LGBTQ+ Advocate

Sojourner House
Location: Providence
Salary: $20 to $23 per hour, based on experience
Start Date: 02/07/2022
Full Time, Permanent
Spanish Proficiency Desired

Job Description

Job Title: LGBTQ+ Advocate
Job Location: Providence
Reports to: Senior Director of Shelter Operations
Status: Full-Time
Compensation: $20 to $23 per hour, commensurate with experience. Eligible for employee benefits, including accrued vacation/sick/personal, paid holidays, health & dental insurance, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, professional development opportunities, and a 401(k) plan.

ABOUT US:  
Sojourner House is a comprehensive domestic violence and sexual assault agency that provides residential, educational, and community-based interventions to families and individuals impacted by abuse.  We have offices in Providence and Woonsocket, and programs that operate statewide.  Our goal is to help our clients rebuild their lives, piece by piece, through a variety of services. All of our programs work from the premise that violence is an unacceptable means to solving interpersonal conflict, and we encourage only non-violent methods of working out conflicts.

BASIC FUNCTION: 
The main job duties of the LGBTQ+ Advocate include providing support and advocacy to LGBTQ victims of domestic and sexual violence; helping victims to assess their risk for HIV/AIDS and other STIs; providing victims with sexual health education; and providing education and training to the community on domestic and sexual violence, HIV/AIDS and other STIs, intimate partner violence, LGBTQ cultural competency, and other related issues victims and survivors face when experiencing abuse. 

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

●Provide expertise in the area of domestic and sexual violence, healthy sexuality and sexual health, and LGBTQ cultural competency.
●Provide one-on-one support, advocacy, crisis intervention, criminal justice advocacy, support groups and case management to LGBTQ victims of domestic and sexual violence.
●Provide domestic and sexual violence and HIV/AIDS/STI information to the Rhode Island community through outreach initiatives and presentations
●Work with other agencies in identifying, supporting and assisting victims of domestic and sexual violence who are at risk for contracting or transmitting HIV/AIDS
●Become a Qualified Professional Test Counselor (QPTC) and administer oral HIV tests
●Develop culturally appropriate educational materials for distribution
●Incorporate HIV prevention and educational components into all Sojourner House programs
●Assist in the development and implementation of local public awareness activities/events concerning domestic violence and HIV in the domestic violence movement
●Provide advocacy to clients individually and in groups
●Attend statewide coalition meetings on issues related to HIV, overdose prevention, sexual health, sex education, and teen dating violence issues
●Provide direct services, either through individual advocacy or group programming, to victims of domestic violence/dating violence.
●Collect data relevant to the program and provide monthly statistical information on grant-funded programs related to sexual health and all other LBTQ+ programs
●Prepare and deliver presentations to community groups/professionals/community members about domestic and sexual violence, LGBTQ cultural competency, HIV/STI transmission, and sexual health.
●Assist in answering crisis calls
●Serve on a rotating basis to be on-call for the residential program
●Provide office support as needed
●Perform other duties as directed by Sojourner House Management

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

●Bachelor’s degree in public health, social work, human services, or related field or related experience.
●A minimum of two to three years’ experience in the human services field
●Familiarity with domestic violence, sexual assault, and gender/sexuality issues preferred
●HIV/AIDS related knowledge and experience required
●Superior presentation skills
●QPTC certification or willingness to become QPTC certified
●Willingness to obtain necessary credentials to deliver educational presentations

SPECIAL SKILLS:
●Proficiency in Spanish strongly desired
●Able to maintain a flexible schedule, including working one evening shift per week
●Excellent presentation skills
●Excellent organizational skills
●Strong writing skills
●Able to work independently and as a team member
●Able to effectively communicate with professionals, clients, and the community
●Have access to reliable transportation

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

●Able to sit, stand, walk and climb stairs
●Able to lift 25 pounds

How to Apply

TO APPLY:
Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter and salary requirements to resumes@sojournerri.org with the subject line, “LGBTQ+ Advocate”. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and early submissions are encouraged.

Sojourner House is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered without regard to color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or genetics. 

To learn more about our work, please visit us at www.sojournerri.org.