Why work at House of Ruth Maryland?

At House of Ruth Maryland, you have the ability to expand your knowledge, promote change, and work alongside career oriented individuals while unleashing your own potential. We foster an environment of mutual respect, curiosity, and endless opportunities. So what are you waiting for?? Come join us and become a part of something special!

Position Summary: The Relief Advocate is full time flexible position designed to provide a broad range of coverage for the victim serving programs of the House of Ruth Maryland, including the 24/7 Hotline and Chatline, the 24/7 Residential Shelter, and in shelter Childcare program. This position provides coverage for planned and unplanned shifts. In addition to coverage tasks, this position is expected to engage clients in a welcoming and helpful manner, and connect clients with specialized staff as needed for further support. Individuals and families who access HRM services are traumatized both by the intimate partner/ sexual violence they experienced and experiences of homelessness. Families may also have unrelated trauma experiences from their lives. This position must be comfortable engaging traumatized people in a sensitive manner and must be comfortable working in a Voluntary Services program model.

Standard Schedule: This position works Monday and Tuesday Midnight-8am, and 24 hours per week scheduled flexibly as the needs of the program dictate. Hours may include weekdays/ nights, weekends, and overnights, weather emergencies and holidays. Schedule is set two weeks at a time, based on planned absences, though 10% of schedule may be requests to cover emergencies and unexpected absences. Position is 100% on site in Baltimore City. This position is an essential staff position and is expected to report in weather emergencies.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provides relief coverage for overnight, daytime, evening and weekend Resident Advocates.
• Welcomes new residents, completes paperwork, and orient residents to building and program.
• Provides supportive listening, crisis intervention and conflict resolution to residents and callers.
• Answers 24 hour hotline and chatline, providing safety planning, information and referral to contacts.
• Substitutes as an Aide in the Childcare program, supporting permanent staff.
• Regularly walks through building and engages residents in conversation, encouragement, and support.
• Distributes material goods in accordance with shelter procedure such as clothing, medications, bus tokens, and personal hygiene supplies.
• Opens the computer lab and provides guidance and assistance to special event and ongoing volunteers.
• Acts as back up to Operations Assistant on room turnover including cleaning/ preparing rooms.
• Screens and accepts new residents into the Emergency Shelter program.
• Completes daily documentation of activities through agency software system and paper system. Is responsible for specific data entry tasks related to statistics and funding requirements.
• Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Experience/Requirements:

• One year paid or voluntary experience in either call center, residential, childcare, customer service, retail, hospitality or work with vulnerable populations required.
• Flexibility to work a schedule that changes regularly and can accommodate a 24/7 environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work quickly and calmly in a crisis required.
• Demonstrated ability to make decisions which de-escalate conflict and/or resolve a crisis effectively required.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a strong ability to relate to a diverse range of individuals including victims, children, donors, business leaders, human service providers.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and juggle multiple competing tasks and timelines required.
• Must pass Criminal Background Check.

Highly Preferred:

• Knowledge and understanding of intimate partner violence.
• Bilingual fluency in English and another language (Spanish, Urdu, French or Arabic highly preferred).
• Knowledge of local human services programs/ agencies and housing resources.
• Knowledge or ability to learn database management systems.
• 90 hour certification in Child Care