Senior Advocate

About the Role:

Oswego County Opportunities, Inc. is seeking a highly motivated and compassionate Senior Advocate to join our team. As a Senior Advocate, you will provide direct services to individuals experiencing homelessness, substance use disorder, and mental illness. Your primary responsibility will be to provide comprehensive services to stabilize individuals and support the provision of curbside clinical services.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist with daily operations for street outreach clients, including providing information and assistance with crisis intervention, supportive counseling, transportation, and connection to community services.
• Respond to consumers who contact us in person, through various multimedia avenues, or on the phone to provide information about services and the status of their services.
• Assist with updates and maintain program policies and procedures, ensuring policies are implemented and communicated thoroughly.
• Be responsible for the case files of up to 50 individuals, providing comprehensive services to stabilize the individual and support the provision of curbside clinical services.
• Enhance services by completing needs assessments and satisfaction surveys with clients to determine needs and concerns.
• Provide and/or ensure transportation for clients, coordinate with community partners to ensure comprehensive services are provided, and communicate with Prevention Services Leadership about client problems, activities, and interactions.
• Work cooperatively with direct supervisors to ensure the health and safety of clients are met.
• Provide crisis intervention, supportive counseling, and advocacy to clients living on the street and experiencing a mental health crisis, while acting as a positive role model in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Inform consumers of available services in the community and assist with the referral of primary and secondary consumers to services and monitor the provision of services to all consumers.
• Develop and maintain assessments, individualized service plans, and service coordination activities for children, youth, and families.
• Ensure statistics are being tracked accurately and are forwarded to the Program Manager for completion of monthly, quarterly, and yearly reports.

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, attend in-service training, and case consultation sessions as required.
• Must have a valid New York State Driver's License with a 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.
• Must have 3 to 5 years' experience working with people in crisis.
• Any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training.

Work Schedule:

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.