Domestic Violence Advocate

Barrier Free Living (BFL) Overview

Barrier Free Living (BFL) is dedicated to helping New Yorkers with disabilities live independently in the community. Through its various programs, BFL provides a broad range of residential and non‑residential services to disabled survivors of domestic violence. Services include case management; housing placements; independent living skills training; occupational therapy; short‑ and long‑term individual counseling; advocacy within the medical, mental health, child welfare, law enforcement, and criminal justice systems;

and referrals to outside services.

Freedom House, a crisis shelter for domestic violence survivors with and without disabilities, provides comprehensive services to families and single individuals to assist them in recovering from their experiences of trauma. Services include individual and group counseling, case management, assistance with housing and government benefits, advocacy, on‑site child care, occupational therapy, and medical and psychiatric care. This state‑of‑the‑art facility is the first completely accessible domestic violence shelter for individuals with disabilities in the country.

The Domestic Violence Counselor is responsible for direct service provision with shelter residents who have experienced domestic violence with and without disabilities and those who are D/deaf or Hard of Hearing. Direct services include individual and group counseling, hotline screenings, crisis intervention, advocacy, and case management. The Domestic Violence Counselor is part of an interdisciplinary team including housing and entitlements, legal, nursing, childcare, occupational therapy, psychiatrist, maintenance, and residential aid.

• Conduct phone intake interviews to assess callers for eligibility for shelter;
• Engage residents in initial and ongoing services, through individual and group supportive counseling and safety planning;
• Identify strengths and needs of individuals and families and establish an individualized service plan;
• Ensuring appropriate follow‑up activities related to goals;
• Provide comprehensive quality advocacy and case management services;
• Provide crisis intervention and other services required to assist residents;
• Work closely with interdisciplinary teams to provide assistance in seeking housing, employment, child care, financial assistance, legal services, and other services needed;
• Regularly assess the safety and well‑being of residents;
• Ensure professional relationships with clients to create an atmosphere of empathy, safety & support;
• Participate in training to enhance and develop appropriate skills;
• Attend individual supervision, group supervision, case conferences, and staff meetings;
• Maintain adequate and timely case records utilizing the Fam Care case management system.

• Master's degree in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, or related fields required.
• MSW, MHC, LMSW, or LMHC strongly preferred.
• Strong dedication to furthering victim and disability rights.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to issues related to domestic violence and disability issues.
• Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Office applications (including Excel) and skills in database management and record‑keeping.
• Bilingual Spanish/English, ASL knowledge preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal skills.

Start Date:

ASAP
Hourly Rate: $31.93
Hours per week and

Schedule:

35 – Monday through Friday with 3 days in office from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and one day 12:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Presently opportunity will be a combination of on-site location with a staggered schedule and remote arrangement.
Position Available:
Full Time
Benefits Package: 100% employer‑paid Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Matched Retirement Plan, Paid vacation, Sick days, Personal days, Paid National Holidays, and more.

Cash Assistance recipients are encouraged to apply.

Barrier Free Living (BFL) began its ground‑breaking work with people with disabilities in 1978 as a Federally‑funded Research and Demonstration Project first known as “Project Outward Bound”. Since then, BFL has gone on to work with thousands of people with disabilities, has launched several successful award‑winning programs and has become a leader in working with survivors of domestic violence with disabilities.

To learn more, please visit our website nyc.org.