Director of Survivor Advocacy-Austin

Unbound Now • Austin, TX

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Survivor Advocacy leads and supervises the local regional advocacy team, ensuring advocates are trained and services are delivered effectively. The role builds and maintains relationships with law enforcement, DFPS, care coordinators, service partners, and other referral sources; monitors new client intake; manages local office advocacy operations; and ensures accurate, timely documentation, data collection, and reporting for grant and state contract compliance.

The Director oversees crisis intervention, ongoing relationship-based and trauma-responsive advocacy, case management, and emotional support for survivors of human trafficking, including CSEY youth and adults experiencing labor trafficking. The position provides staff supervision, training, field backup, on-call crisis support, and resilience support. It also manages compliance, budgets and expenses, reporting, office schedules, documentation audits, and coordination with community partners and other Unbound Now offices.

This is a full-time, grant-supported position with plans to seek continuation. It is based on-site at the local office, generally Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with an anticipated 45–50-hour workweek. Evening, weekend, and holiday work and frequent supervisory on-call coverage are required as needed. The role involves frequent local travel and occasional in-state or out-of-state travel.

Requirements

• Clinical licensure (LMSW, LCSW, LPC, or equivalent Credentialed Advocate-CA) is required.
• Demonstrated supervisory and administrative leadership experience in a professional setting.
• Experience in program management, DFPS state-contract compliance, and grant administration.
• Two to three years of experience in crisis intervention, case management, or direct victim services, specifically with human trafficking survivors, domestic violence, homelessness, or substance dependence.
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, train, develop, supervise, and retain frontline advocates, with trauma-responsive supervision and crisis support.
• Proficiency in Motivational Interviewing, Stages of Change, and trauma-informed principles, including application to crisis interventions involving CSEY youth and adult labor trafficking populations.
• Ability to build and maintain strategic working relationships with law enforcement, DFPS caseworkers, MDTs, judicial systems, legal aid, and healthcare and social-service networks.
• Strong organizational skills for tracking grant deliverables, monitoring contract standards, auditing case records, and completing financial closeout procedures.
• Emotional intelligence, composure, and sound decision-making in emergency responses and complex child-welfare or law-enforcement interventions.
• Resilience, vicarious-trauma mitigation and self-care practices, and cultural competency.
• Mature Christian faith, evidenced by participation in a local Christian church; commitment to Unbound Now’s vision, mission, values, and HOPE model; participation in staff devotions; and consistent prayer support for the ministry, donors, and volunteers.
• At least 23 years of age; able to complete employment eligibility verification and provide supervisor, professional, and personal references; and able to pass required criminal background checks, including DFPS criminal-history and abuse-and-neglect-registry checks.
• Commitment to follow organizational policies, applicable regulations, MDT protocols, safety guidelines, and the Abuse Prevention and Response Policy.
• Ability to complete required annual and pre-service training, expense reviews, and daily timesheet and grant-allocation logs promptly.
• High emotional maturity, responsibility, service ethic, and commitment to excellence; action-oriented, adaptable, trustworthy, and committed to personal and professional growth.
• Ability to protect data security, survivor privacy, and confidentiality.
• Demonstrated case-management or crisis-response experience with accountability and a track record of success.
• Ability to operationalize advocacy strategies, support survivors and teams, achieve service objectives, manage field expenses within budget, and complete time-sensitive documentation.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal skills; technology proficiency, including case-management database software; and ability to collaborate across teams.
• Ability to mobilize regional partners, CST care coordinators, law enforcement, and community leaders in support of the organization’s mission.
• Knowledge of human-trafficking dynamics and Unbound Now programs and operations; ability to maintain a hope-filled posture and serve as a collaborative brand steward.
• Ability to manage client-assistance resources, field spending, travel reimbursements, and grant-funded allocations responsibly within budget guidelines.
• Valid driver’s license, reliable personal vehicle, and valid car insurance; willingness to use a personal vehicle for survivor transportation and work travel.
• Willingness to participate in a 24-hour crisis-response on-call rotation, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to operate a personal vehicle for work-related travel and respond on scene at any hour for backup calls.
• Ability to lift or carry loads up to 50 pounds occasionally; sustain close visual attention and prolonged mental concentration; enter documentation into a case-management system; and participate in frequent remote video calls.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) or a related human-services field.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise the regional advocacy team, including recruiting, screening, hiring, training, engaging, and retaining advocates, support specialists, lead advocates where applicable, interns, and volunteers.
• Provide regular individual supervision, annual performance reviews, on-the-job training, field backup, crisis debriefing, and support for staff resilience and retention.
• Participate in a rotating supervisory on-call schedule, supporting advocates responding on scene at all hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Ensure immediate crisis intervention, ongoing relational advocacy, case management, and emotional support for survivors of human trafficking, including CSEY youth and adults experiencing labor trafficking.
• Model and evaluate trauma-responsive, survivor-centered, service-oriented advocacy, including warm handoffs and assistance to people outside the program’s scope when possible.
• Set policy and protocol expectations, assess advocate skills, maintain regional office calendars and on-call schedules, and facilitate weekly team meetings and staffings.
• Monitor advocate contact cadence and client safety-plan updates; conduct and document regular contacts with clients and parents or guardians; and assess survivors’ experience of safety and care during and at the conclusion of services.
• Monitor compliance with organizational policies, DFPS requirements and MOUs, CSEY Minimum Standards, applicable Adult Labor standards, and grant and state contract requirements.
• Audit advocate documentation at least twice monthly and ensure records are completed within 72 hours of client interactions and data is entered accurately and on time in the case management system.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with DFPS, law enforcement, care coordinators, service partners, MDTs, task forces, coalitions, and the regional CSTT advisor; seek partner feedback and support effective referral pathways.
• Schedule and document onboarding and ongoing training for advocates, volunteers, and interns; provide training, support, and supervision in use of the OHTS tool.
• Guide advocates on mandatory reporting and respond to escalated concerns, policy violations, and abuse allegations in accordance with required reporting and response protocols.
• Develop local advocacy budgets and spending protocols with program leadership; monitor team spending and ensure compliance with expense procedures.
• Review regional program data, complete monthly DFPS reports, assist with quarterly reporting, and contribute data and goals for future contract and grant applications.
• Act as local Card Manager, review team spending weekly, follow Ramp monthly closeout procedures, submit expense documentation, submit personal travel reimbursements daily, and approve team TripLog weekly.
• Review and approve bi-weekly timesheets, verifying grant and DFPS contract allocations and mileage requirements.
• Maintain communication and programmatic alignment with the Survivor Advocacy Program Director, other Directors of Survivor Advocacy, regional leadership, and HQ staff.
• Travel locally and occasionally in or out of state for partner meetings, crisis response, survivor-transport backup, court accompaniment, and professional training.

Benefits

• Employer-paid medical insurance premiums for the employee and family.
• Employer-paid life insurance for the employee.
• 401(k) plan with a 3% salary match, eligible after 90 days, with one-year vesting.
• Dental and vision plans available at the employee’s expense.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director