SART and Outreach Advocate

SARSSM•Portland, ME

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Sexual Assault Response Team Advocates center survivors in Cumberland and York counties through victim & survivor advocacy, resource referral, and peer support. SART Advocates work to increase survivor safety and wellbeing while mitigating any additional traumatization, whether coming from individuals or systems. The SART Advocate-Outreach Specialist provides direct services that strive to be culturally aware, trauma-informed and client centered, with a specialization in outreach to survivors of sexual violence in designated communities. The SART Advocate-Outreach Specialist is a grant funded position through the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). As a no wrong door agency, All SARSSM employees are Advocates. All staff are required to provide some on-call coverage for the 24-hour crisis & support Helpline. Helpline duties include providing support & Advocacy with in person accompaniments and/or by telephone. Shifts are assigned on a rotation, with frequency of shifts dictated by staffing levels. Additional on-call stipend applies.

Requirements

Successfully complete a 40-hour sexual assault advocate training and additional required training within specified assigned timeframes.
Access to reliable transportation with applicable insurance.
Current, valid driver’s license or State ID.
Excellent written & verbal communication skills with fluency in English.
Technical competency in Google Suites, Zoom, Microsoft office, Canva, Client Management Systems
Participate in agency events, including special events, outreach/awareness and donor engagement events.
Frequent local travel, with regular on-call evening & weekend shifts as necessary in order to accomplish job responsibilities.
Employment is conditional upon successful clearance of background screening including Child Abuse Registry, Maine Criminal and Federal Fingerprinting, and SARSSM probationary period.

Nice To Haves

Degree in human services, social work, psychology, or other related fields, with one (1) year of work experience in these fields preferred.
Knowledge of the fundamentals of working with victims of crime, sexual assault and/or human trafficking preferred.
A willingness to develop understanding and proficiency in delivering trauma informed services
Multilingual preferred, must be proficient in English and with one of the following: Arabic, French, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi/Kinyamulenge, Lingala, Portuguese, Somali. Spanish, Ukrainian, or Russian.
Knowledge of other languages is an advantage.

Responsibilities

Provide confidential, trauma-informed crisis intervention, safety planning, support, medical and police accompaniment, court advocacy (both civil and criminal), and resources and referrals
Develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with community partners and members of our multi-disciplinary teams
Plan, organize, and facilitate a quarterly Inclusion Community Response Meeting, convening local support and investigative organizations to monitor the needs and service gaps among these communities.
Assist with coordination for the MDT/SART team (s) composed of internal & external stakeholders.
Provide programmatic support to the VIP grant Survivor Advisory Group
Develop & implement OVW approved training, resource sharing, consultation and meeting engagement in compliance with VIP grant requirements.
Develop & engage outreach specific to specific to grant targeted communities to raise awareness of and create meaningful access to SARSSM services.
Co-facilitate virtual and in-person support groups and inclusive client outreach activities.
Attend regular supervision, staff, team & community meetings as scheduled.
Complete all required data and grant reporting by set deadlines.