Lead Advocate at Unbound Now in Austin, TX

Unbound Now is ending human trafficking by identifying victims, supporting survivors, seeking justice, and leading system change. We are motivated by our faith in Jesus and work each day as individuals driven by hope, oriented towards service, and committed to excellence. To learn more about our values, please read our Statement of Faith.

Job Title: Lead Advocate

Job Location: Unbound Now Local Office, on-site

Job Status: Full-time, Exempt, Grant-supported (through end of current grant cycle and beyond, subject to grant renewal)

Job Summary: The primary function of the Lead Advocate is to provide front-line support to advocates while maintaining a caseload for individualized crisis response and ongoing case management, providing support for survivors of sex trafficking, using sound professional judgment and best practices to ensure high-quality services, and maintaining compliance with established program, state, and federal standards.

Compensation: Annual salary

Benefits: Unbound Now is proud to offer a premier benefits package that prioritizes the health and financial security of our team members and their families:

• 100% Employer-Paid Health Insurance: We cover 100% of medical premiums for both the employee and their family.
• Employer-Paid Life Insurance: Fully covered for the employee at no cost.
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with a 3% salary match (eligible after 90 days; 1-year vesting).
• Dental & Vision: Comprehensive plans available at the employee’s expense.

Availability: Generally, Monday through Friday 8:30-5:30. Weekends, evenings, and holidays as needed. Frequent back-up/supervisory on-call. Anticipated 45-50-hour work week.

Travel: This position will require frequent travel within the area for partner meetings, training, and team/professional development opportunities, and occasional travel outside the service area for training.

Working Conditions: Work performed in a normal office environment or other professional environment. Work duties may, on rare occasions, be performed in an environment requiring exposure to weather extremes, fumes, odors, and noise.

Physical Requirements: Demands sometimes require the ability to lift loads up to 50 pounds. Demands frequently require close visual attention and prolonged mental concentration. Demands the ability to respond on scene during all hours of the night.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Along with maintaining a caseload of an average of 4-8 clients, the Lead Advocate will also assist in the following:

  • While modeling desired behaviors and cultivating a culture of honor, under the supervision of the Director of Survivor Advocacy, the Lead Advocate will provide limited supervision regarding group case staffings and documentation, ongoing crisis management support, and training to the advocacy team.
  • Work with the Director of Survivor Advocacy to ensure quality services are provided by advocates by:
    • Supervising the training of advocates, volunteer mentors, and interns in policies, procedures, and field work
    • Assisting advocates with the creation of meaningful service plans and individualized safety planning
    • Monitoring documentation for the Survivor Advocacy program to verify that it is correct and submitted promptly, ensuring that standards of care are met by all advocates.
    • Working with the Director of Survivor Advocacy to resolve compliance issues if they arise.
    • Helping to ensure advocates take advantage of the self-care policies and maintain proper boundaries.
  • Conduct internal case staffings with all advocates and send a summary to the Director of Survivor Advocacy for review every month.
  • Assist the Director of Survivor Advocacy in the distribution of new referrals
  • Attend MDT, RRT, or other pertinent meetings with Care Coordination and/ or Coalition partners when needed.
  • Assist in recognizing gaps in service provision and identify community resources to address those needs.
  • Balance support for staff with meeting survivors’ needs, pursue high staff retention, and actively shoulder advocate responsibilities with survivors during periods of high demand.
  • When needed, provide support in the event of an emergency in the field.

• Assist the Director of Survivor Advocacy with 50% of the supervisory on-call (including weekdays, evenings, and weekends).

• Collaborate with the Unbound Now Survivor Advocacy Program Director and the Director of Advocacy in the development and growth of the Survivor

• Advocacy program in the areas of services provided, documentation, technology integration, safety, etc.

• Assist the Director of Survivor Advocacy in building and maintaining an internship program, when applicable.

• Assess advocates’ skill sets and watch for/support in areas of strengths and weaknesses.

• Help ensure trauma-informed translation services are being provided, as well as that the Limited English Proficiency Policies are being upheld in coordination with the Director of Survivor Advocacy.

• Any other advocacy-related duties assigned by the Director of Survivor Advocacy.

Advocacy Responsibilities:

• Respond to calls from law enforcement, CST care coordinators, and other referral sources when on call; arrive at the victim’s location within the required time frame

• Meet immediate physical needs of youth - clothes, food, toiletries, etc.

• Provide ongoing field-based advocacy, case management, and emotional support

• Independently coordinate referrals, service planning, and documentation of services for assigned caseload

• Conduct comprehensive assessments, develop service plans, and make independent decisions in the field regarding the safety and well-being of assigned youth

• Provide transportation with parent or guardian permission to appointments and services as needed and as feasible

• Meet with each assigned survivor weekly if in town; meet with survivors placed out-of-town monthly; maintain communication through other means in between weekly meetings

• In coordination with the MDT, help create and update safety plans for survivors

• Attend CPS case staffings and MDT emergency response meetings and scheduled staffings.

  • Document all interactions with survivors, their families, and partner agencies within 72 hours
  • Build and maintain good relationships with organizations that provide services relevant to trafficking victims
  • Alert the supervisor when difficult situations arise
  • Recognize red flag behavior and report to the Supervisor or the Regional Director.
  • When not otherwise available, provide an appropriate level of support to non-offending family members of victims to help create a good home environment to which the victim can return while maintaining needed boundaries.
  • Convey a service-oriented approach: Communicate an eagerness to be helpful, starting with every referral, initial contact, and/or initial engagement and continuing through service delivery, with all stakeholders. Provide those seeking assistance with help, even when they are ineligible for advocate services or are seeking something outside Unbound Now's scope. When referring someone, offer a warm handoff to others whenever possible. Balance the limitations of the advocate role with being resourceful, including seeking help from others as needed. Be consistent, reliable, and flexible. Collaborate actively in support of partners’ objectives.
  • Ensure case management in collaboration with ongoing system and service- or investigation-based case management, continuing case management beyond others’ eligibility parameters. Ensure that case management is carried out in a manner that is relationship-based, trauma-responsive, and survivor-centered.
  • Commit to weekly in-person meetings with the Director of Survivor Advocacy. Telephonic supervision may occur once every 30 days.
  • Participate in Unbound Now’s advocate resilience group
  • Apply specialized training and use professional judgment in determining the best way to serve youth during crisis and on an ongoing basis
  • Complete DFPS monthly and quarterly reports accurately and on time
  • Participate in weekly advocacy team meetings/case staffings

• Submit expense documentation properly and within required time frames per the company expense policy, and follow all Ramp Monthly Closeout Instructions and Process

• Submit travel reimbursements daily, adhering to all travel guidelines

• Submit timesheet hours/grant allocations daily, adhering to grant guidelines (if applicable)

• Complete all Unbound Now required training on time

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required (social work or related field preferred)
• Experience working with victims of human trafficking, victims of child abuse and neglect, or youth experiencing homelessness and/or addiction
• Preferred 2-3 years of case management and/or crisis intervention experience

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent relational, communication, and interpersonal skills

• Good organizational and administrative abilities

• Ability and willingness to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information

• Ability to build trust and good working relationships with others

• Appreciation of the need for cultural competency

• Demonstrated ability to provide trauma-informed care

• Demonstrated effectiveness in the application of MI and understanding of the stages of change model for human trafficking survivors

Critical Qualities

• High level of emotional maturity and responsibility
• Ability to exercise discretion in caring for survivors in crisis and providing long-term support
• Strong work ethic
• Innovative problem solver
• Ability to adapt immediately to changes in the field
• Commitment to excellence and professionalism in services provided
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment and maintain emotional control and professional composure at all times
• Ability to work effectively without intensive supervision, both independently and as a member of a multidisciplinary team
• Commitment to self-care and wellness
• Good understanding and implementation of professional boundaries

Job Requirements

• Mature Christian faith, as evidenced by participation in a local Christian church

• Agree to and pass all required criminal background checks, including the DFPS criminal history check and the abuse and neglect registry check

• Provide at least three confirmed references (supervisor, professional, personal)

• Complete Unbound Now’s pre-service training for specialized CSEY advocates

• Fulfill Unbound Now’s annual and ongoing training requirements for specialized CSEY advocates

• Abide by all Unbound Now policies and procedures and MDT protocols at all times, including Unbound Now’s Abuse Prevention and Response Policy.

• Willingness to serve in a back-up rotation for 24-hour on-call response, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. The Lead Advocate will split the supervisory on-call time with the Director of Survivor Advocacy.

• Willingness to use personal vehicle for work travel; valid driver’s license, reliable vehicle, current car insurance

Working Relationships:

Supervisor: Director of Survivor Advocacy

Supervises: Survivor Advocacy interns and volunteer mentors, when applicable

Works with: Local Unbound Now team, CST care coordinators and MDT partners, Unbound Now Survivor Advocacy Program Director, other Unbound Now survivor advocacy teams