Senior Director of Advocacy Programs

The Senior Director of Advocacy Programs is responsible for leadership, vision, and overall smooth functioning and compassionate and respectful delivery of advocacy services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. This is a senior management role that will report to the Vice President of Victim Services and oversee the Director of Emergency Services, the Director of Non Residential Advocacy, and the Director of Anti-Trafficking.

1. Center the organization’s commitment to anti-racism, feminism, and trauma-responsiveness in all activities, including in both service and leadership.
2. Directly manage the Victims Services advocacy leadership team, including overseeing the hiring, supervising, training, and evaluation of staff.
3. Collaboratively develop, implement, and refine processes and structures that improve program and wellness outcomes
4. Prioritize personnel wellness, including creating mechanisms to protect team members’ time, workload, and resilience against the impacts of high trauma exposure.
5. Provide 1:1 weekly supervision for direct reports, and participate in 1:1 weekly supervision with direct supervisor
6. Address and improve programs to address operational challenges and gaps in service.
7. Ensure grant reports are created and submitted on time and in accordance with funding guidelines and develop reports for YWCA leadership and the Board as requested.
8. Develop and implement annual operational and staffing goals and objectives for direct service advocacy programs.
9. Develop technology and data training and orientation procedures for the Victim Assistance Specialists who staff the phone, online chat, and text messaging.
10. Create an environment that fosters power sharing, trauma informed, feminist, and anti-racist teamwork.
11. Forecast, develop, and manage complex, multi-million dollar program budgets in partnership with departmental teams.
12. Provide guidance, education, and training to shelter advocacy staff while overseeing the completion of program goals/objectives per grant/foundation requirements.
13. Supervise shelter programming while fulfilling funding requirements.
14. Oversee data collection per funding and program requirements.
15. Ensure training and team meetings are conducted on a regular basis for all shelter staff.
16. Oversee purchasing of food and supplies for shelter.
17. Coordinate with all programs in agency to ensure high quality coordinated services
18. Monitors building and shelter security systems and procedures.
19. Assures necessary maintenance and custodial functions, as needed.
20. Develop, implement, and evaluate the program goals and objectives, ensuring the quality of services delivered to the survivors and community through monitoring and supervision.
21. Provide supervision meetings with staff, interns, and volunteers on a regular basis to help with their professional development using a trauma-informed, client-centered, harm reduction model.
22. Compile statistics as required by funding sources and agency requirements. Complete all grant and reporting requirements as requested.
23. Work collaboratively with other department leadership.
24. Participate in management team meetings for successful completion of all programmatic goals, grant requirements and Vice President of Victim Services expectations.
25. Provide on-going support to the Vice President of Victim Services for all program accomplishments, updates, activities, outcomes, staffing changes, concerns, and recommendations.
26. Participate in Supervisor On-Call responsibilities
27. Adheres to Service Excellence standards at all times.
28. Represent YWCA Kalamazoo by participating in community activities, coalitions and taskforce groups as requested or assigned by the Vice President of Victim Services.
29. Complies with agency policies and procedures, federal and state requirements, and educational/certification/registry requirements
30. Completes special projects and performs other duties as assigned.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:                                                                                    

1. Sitting, standing, kneeling, bending, some lifting required at 10 pounds
2. Frequently required to stand
3. Frequently required to walk
4. Frequently required to sit
5. Frequently required to utilize hand and finger dexterity
6. Occasionally required to climb, balance, bend, stoop, kneel or crawl
7. Frequently required to talk or hear
8. Occasionally required to taste or smell
9. Occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions (non-weather)
10. Occasionally work near moving mechanical parts
11. Occasionally work in high, precarious places
12. Occasionally work around fumes, airborne particles, or toxic chemicals
13. Occasionally exposure to outside weather conditions
14. Occasionally exposure to extreme heat or cold (non-weather)
15. Occasionally exposure to bloodborne and airborne pathogens or infectious materials
16. While performing the duties of this job, the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate
17. The employee must occasionally lift and /or move more than 10 pounds
18. Specific vision abilities required by this job include: All-Close vision; Distance vision; Color vision; Peripheral vision; Depth perception and ability to adjust focus
19. Additional remarks regarding work environment: ability to work in a faced paced environment.
20. Specialized equipment, machines, or vehicles used: computer and motor vehicle

1. Master’s degree in social work or related field
2. Ten years’ experience in crisis intervention and residential or housing service preferred
3. Five years of supervisory experience
4. Demonstrated skill in change management and organizational culture development
5. Demonstrated ability to manage conflict and adept at de-escalation techniques
6. Demonstrated strong oral and written communication skills
7. Demonstrated ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds
8. Demonstrated knowledge of family dynamics and childhood development
9. Demonstrated ability to be empathetic and establish rapport
10. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain appropriate boundaries
11. Demonstrated understanding of trauma-informed and culturally appropriate practices

TRAINING REQUIREMENTS:

1. Orientation to YWCA Personnel Policies, Mission, Purpose and One Imperative.
2. Racial Justice Training
3. Orientation to Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Confidentiality, Mandatory Reporting.
4. Other appropriate training and in-service which will occur during employment.