Hospital Accompaniment Advocate

Hospital Accompaniment Program (HAP) Advocates provide comfort, support, and advocacy to survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence at Howard County General Hospital in Columbia, MD. HAP Advocates are responsible for responding to the hospital within 30 minutes of receiving a dispatch from our 24/7 hotline. HAP Advocates receive a stipend for each completed in-person response, and a small hourly rate for on-call time. The successful candidate will have an understanding of the root causes of sexual and intimate partner violence and a commitment to social justice. They will also be able to engage in an anti-oppression and anti-racist lens when working with clients and survivors of gender-based violence.

Shift Coverage: On-call

Minimum Qualifications:

• Be at least 21 years of age
• Submit to a background check
• Meet medical requirements
• Current driver’s license and reliable transportation with up-to-date insurance
• Availability to consistently provide 20-28 hours of on-call coverage per week
• Able to respond to the hospital within 30 minutes of receiving a call out
• Passionate about the mission and philosophy of HopeWorks
• Previous professional experience working with survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or human trafficking OR a bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, criminal justice, gender and women studies, or a related field
• Ability to complete in-person hospital accompaniment with minimal supervision
• Experience, ability, and willingness to work as a team with diversified staff
• Successfully complete all required training
• Ability to implement a strengths-based approach to providing trauma-informed, client centered services
• Prior experience working with victims of sexual and intimate partner violence and/or background in counseling, advocacy (preferred but not required)
• Oral and written fluency in a second language (preferred but not required)

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide comfort and support to survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence
• Inform survivors of services and options available
• Work with survivors to develop safety plans and make referrals to other departments at HopeWorks and other resources in the community
• Assist hospital staff as needed
• Report to Howard County General Hospital within 30 minutes of call
• Complete and return Hospital Accompaniment logs within 24 hours
• Ability to drive the agency vehicle to provide transportation to clients when needed
• Maintain regular communication with the Director of Advocacy about cases, trainings attended and availability
• Attend Hospital Advocate meetings and trainings as needed
• Maintain confidentiality and abide by HopeWorks’ boundary and confidentiality policies
• Assist with Hotline coverage as needed

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

• Accurately complete client paperwork and compile reports as needed
• Input data into SharePoint/One Drive and ETO
• Assist the Director of Advocacy Services with development of evidence-based programming related to health, wellness, and self-sufficiency
• Maintain an up-to-date resource directory to easily provide client referrals
• Document and communicate all pertinent information or client issues to the pertinent HopeWorks team
• Attend All-Staff meetings and all other meetings as directed by the Deputy Director for Services and Director of Residential Services
• Participate in regular one-on-one supervision with the Director of Advocacy Services to promote the provision of quality services
• Other duties as assigned

Apply: Applicants must complete an online application and submit a complete resume and cover letter. Resumes submitted without a cover letter and incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Due to the high volume of applications, we will only respond to applicants whose candidacy is being considered. No phone calls will be accepted.