Crisis Intervention Advocate

Real Escape From The Sex Trade•Seattle, WA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Crisis Intervention Advocate is a member of REST’s Emergency Services team who provides short-term, intensive advocacy and stabilization support to survivors moving from an immediate crisis toward safety and stability. The position maintains a caseload of up to 20 survivors referred from REST’s Essential RESToration Center (ERC), Safety Beds, and Crisis Support Team. Services generally last up to 30 days and bridge immediate crisis intervention with longer-term advocacy, housing, behavioral health, and community-based services. Using trauma-informed, person-centered, strengths-based, culturally responsive, and harm-reduction approaches, the advocate partners with survivors to identify priorities and develop individualized stabilization plans. Support can include safety planning, emergency and safe housing placement, transportation and relocation coordination, and connections to medical, behavioral health, substance use, legal, and basic-needs resources. This is a mobile, community-based position. The advocate provides in-field support to survivors in hotels, emergency shelters, and other short-term safe locations, coordinating with REST’s Crisis, Shelter, Advocacy, Housing, and Behavioral Health teams. The role also supports transitions to the next appropriate level of care through warm handoffs, safe housing transitions, and clear plans for continued support. The position is based at REST’s South Seattle office and requires meeting clients throughout King County and the region. It is scheduled for 40 hours per week, typically Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; occasional weekends and outside hours, some holidays, and periods exceeding 40 hours per week may be required. The role is supported by grant funding expected to continue through December 31, 2026; employment beyond that date depends on future funding availability.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience in advocacy, case management, crisis intervention, housing navigation, victim services, behavioral health support, or other direct human services.
Demonstrated experience with crisis stabilization, safety planning, and/or supporting individuals experiencing immediate housing instability.
Ability to build rapport and maintain professional boundaries with people experiencing complex, high-acuity needs.
Ability to manage a caseload of up to 20 survivors while balancing urgent needs, field appointments, documentation, referrals, and follow-up.
Advanced problem-solving ability and ability to navigate community resources when traditional service options are limited.
Ability to work independently in community settings, including hotels, shelters, service-provider offices, and other approved locations.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to complete timely, objective, confidential, survivor-centered documentation.
Ability and willingness to provide transportation and meet REST’s driving requirements when transportation is an essential function of the position.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and comply with mandated reporting, professional-boundary, and organizational safety requirements.
Ability to remain calm, flexible, and professional while responding to changing survivor needs and high-stress situations.
Relevant combinations of professional, volunteer, lived, and/or educational experience will be considered.
Alignment with REST’s mission and organizational values and willingness to work in harmony with REST’s Statement of Faith.
Ability and willingness to successfully complete required drug screening and a national background check.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Seattle/King County housing, shelter, behavioral health, substance use, healthcare, and social-service systems.
Experience working with individuals impacted by commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, interpersonal violence, homelessness, substance use, behavioral health challenges, or other forms of trauma.
Knowledge of trauma-informed, person-centered, strengths-based, motivational interviewing, and harm-reduction approaches.

Responsibilities

Maintain an active caseload of up to 20 survivors referred from REST’s Essential RESToration Center (ERC), Safety Beds, and Crisis Support Team.
Provide short-term advocacy and stabilization services, generally for up to 30 days after referral, and promptly establish contact and identify immediate needs and priorities.
Partner with survivors to develop individualized 30-day stabilization plans based on their priorities, needs, strengths, and safety concerns.
Provide trauma-informed, person-centered, strengths-based, culturally responsive, and harm-reduction-informed advocacy, including appropriate use of motivational interviewing and other engagement practices.
Help survivors address immediate barriers to safety and stabilization, including identification, transportation, communication, food, clothing, medical care, behavioral health, substance use services, legal needs, and other essential resources.
Maintain contact appropriate to each survivor’s needs while supporting autonomy, choice, and self-determination; explain the time-limited nature of services and begin transition planning early.
Identify and coordinate emergency, temporary, and safe housing options, and support transitions from Safety Beds, ERC, hotels, shelters, and other temporary placements.
Assist with external shelter referrals, housing applications, Coordinated Entry assessments when appropriate, and housing-related documentation; communicate with housing partners to coordinate placements and reduce barriers.
Advocate with survivors at housing appointments and other meetings when needed; coordinate transportation and other approved assistance for emergency placements.
Collaborate with REST’s Community Advocacy team when longer-term housing navigation is needed, and communicate housing resource gaps and barriers to emergency services leadership.
Complete and reassess individualized safety plans addressing current risks, location, trafficker or abuser concerns, technology and communication safety, transportation, and other relevant circumstances.
Provide stabilization support during emotional distress or other challenges following a crisis; recognize changes in risk and coordinate with REST’s Crisis Support Team when renewed or immediate intervention is needed.
Use prevention, de-escalation, and conflict-resolution strategies when appropriate, follow high-risk, mandated-reporting, confidentiality, incident-reporting, and emergency-response protocols, and maintain professional boundaries.
Provide community-based advocacy and scheduled in-person check-ins at hotels, shelters, temporary placements, and other approved locations.
Accompany survivors to essential housing, medical, behavioral health, government, legal, and community-service appointments when advocacy or support is needed; provide transportation when appropriate and consistent with REST policies.
Coordinate with shelter, hotel, and community-provider staff when necessary and with survivor consent, following staff-safety protocols in community settings.
Coordinate services across REST programs and facilitate warm handoffs to longer-term REST services or external providers when needs extend beyond the 30-day period.
Connect survivors to behavioral health, substance use treatment and harm-reduction services, healthcare, legal services, benefits, housing, employment, and other resources according to identified needs.
Obtain survivor consent before coordinating with outside providers and share only information necessary to facilitate services.
Develop transition plans with survivors that identify ongoing providers, housing or placement status, safety considerations, appointments, resources, and next steps; complete supported transitions when ongoing advocacy or case management is needed.
Complete timely and accurate records in REST’s services database, including enrollment information, assessments, goals, safety plans, referrals, confidential case notes, services, and closure or transition information.
Document significant safety concerns and incidents according to REST policies and timelines; communicate regularly with emergency services leadership about caseload capacity, high-risk cases, housing barriers, unsuccessful placements, and complex needs.
Participate in weekly supervision, case consultation, team meetings, performance reviews, trainings, and other required meetings.
Maintain confidentiality and follow policies for information sharing, professional boundaries, client records, and partner communication; use supervision, consultation, and debriefing appropriately.
Model REST’s values and contribute to a respectful, inclusive, collaborative work environment; accurately complete timecards, expense reports, mileage, and other administrative requirements.
Comply with REST personnel, safety, and program policies and procedures, and perform other duties consistent with the scope and purpose of the position.