Domestic Violence AdvocateAt — House of Ruth

Under the supervision of the Volunteer Manager, intern will provide direct hotline services including crisis counseling, advocacy, and goal setting, using skills and language that is trauma-informed and that reflects a strength-based advocacy approach. Meet face to face with survivors who are eligible for services and complete entering intake and assessment process. Assist in the advocate's office with tasks including, but not limited to, providing personal care items, para-counseling, and connecting to internal and external resources. 

Answering incoming crisis calls, providing psychoeducation and para-counseling to victims on the hotline and in the shelter, connecting clients to resources within and outside the agency, prepare rooms for new families arriving at shelter, create safety plans with new families arriving at shelter, and other duties as assigned.

Training:

The intern will first complete the state mandated 40-Hour Domestic Violence Advocate Training. Once the training is complete, the intern will shadow the Hotline Coordinator as they familiarize themselves with the hotline and advocate office processes. The intern will meet 2 times a month, or more often (as needed) with the Volunteer Manager and Hotline Coordinator.

Learning Outcomes:

Demonstrate trauma-informed advocacy and crisis intervention skills. Also, they will be able to articulate the role of the agency in relation to other community resources and make a beginning effort to analyze the agency needs, programs, activities, and services. They will be able to demonstrate an understanding of domestic violence and concerns of the clientele served by the agency. The intern will be able to articulate theoretical concepts as they relate to social service practices.