At-Will Senior Residential Counselor
Job Description
Senior Residential Counselor (PRN)
Domestic Violence Program
The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Senior Residential Counselor position.
An Overview
The Senior Residential Counselor is responsible for answering the program’s hotline, providing crisis intervention and counseling to callers and clients residing in the women’s shelter, and maintaining the shelter facility.
What You Should Bring
The ideal candidate should have knowledge of the principles, practices and theories of counseling individuals and families, and of treatment needs of a specialized client population such as battered spouses and other persons encountering domestic violence; ability to conduct task analysis and collect behavioral data; ability to utilize observations to record and document consumer performance and progress; ability to identify behavior which indicates movement toward a crisis situation.
The Opportunity
- Provides a time-sensitive assessment of and response to immediate needs of hotline callers who have experienced or been impacted by sexual/domestic violence in order to help them return to pre-crisis levels of functioning. Services provided on the hotline include crisis intervention, support, safety planning, information, and referrals. Employee is expected to be available for on-call rotating shifts overnights and weekends;
- Provides 24-hour emergency crisis response providing individual and systems advocacy to victims of sexual/domestic violence for forensic examinations, related medical treatment and testing, police interviews and court proceedings;
- Interview victims of domestic and sexual violence to obtain sufficient information to assess their history, current status, resources, strengths, coping abilities and living needs, safety planning and screen them for admittance to the shelter;
- Conducts intakes on new residents, including history, administrative forms, tour, house rules, and settling into their rooms;
- Serve as advocate for clients to assist them in their dealings with the court system, social services, and employers and in obtaining child-care services and housing;
- Monitor resident activity to assure compliance with individual goal plans;
- Prompts and encourages residents to facilitate self-expression and growth, communication, problem solving, and handling of personal problems;
- Provide individual counseling and case management services to residents in the shelter;
- Monitor residents' activities, their changing physical and social needs and their compliance with house rules;
- Ensures that facility operations, maintenance, health and safety of all residents in the facility comply with State and local accreditations;
- Conducts daily inspections and security checks at the facility;
- Provides information to residents, allied professionals, and City staff so they are better informed of the impact of sexual/domestic violence on the community and responses and services available;
- Prepare and maintain confidential records and files on all client contacts in the service program and compiles monthly statistical reports that account for working time applied and clients served;
- Identify informational needs and develops new forms, flyers, and brochures to assist clients, volunteers, and staff members in utilization of shelter services;
- Provide input for the development of shelter policies, procedures, and house rules for operation of the shelter;
- Participates in staff meetings;
- Conducts court follow up calls for clients participating as witnesses in court proceedings and advises them of available legal support services;
- Ensures all information is entered into VADATA;
- Provide career services, such as career planning, counseling, resume assistance, vocational assessment, and job search assistance;
- Order bulk food/household supplies every month;
- Maintain stock of food supplies in pantry and refrigerator/freezers;
- Maintain supply of forms in filing cabinet;
- Check smoke detectors; change batteries when needed;
- Conduct a monthly maintenance checklist and cleaning;
- Check Emergency Preparedness Box and replace needed items when necessary;
- Assist with procuring donations of food, clothing, furniture, and baby supplies from individuals, community resources, and agencies;
- Arrange for donation pick-up;
- Shop for household supplies;
- Maintain stock of cleaning supplies;
- Perform other duties as assigned.
About the Department
The Center for Children and Families (CCF) provides programs and services for Behavioral Health, Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault, Child Welfare & Child Protective Services, Early Childhood and Youth Development. CCF provides compassionate, collaborative and effective person and family-centered services based on best practices. Our teams support self-determination, safety, recovery and resiliency for Alexandria children and all residents affected by abuse, neglect, mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse disorders.
Two-Year College Degree; two years experience working with clients with intellectual disabilities, mental illness, Substance Abuse Disorder or domestic violence in a residential setting and supervisory experience; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities. Employees must possess a valid driver's license issued by the state of their residence.Four year college degree in Human Service or a related field. At least three years working with clients with intellectual disabilities, mental illness, domestic violence, or substance abuse disorders. At least one year of supervisory experience. At least two years of experience working in a domestic violence or, sexual assault crisis center. At least two years of experience providing crisis intervention. At least two years working in a residential setting.
This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment background checks including but not limited to: FBI/Federal Records Check; VA State Child Abuse/Neglect Registry; Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Database; education/certifications; drug screening; and driver’s license.
Schedule: At-Will, as needed. As an Essential Employee, staff will be expected to be at work during weekends, holidays, or inclement weather if they have been scheduled.