The Hotline Advocate provides the first, and often only, contact that many people experiencing intimate partner and sexual violence (IPV) have with The House of Ruth Maryland (HRM). HRM is proud to offer 24/7 survivor and community access to live support, education, safety planning and connection to services through phone and chat, as well as in person.  The Hotline Advocate is part of this team, and is responsible for ensuring that every contact – both victims and community members supporting victims - are offered the support, information, referral, crisis intervention counseling, and safety planning consistent with HRM standards. When individuals contact HRM, they present as scared, hopeful, worried, angry, concerned, and hurt. The Hotline Advocate assesses each victim’s situation relative to lethality and service needs to provide appropriate referrals. The Hotline Advocate is a creative, energetic problem solver who exercises initiative to help each contact. They are a skilled professional with excellent crisis intervention and customer services skills. The Advocate is responsible for developing an excellent working relationship with other HRM programs and its staff, to ensure the timely, effective and seamless provision of services.

Standard Schedule: This position is a full time member of the Survivor Engagement team and is considered an essential staff position, required to work in weather emergencies and holidays as needed. Standard work schedule is either Midnight to 8am Monday through Friday (1 FTE) or 10am-8pm Tuesday through Saturday (1 FTE), with 75% of the work expected to occur on site at the Administration building in Baltimore City and at our Confidential Shelter location.  Survivor Engagement staff are expected to be flexible, with up to 25% adjustment from regular work schedules at times to cover essential crisis services.  This work may be on site or through remote technology.  The Hotline Advocate is a sedentary position primarily working independently and in front of a screen.

Primary Responsibilities:

·        Primarily responsible for live responses to hotline calls during designated shifts, taking the majority of incoming calls, and providing excellent customer service and trauma-informed support.

·        Shares responsibility with other Contact Center staff members for live response to hotline calls, chat contacts, and triage of walk-in contacts during designated shifts.

·        Ensures that all communications are answered in a timely manner, with minimal or no abandonment.

·        Offers support, information, referrals, crisis intervention counseling, and safety planning consistent with House of Ruth Maryland standards.

·        Attends internal and external meetings and trainings to ensure up to date understanding of agency and community resources and response strategies.

·        Communicates openly and honestly, working as a team with other staff, and demonstrating a positive, solution oriented attitude when working with contacts and colleagues.

·        Assists Contact Center Manager in facilitating trainings and call listening sessions with new staff.

·        Works with Contact Center Manager to ensure all Contact Center resources are accurate and up to date; specifically, with program partners and external vendors.

·        Provides compassion, support, patience, information and referral to all victims, families, friends, professionals, donors, and other individual contacts during designated shifts.

·        Provides crisis intervention, empathy and immediate safety planning to contacts at risk of serious injury from intimate partner violence.

·        Uses critical thinking skills to effectively triage user needs.

·        Provides relief and back-up coverage in emergency and urgent situations between essential assigned sites if required.  This includes occasionally acting as the primary staff person in HRM’s 24 hour shelter program.

·        Perform timely data entry related to each contact, as well as other administrative tasks as-needed for essential Contact Center or site functions. This may include filing call reports, organizing call center spaces, responding to voicemails, etc.

·        Participates in Contact Center Team meetings. 

Experience/ Requirements:

• Associates degree in human services field or 2 years’ experience in call center or victim centered services.
• Two years’ experience answering hotline or working in customer service.
• Knowledge and understanding of intimate partner violence. 
• Oral fluency in English and Spanish highly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work quickly and calmly in a crisis.
• Demonstrated ability to make decisions which de-escalate conflict and/or resolve a crisis effectively.
• Knowledge of local human services programs/ agencies and housing resources.
• Excellent oral and written interpersonal skills with a strong ability to relate to a diverse range of individuals including victims, children, donors, business leaders, human service providers.  Particular emphasis on communication over the telephone.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and juggle multiple competing tasks and timelines.
• Experience working with volunteers.
• Knowledge or ability to learn database management systems.
• Must pass Criminal Background Check.