Navigator & Mobile Crisis Advocate

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

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 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.

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…