Crisis Line Specialist (Social Services Specialist II)

• Provides coverage to the Domestic and Sexual Violence (DSVS) 24-hour hotline, the Lethality Assessment Protocol (LAP) line, and the Hospital Accompaniment Program
• Assists callers with identifying and utilizing available resources and refers clients to other public and private agencies and services
• Provides crisis intervention, support, safety planning, and referrals to callers who have been affected by domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and/or stalking
• Provides guidance and information to support victims/survivors of intimate partner violence or sexual violence during a forensic evidence collection exam
• Maintains up-to-date information on referral sources and community resources
• Assists in supporting and maintaining the calendars for the Domestic and Sexual Violence (DSVS) 24-hour Hotline, the Lethality Assessment Protocol (LAP) line, and After-Hours
• Trains staff and volunteers on the crisis lines and after-hours duties and procedures
• Serves as a point of contact for staff and volunteers regarding crisis lines issues
• Provides rotational on-call shift coverage, which includes telephonically responding to calls to the Lethality Assessment Protocol (LAP) line, telephonically supporting volunteers and Shelter House staff who manage the 24/7 Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline afterhours, and in-person provision of hospital accompaniments at Inova Fairfax Hospital and satellite locations within 1 hour of a victim's scheduled appointment
• Completes, maintains, and manages all records and statistics on crisis line calls and other pertinent data
• Provides data, narratives, and other information as requested, e.g. DSVS annual report, grants reports
• Attends evening and/or weekend meetings and activities as needed
• Performs other duties as assigned to support the department and/or division.

• Communicates and works with colleagues, clients and the community in a manner that supports the agency and program goals and objectives;
• Provides training and community education on domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, and stalking;
• Maintains documents and records, enters and updates data;
• Utilizes motivational interviewing strategies to encourage and assist customers in providing information to assess their situation; triages information based on priority and immediate needs and safety of victims; collaborate with victims on the development of safety planning to help keep victims safe; coordinates referrals to resources; and provides follow-up as needed.
• Maintains knowledge of DSVS policies and federal law for operation of the domestic and sexual violence crisis lines and confidentiality of callers.
• Applies knowledge of best practice standards related to supporting victims of domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking.
• Collaborates with other professionals on identifying community resources and services for victims.
• Maintains working knowledge of Department of Family Services and County Human Services System policies and resources.
• Trains staff, volunteers, and partners on the operation of the crisis lines and how to respond to callers.
• Conducts routine reviews of the effectiveness and/or efficiency of program or project by soliciting feedback from staff, volunteers, and partners, and by reviewing supporting data, and implements feedback to help strengthen program or project.
• Meets on a regular and consistent basis with unit supervisor or designee to discuss ongoing work and unique or special situations/reports.
• Provides hospital accompaniment which requires driving to various hospital sites and after-hours coverage on a rotational basis.
• Supports with the coordination and maintenance of staff and volunteer schedules for the LAP and Domestic and Sexual Violence crisis lines to ensure 24-hour coverage, maintenance of accuracy of scheduling in required systems, and provision of updates and announcements to staff and volunteers on scheduling-related changes.
• Serves as liaison to staff and volunteers for crisis line-related issues.
• Provides data, narratives, and other information as requested, e.g. DSVS annual report, grants reports.
• Participates as a contributing member on interagency, multi-disciplinary teams, community groups and professional organizations.
• Manages and maintains program data and outcomes.

• Knowledge of principles and practices of a 24-Hour Crisis Line
• Knowledge of domestic, sexual violence, stalking and/or human trafficking
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to schedule and manage workload sufficiently to meet deadlines
• Ability to take and apply feedback effectively
• Ability to enter, maintain, and retrieve information from a computer system
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and manage time effectively
• Ability to communicate clearly, concisely and respectfully, both orally and in writing
• Ability to exercise good judgement when faced with complex decisions
• Ability to work well under pressure and maintain composure during stressful situations.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree, plus two years of professional social work experience. A master's degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED
Valid Driver's license.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, and a Child Protective Services Registry check to the satisfaction of the employer.

Must be bi-lingual in English and Spanish.

Required to be on-call rotation that includes evening, overnight, weekend, and holiday hours which may require immediate response into the field.

This position is considered essential personnel and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least one year of experience providing services to individuals impacted by domestic and/or sexual violence, stalking or human trafficking
• At least one year of experience working or volunteering in crisis intervention services
• At least one year of experience working in a crisis hotline
• Experience working with a diverse multicultural population
• At least one year of experience in maintaining, retrieving, entering, and using information from a computer system.