Crisis Intervention Advocate

Real Escape From The Sex Trade•Seattle, WA

8h•$29 - $30•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-informed approaches, the advocate partners with survivors to identify immediate priorities and develop individualized stabilization plans. Support can include safety planning, emergency and safe-housing placement, transportation and relocation coordination, connection to medical, behavioral health, substance use, legal, and basic-needs resources, and help addressing other barriers to safety and stability. This is a mobile, community-based position. The advocate provides in-field coordination and support to survivors temporarily placed in hotels, emergency shelters, or other short-term safe locations, and collaborates with REST’s Crisis, Shelter, Advocacy, Housing, and Behavioral Health teams. The advocate supports survivors in transitioning to an appropriate next level of care through warm handoffs to ongoing REST services or community providers, safe housing transitions, and a plan for continued support before short-term advocacy ends. The role is based at REST’s South Seattle office and requires meeting clients throughout King County and the region. The position is 40 hours per week, typically Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; occasional weekends, outside hours, some holidays, and more than 40 hours in some seasons may be required. Grant funding is expected to continue through December 31, 2026; employment beyond that date depends on future grant funding.

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 people 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-based appointments, documentation, referrals, and follow-up.
Advanced problem-solving skills 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 produce 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.
Occasional weekends, outside hours, and some holidays may be required; some seasons may require more than 40 hours per week.
Ability to meet clients throughout King County and the region from the South Seattle office base.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Seattle/King County housing, shelter, behavioral health, substance use, healthcare, and social-service systems.
Experience with people 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 ERC, Safety Beds, and Crisis Support Team, and provide short-term stabilization services generally for up to 30 days.
Engage survivors promptly, establish contact plans, and develop individualized stabilization plans based on each survivor’s priorities, needs, strengths, and safety concerns.
Provide trauma-informed, person-centered, strengths-based, culturally responsive, and harm-reduction-informed advocacy, using motivational interviewing and other appropriate engagement practices.
Help survivors address 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; support transitions from temporary placements; assist with shelter referrals, housing applications, Coordinated Entry assessments when appropriate, and housing documentation.
Coordinate with housing providers, shelters, hotels, landlords, and community partners; accompany survivors to appointments when needed; and arrange transportation and other approved assistance.
Collaborate with REST’s Community Advocacy team when longer-term housing navigation is needed beyond the stabilization period, and communicate housing barriers and resource gaps to emergency services leadership.
Develop and regularly reassess individualized safety plans, provide crisis stabilization, recognize changes in risk, and coordinate with the Crisis Support Team or other staff when additional intervention is needed.
Use prevention, de-escalation, and conflict-resolution strategies when appropriate; follow protocols for high-risk situations, mandated reporting, confidentiality, incident reporting, emergency response, and professional boundaries.
Provide mobile, community-based advocacy and scheduled in-person check-ins; accompany survivors to essential housing, medical, behavioral health, government, legal, and community-service appointments; and follow staff-safety and transportation policies.
Coordinate services across REST programs and with external providers; obtain survivor consent before outside coordination and share only information necessary to facilitate services.
Connect survivors to ongoing behavioral health, substance use treatment and harm-reduction services, healthcare, legal services, benefits, housing, employment, and other resources based on identified needs.
Develop transition plans identifying ongoing providers, housing or placement status, safety considerations, appointments, resources, and next steps; complete supported transitions or warm handoffs when ongoing advocacy or case management is needed.
Complete timely and accurate database documentation, including enrollment information, assessments, stabilization goals, safety plans, referrals, case notes, services, incidents, and closure or transition information.
Communicate regularly with emergency services leadership about caseload capacity, high-risk cases, housing barriers, unsuccessful placements, and complex service needs.
Participate in supervision, case consultation, team meetings, performance reviews, trainings, and other required meetings; use supervision and debriefing appropriately.
Maintain confidentiality and comply with REST policies concerning information sharing, records, partner communication, professional boundaries, safety, and program procedures.
Complete timecards, expense reports, mileage, and other administrative requirements accurately and on time; model REST’s values and contribute to a respectful, inclusive, collaborative work environment.
Perform other duties consistent with the scope and purpose of the position.