On-Call Weekend Advocate in Saint Louis, Missouri at Young Womens Christian Association

About YWCA

YWCA of Metropolitan St. Louis (YWCA) has been serving the community for more than 120 years, providing essential, wraparound services that support women and families throughout their time in our programs. Each year, YWCA serves approximately 10,000 women and their families, offering a multitude of services. YWCA is the largest provider of direct Head Start services in Missouri, operating 8 centers and 11 partner sites, and we are proud to hold the National Program of Excellence accreditation from the National Head Start Association.

Why Work With Us?

• Meaningful Work - Every role at YWCA helps create positive change in the community.
• Supportive Environment - Join a team that values collaboration and mutual respect.
• Professional Development - Opportunities for training and career growth.
• Work-Life Balance - Flexible scheduling and generous paid time off.
• Competitive Benefits - Health, dental, vision coverage, retirement plans, and wellness programs.
• Community Impact - Be part of programs that make a real difference for women, children, and families.

Our Signature Programs

• Early Childhood Education & Childcare – Providing safe, nurturing environments for children to learn and grow.
• Family Support Services – Helping families access resources and build stability.
• Health & Wellness Initiatives – Promoting physical and mental well-being through community programs.
• Advocacy & Outreach – Connecting individuals to opportunities and support systems that improve quality of life.

Submit your application and resume today. Join Us and Make a Difference Every Day!

This position is part-time, WEEKENDS only on a rotation basis!

Purpose

The On-Call Advocate will provide advocacy, emotional support, and safety planning to those who identify or are identified as survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and sex trafficking. Primarily, the advocate will provide support services to survivors at hospitals, police departments, or other locations in the community as appropriate. Advocates will need to keep an open flexible schedule to meet the needs of the community, survivors, and agency. The advocate will work as part of a rotation, on weekends starting on Friday evening and ending on Monday morning. Advocates will receive base pay for standby hours for the weekend, regardless of whether they are dispatched to a hospital or police department. When the advocate is dispatched to the hospital and/or police department, the advocate will receive an hourly rate of pay, in addition to their base pay, for time spent providing services.

Primary Interactions

Hospital staff, law enforcement, survivors, and SART- DV Volunteers.

Description

• Responsible for client outcomes, and service documentation, as related to crisis intervention program goals, objectives, and agency and funder requirements for clients enrolled in Crisis Intervention services designated for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, sex trafficking, and other victimizations.
• Maintain strict adherence to the YWCA Metro St Louis policies, procedures, professional standards of conduct, and codes of ethics and those that govern applicable fields of human service practice.
• Provide advocacy (70%): Provide crisis intervention, emotional support, safety planning, information, and referral services to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and/or sex trafficking in hospitals and local police departments and during follow-up. Services will be primarily provided face-to-face, voluntary intervention, providing support on an emergency basis to survivors and their families, friends, and significant others, as appropriate.
• Work as part of a coordinated community response, including, but not limited to SANE’s local law enforcement agencies, and local universities. Must keep their work cell phone on their person throughout their on-call weekend, and answer/return all phone calls in a timely manner. Arrive at the local hospital or police department within 45 minutes of being dispatched. Provide medical advocacy. Be present at the hospital while medical procedures, such as the evidence collection kit, are being performed to explain each part of the process to the survivor, as well as providing emotional support. Explain and clarify the workings and processes of the criminal justice system. Provide legal advocacy for survivors before, during, and after the police report.
• Data and record management (10%): Complete initial intake paperwork and survivor demographic data, weekly statistics reports, time sheets, and all other required paperwork. Entry of data into YWCA database to ensure timely follow-up services for survivors.
• Advocates must have clear communication with the supervisor to ensure continuity of services for survivors.
• Answer 24-hour crisis helpline calls (15%), when not responding to hospital, police department in-person responses.
• Training and Supervision (3%): Participate in all required organizational, program-specific, and position-related professional development, in-service training, and direct supervision meetings.
• Mandated Reporter Guidelines (2%) Follow all Missouri State Mandated Reporter Guidelines, including child abuse and neglect reporting, elderly abuse and neglect, and duty to warn.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Supervisor. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or is a logical assignment to the position.

To perform this job satisfactorily, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability, and environmental conditions required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Formal Education/Experience

• Associates degree with 2-4 years or applicable experience
• Bachelor’s degree in the field of social work, psychology, criminal justice, or related field required, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Experience working with survivors of domestic violence and/or sexual assault including dating violence, stalking, human trafficking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions that relate to violence against the individual or a family member, including a child.
• Experience in community networking, case coordination for multi-disciplinary teams, providing a safe environment for survivors, and demonstrated organizational skills required.
• Additional consideration will be given to candidates who are bilingual or possess related advanced certifications or licensures.
• Completion of forty- eight (48) hours of domestic and sexual violence training including safety planning, lethality, and suicidal assessments.
• Must have reliable, personal transportation.
• Must comply with the rules and regulations of the YWCA, local hospitals, and law enforcement agencies.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Candidates are required to complete a background check.
• Ability to provide culturally competent service and work with a diverse staff and clientele in an empathetic and non-judgmental manner.
• Must demonstrate an acceptable level of maturity, emotional stability, and sound judgment to provide effective services to diverse populations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to function as a productive, contributive member of a team, and work in a spirit of deep collaboration and partnership with colleagues as well as outside agencies.
• Ability to integrate feedback and utilize supervision.
• Ability to develop and maintain professional relationships with volunteers.
• Must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to handle crises and function at a high-level during crisis situations.
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task in a crisis environment.
• Ability to thrive in a complex, fast-paced, rapidly changing work environment.
• Ability to effectively solve problems and resolve conflict.

Physical Demands

• Requires the ability to walk, ability to go up and down stairs, bend and lift occasionally (20 pounds or less).
• This position is a desk job that requires walking between offices, driving to meetings and lots of moving around when helping with large events.
• Desk job, moving around office and facility; provide on-call assistance in emergency/crisis situations; work schedule requires some flexibility for crisis situations; some local travel may be necessary for hospital/police department response.