Hotline Advocate (Part-time)

JOB SUMMARY

The Hotline Advocate provides crisis intervention, de-escalation, and referral services for individuals in Yates, Ontario, and Seneca Counties who have experienced domestic and family violence, child abuse, and sexual violence. This role serves as a primary point of contact through the agency's hotline by assessing immediate needs, providing emotional support, sharing information about available services, and connecting individuals with appropriate agency staff and community resources. This role is also responsible for maintaining accurate documentation of hotline contacts and ensures timely follow-up on assigned referrals.

Schedule: Approximately 20 hours per week. Work schedule will be determined based on candidate availability and organizational needs.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Responds to hotline calls and provides immediate crisis intervention, emotional support, and de-escalation services to individuals in distress.
• Conducts initial assessments of caller needs and identifies immediate safety concerns.
• Provides information regarding agency programs, victim services, and available community resources.
• Facilitates referrals to appropriate internal advocacy teams and external service providers to ensure individuals receive needed support.
• Returns calls received through the Ontario County Sheriff's MLAP Program and other assigned after-hours referrals.
• Maintains accurate and timely documentation of hotline contacts and related activities in the agency database.
• Communicates relevant information to advocacy staff to support continuity of care and appropriate follow-up services.
• Maintains confidentiality of client information in accordance with agency policies, procedures, and applicable regulations.
• Participates in staff meetings, trainings, and professional development activities as required.
• Provides services in a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and client-centered manner.

OTHER DUTIES

• Assists with administrative tasks related to hotline operations.
• Maintains knowledge of community resources and referral options.
• Supports agency outreach and awareness efforts as assigned.
• Participates in agency initiatives and special projects as needed.
• Attends required meetings and training sessions.
• Maintains compliance with agency policies, procedures, and documentation requirements.
• Performs additional duties as assigned by management.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• High School diploma or equivalent required.
• One year of experience working with vulnerable populations, crisis intervention, customer service, social services, victim services, or a related field preferred.
• Associate degree in Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, Criminal Justice, or a related field preferred.
• Experience working with individuals impacted by domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse, trauma, or other crisis situations preferred.
• Experience providing telephone-based support, intake, or customer service preferred.
• Experience maintaining confidential information preferred.
• Experience documenting interactions in electronic databases or case management systems preferred.
• Experience working with diverse populations preferred.
• Bilingual skills are preferred but not required.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
• Demonstrated ability to actively listen and communicate with empathy and professionalism.
• Skilled in addressing and discussing sensitive issues.
• Ability to maintain composure and professionalism during crisis situations.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, demonstrating a capacity to effectively prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
• Proficient in multitasking and managing workload efficiently while responding to multiple priorities.
• Ability to demonstrate cultural awareness and sensitivity to diverse populations and perspectives.
• Demonstrated flexibility to adapt to different work and communication styles of colleagues and clients.
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems using analytical skills and sound judgment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriate professional boundaries.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands 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 essential functions.

• Regularly required to walk, sit, use hands; and reach with hands and arms.
• Manual dexterity is required, including the frequent ability to grasp in both hands and continuous use of fine manipulation skills in both hands.
• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to various weather conditions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Occasional exposure to bodily fluids.