Domestic Violence Advocate

OUR MISSION

Casa de la Familia is dedicated to ensuring the long-lasting mental health success of individuals who have experienced psychological trauma. Casa de la Familia specializes in the treatment of post-traumatic, anxiety, and depressive disorders through the provision of crisis intervention and long-term individual and family therapy. We work closely with city, county, and state social service agencies, police departments, victim advocates, family resource centers, nonprofit agencies, and community service programs.

Casa Community, a division of Casa de la Familia, is looking for victim advocates for our Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART)! Casa de la Familia is partnered with several divisions of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to form DART. This is a unit that partners specially trained officers with certified domestic violence counselors to provide immediate crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, and follow-up services to survivors and their families at domestic violence calls.

DOMESTIC ABUSE RESPONSE TEAM (DART) VICTIM ADVOCATE

We are currently searching for a new member to join our team to work in one of our LAPD-partnered stations. The program is designed to increase the safety and psychological well-being of victims by assessing and tailoring a plan to meet the immediate needs of survivors. This may include safety planning, shelter placement, and transportation. The DART Victim Advocate also receives referrals from detectives, city agencies, and other service providers to provide follow-up serves which include assistance with restraining orders, civil/criminal advocacy, and mental health resources.

WHO YOU'LL WORK WITH

Advocates work directly from the police stations, ride along with DART officers to domestic violence calls, and also take walk-ins.

SCHEDULE

• Must be able to work evenings and weekends with flexibility.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

In your first 90 days, you will:

• Complete Casa's 40-hour domestic violence training
• Be introduced to your new collaborative working team
• Services you will provide: crisis management case management safety planning advocacy shelter placement referrals

Within your first 6 months, you will:

• Establish yourself as a trusted Casa Community advocate Attend outreach events to help the community at large, offering your services. Attend professional meetings Attend continuing educational meetings

WHAT WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO HAVE

• Possession of a Domestic Violence Counselor Certificate (Training can be provided if needed)
• Demonstrate knowledge of domestic violence, child abuse/neglect, and stalking
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with other services providers and law enforcement
• Demonstrate initiative and ability to work independently and maintain a workload
• Ability to work well with diverse groups of people in an emphatic and non-judgmental manner
• Strong and effective oral/written communication skills and public speaking

QUALITIES

• Enjoy working independently and collaboratively to ensure clients receive the best care possible
• A "go-getter" with a passion for helping the community
• A strong sense of accountability and ownership that allows you to work honestly and tactfully with clients and coworkers
• Willingness to learn, and receive guidance from supervisors

WHAT YOU NEED TO HAVE

• Complete a background check
• MUST be Bilingual in English and Spanish
• Possess an Associate's or Bachelor's degree in sociology, psychology, social work or any relevant field
• Proficient in technology: Adobe Sign, Teams, Microsoft Office and more

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE ABOUT CASA COUNSELING

• The people! Our staff and clients consistently express the best about Casa is our close-knit, passionate, knowledgeable, and talented team.
• A commitment to diversity & inclusion We are a 100% women-led team, with a staff of varying cultures - not one person is the same!
• Paid time off- All benefits are accrued and increase with the years of service with Casa. Paid time off includes up to 3 weeks per year!
• It's about collaboration You will have the opportunity to consult with a variety of staff on the team, such as psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and professional clinical counselors.
• Professional Growth 20% of our team members have been promoted annually to new roles
• Our environment We celebrate success and believe in transparency and teamwork to get us there. We invest in collaboration tools so you can meet with your teams face-to-face.
• Continuing Education We provide ongoing training to further your professional knowledge of current trends.