Senior Advocate

JOB SUMMARY:

Provides direct services to all street outreach contacts, including information and assistance with crisis intervention, supportive counseling, transportation, advocacy, and connection to community services. Attends and co-facilitates daily program sessions with team. Handles staff and client situations that arise and assesses when to refer unusual issues to the Program Manager. Carries out all responsibilities according to regulations and policies and ensures staff accountability to policies and regulations.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assists with the daily operations for street outreach clients.
• Responds to consumers who are contacting in person, through a variety of multimedia avenues and on the phone to provide information about services & the status of their services.
• Assists with updates and maintains program policies and procedures; ensures policies are implemented and communicated thoroughly.
• Is responsible for the case files of up to 50 individuals that are homeless/unhoused, with substance use disorder, experiencing mental illness to provide comprehensive services to stabilize the individual and supports the provision/attainment of curbside clinical services.
• Enhance services by completing needs assessments and satisfaction surveys with clients to determine. needs/concerns. Provides and/or ensures transportation for clients.
• Will coordinate with community partners to ensure comprehensive services are provided.
• Communicates with Prevention Services Leadership about client problems, activities and interaction that occur during working hours, through written documentation in logs and other writings for all verbal communication.
• Works cooperatively with their direct Supervisor to ensure the health and safety of clients are met.
• Provides crisis intervention, supportive counseling and advocacy to clients living on the street & experiencing a mental health crisis while acting as a positive role model in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Informs consumers of available services in the community and assists with the referral of primary and secondary consumers to services and monitors the provision of services to all consumers.
• Develops and maintains assessments, individualized service plans and service coordination activities for children, youth and families.
• Ensures statistics are being tracked accurately and are forwarded to the Program Manager for completion of monthly, quarterly and yearly reports every month.
• Assists with daily responsibilities and operations of Street Outreach Services with staff and partners.
• Carries out all duties in accordance with funding requirements, State and Federal Regulations, and with fidelity to the CTI SOS program model.
• Manages the maintenance, inventory control, and cleaning of the program vehicles.
• Works cooperatively with direct Supervisor as well as Outreach Team on a daily basis.
• Serves as a Representative on either internal and/or external committees or meetings.
• Provides on-call crisis intervention and support as needed.
• Assumes other related duties as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Must exercise a non-judgmental, client-centered approach in working with clients.
• Must be able to motivate others and be a good leader and role model.
• Must have knowledge of child development, crisis intervention and counseling techniques.
• Must attend bi-weekly staff meetings; attends in-service training and case consultation sessions as required.
• Must have a valid New York State Driver's License with good driving record and have access to a reliable insured vehicle.
• Must have the ability to follow oral and written directions.
• Must be able to readily negotiate stairs, operate an Agency vehicle, and lift up to 50 pounds.
• Must possess familiarity of community resources.
• Must be able to be flexible and cooperative with staff about work hours.
• Must be organized, resourceful, flexible, have good assessment skills, and able to utilize good independent judgment in dealing with situations that arise.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must have a Bachelor's Degree in a Human Services area; and
• Must have 3 to 5 years’ experience working with people in crisis; or
• Any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training.

Full-Time 37.5 Hours per week with flexibility

Grade 10

Monday: 9:00am - 5:00pm

Tuesday: 7:00am - 3:00pm

Wednesday: 10:00am - 6:00pm

Thursday: 7:00am - 3:00pm

Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm

Oswego County Opportunities, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, creed, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.