Legal Advocate- Bilingual

Sarah’s Inn is a community-based non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of those affected by domestic violence and to break the cycle of violence for future generations. Our services and initiatives focus on ending relationship violence through domestic violence crisis intervention, community education, and violence prevention programs for youth.

Job Title:Legal Advocate                                                    

Department: Intervention                                   

Reports To: Legal Advocacy Supervisor                              

FLSA status: Exempt/Full-time                                                                                                        

Position Summary: Provide legal advocacy and direct service to victims of domestic including Illinois Domestic Violence Act (IDVA) education, emotional support, general advocacy, referral and domestic violence education.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Other duties may be assigned.

Provide comprehensive and quality advocacy and legal advocacy services to victims of domestic violence and their families (includes children and teen witnesses).

• Provide legal advocacy and emotional support to victims of domestic violence and their families.
• Provide crisis intervention, general advocacy, referral, domestic violence education, safety planning, and emotional support for victims of domestic violence and their families over the phone or in-person.
• Organize and prioritize daily services and responsibilities to ensure that client needs are met.
• Advocate on behalf of victims of domestic violence and their families within various systems to include social service, housing, economic, legal, health care and education.
• Ensure professional relationships with clients to create an atmosphere of empathy, safety and support.
• Maintain accurate and current information regarding issues and policies impacting clients and their families.
• Update and enhance knowledge of community resources and materials relevant to the clients we serve.
• Coordinate responsibilities with team members to ensure client needs are met.
• Update client files in a timely and accurate manner.
• Update client case notes and service codes in a timely and accurate manner.
• Achieve productivity expectations pertaining to service hours and caseload. 
• Maintain knowledge of internal organizational guidelines and protocols.
• Work effectively with Intervention interns and volunteers.
• Provide coverage on the 24-hour crisis line during business hours (will be assigned shifts) and assistance with on-call (see below).

Participate in the on-call rotation for crisis line in order to support crisis line volunteers and clients (if exempt/full-time).

• Provide back-up support using the on-call phone for the crisis line off hours (evenings, nights, and weekends) for a week-long shift. Position could have up to 4 week-long shifts a year.
• Ensure support of volunteers who are on the line. Providing coverage if needed, answering questions, providing guidance, and taking over when clients are in need of support only staff can approve (hotel stays, transportation, food, etc.).
• Texting shift reminders to the volunteers who are scheduled.
• When on-call, responsible for responding to text line requests. The text line is directly linked to the on-call phone.
• Provide prompt feedback about concerns or successes during the on-call shift to the Volunteer and In-Kind Coordinator.
• Responsible for understanding and implementing the on-call and financial assistance procedures including awareness of technology used and troubleshooting as needed.

Build and enhance community relationships.

• Represent the organization with professionalism at community meetings and events, and demonstrate diplomacy and tact in all interactions with various system representatives and community partners.
• Participate and provide leadership on various external committees, task forces, and councils as assigned.
• Collaborate with other community and county agencies on behalf of the clients we serve.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with community programs that are in line with the mission of Sarah’s Inn.

Educate community members and professionals about domestic violence and Sarah’s Inn services.

• Provide community education presentations and professional trainings, in particular with police departments, attorneys, and other legal service providers.
• Participate in community awareness events.
• Provide internal training to staff, volunteers, and interns.

Supervisory Responsibilities:                                               

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Location:  Five days a week at the Cook County Domestic Violence Courthouse- 555 W Harrison, Chicago

Also returning to the Sarah’s Inn Office in Forest Park at least twice a week for crisis line shifts, meetings, and paperwork completion.

Qualifications:

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

Education and/or Experience:    

• BA degree and/or equivalent experience required

• One year or more experience providing direct service advocacy on behalf of victims of domestic violence and their families preferred.
• One year or more experience providing counseling, advocacy, and/or case management services to families (relevant volunteer and internship experiences included).
• Completion of an Illinois Certified 40-Hour Domestic Violence Training preferred or required to complete within two months of employment.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Fluency in Spanish, oral and written, required.
• Demonstrated computer experience.
• Knowledge of victims’, children and youth issues specifically related to domestic violence.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and handle a variety of tasks, and meet established deadlines.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with a wide variety of people, including but not limited to board members, staff, volunteers, interns, government officials, community partners, organizational donors and media.
• Commitment to and experience in working with people from diverse cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Ability to work some evening and weekend hours.
• Valid driver’s license, access to a reliable car with current insurance.

Success Factors/Job Competencies:

• Integrity& Ethics – models SAI Vision, Mission & Values
• Customer Focus – demonstrates commitment to customer

• Collaboration & Teamwork – embraces an inclusive workplace
• Quality – produces quality work product
• Innovation/Continuous Improvement – finds new and better ways of doing things
• Job Knowledge – demonstrates a clear understanding of and executes roles and responsibilities
• Time Management/Productivity – manages time and resources effectively
• Problem Solving/Decision Making – demonstrates proper judgment, problem solving and decision making
• Independence/Initiative – works with little or no supervision and seeks out new work
• Communication – effectively communicates

Physical demands and work environment:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

            Physical demands: While performing duties of job, incumbent is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision and distance vision.

Performance Standards:

• Annual performance evaluation
• Attainment of annual goals established between supervisor and incumbent