in person availability at multiple locations, including:
  • Hosting standard, consistent office hours for walk-ins at East County location
  • Navigation at the Gateway Center
  • In-person meetings with participants, colleagues, and other partners at varied community locations
• Must be able to provide own transportation to visit multiple Portland Metro sites, transportation is reimbursed.
• Laptop, phone, and other work-from-home equipment as needed will be supplied.

Benefits

• 100% Employer-paid comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage (with a no deductible option).
• Generous paid time off (including 13 paid holidays).
• Employer paid Life, Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance.
• Unlimited access to no-cost Social Justice Trainings (see ywcapdx.org) and additional position-specific professional development.
• 100% Employer-paid pension plan (generous contribution) after 2 years of service in the YWCA Retirement Fund, one of the oldest pension plans in the country; a 403(b) Retirement Savings plan is available to all new employees.
• Membership in the YWCA USA sisterhood, a 150-year-old network of 200 associations worldwide.

 

Our Hiring Philosophy

We believe that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace makes us stronger, more creative, and more resilient. As an organization that works to amplify the voices of those from different ethnic, racial, and cultural communities, religions, gender identities, sexual orientations and/or expressions, we highly encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply.

 

YWCA of Greater Portland is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or caregiver status, veteran status, justice-involved background, or any other legally protected status. We work to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

 

YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Multicultural, multilingual, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ voices matter to us. We encourage everyone who is passionate about our mission and who can bring valuable lived experience to this position to apply, even if you don't believe you meet all the described  qualifications. YWCA will not hire someone currently receiving services or within the first 6  months of ending YWCA services. YWCA cannot provide services to our own employees, but can provide referrals to other agencies.

 

YWCA of Greater Portland does not allow or condone the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT in our workplace due to its negative impact on the environment and human creativity. All applications are run through AI detection software. If AI use is detected, that application will be discarded or the candidate may be invited to reapply with human-written materials.

 

Application Instructions

This posting is open until filled and interviews will be conducted as applications are received. To apply, please email the following materials to employment@ywcapdx.org:

• Cover letter that highlights what inspires you about our mission and how your personal and / or professional experience will strengthen YWCA and support our growing Survivor Services Department
• Resume
• 3 to 5 references

A single PDF file is preferred. Only complete applications will be considered.

What best describes this position?
Case Manager/Care Coordinator

Does this position require a specialized license?
No

---

To apply or for more information visit:

Apply Online