Hours: 40 hours/week
About the Agency: Rape Trauma Services (RTS) of San Mateo County strives to eliminate violence through a focus on trauma from all forms of relationship violence, cruelty and abuse. Our scope of services includes a 24-hour hotline, trauma-informed counseling, advocacy, accompaniment, self-defense training, rape and other violence prevention education in schools, and outreach to underserved populations.
It is our strong belief that violence and abuse must be examined on an individual level (e.g., sexual abuse, rape, cruel acts) as well as a collective level (e.g., genocide, war), and in the context of societal inequities (e.g., sexism, racism, heterosexism). We also believe that violent behaviors by individuals as well as societal inequities perpetrated on a collective level are, at their core, about unhealed effects of trauma and ensuing cycles of violence.
We seek candidates who share our vision and philosophy including core beliefs such as (1) we all have been affected by violence and inequities; (2) healing from the impact of those experiences entails a dynamic, self-directed, ongoing mind-body process; and (3) commitment to one’s healing is key to our well-being, effective relationships, a healthy and equitable work environment, and meaningful political change.
Direct Services Program – A Program Summary: Our Direct Services Program consists of Staff, Interns, and Volunteer trauma counselors and therapists who provide a variety of support services to child, adolescent and adult victim-survivors of all forms of direct and indirect trauma from violence and abuse, particularly sexual abuse or assault trauma. We believe it is crucial to focus on the intergenerational effects of trauma on individuals within the context of family, communities and the larger socio-political milieu. The major components of our program include the following:
- A 24-hour confidential crisis line
- Crisis, Short-term, and Long-term Counseling
- Individual, Group and Family Counseling
- Advocacy & Accompaniment
- Community Outreach and Collaboration
- Collaboration (within the agency and with others working in the field) to expand the knowledge base for understanding responses to trauma, the healing process and interventions supportive of healing
- Training of other service providers regarding what we have learned or are learning
Direct Services Coordinator & Trauma Counselor Job Description: The role of the Direct Services Team is to assure quality crisis intervention and counseling services to all communities of San Mateo County, as resources allow. The Direct Services Coordinator will collaborate with and report to the RTS Co-Director/Trauma Programs Specialist in planning, coordinating and implementing all direct services projects. Direct Services Team members include identified program coordinators (e.g., Volunteer Coordinator, Programa para Latinos Coordinator, other program coordinators, the Co-Director/Trauma Programs Specialist and the Direct Services Coordinator). Primary tasks for this position include but are not exclusive to the following:
- Collaborate with the Co-Director/Trauma Programs Specialist for the timely provision of trauma-informed counseling, accompaniment and advocacy services to victim-survivors and their families;
- Collaborate with the Co-Director/Trauma Programs Specialist in identifying and honing effective case management systems and tasks related to services (e.g., case assignments, documentation, evaluation);
- Oversee Direct Services Team members and all counseling Staff regarding timely and effective implementation of all case management systems and tasks;
- Assign and perform timely case management and documentation tasks (e.g., documentation of counseling requests, logging phone debriefs of calls and outreaches, providing support and feed back to Staff, Interns and Volunteers who perform direct services) in collaboration with other Direct Services Team members;
- Monitor and prepare grant reports connected to the Direct Services Program;
- Participate in supervision or consultation with Supervision and Mentoring Staff, as experience indicates;
- Provide trauma counseling services, accompaniment and advocacy to children, adults and families;
- Provide on-call crisis line back-up support as needed and shared with other Staff;
- Perform other agency responsibilities as identified.
Program-Specific Qualifications: Applicants must demonstrate the following qualities, skills, and experiences:
- Bi-cultural and bi-lingual Spanish speaking required;
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, oral and written, including ability to listen, clarify, validate, respectfully challenge; interest in supporting the skill development and thus personal healing of all Staff;
- Strong interest in and commitment to developing and/or expanding trauma-focused counseling and advocacy skills including openness to an eclectic range of interventions for supporting victim-survivor healing;
- Ability to take initiative, provide leadership combined with openness and patience in learning agency culture;
- Ability to balance autonomy, accountability, and collaboration;
- Ability to manage many projects simultaneously (i.e., multi-task) while attending to detail and quality;
- Ability to effectively outreach to various communities with ease, combining humility and confidence;
- Basic word-processing and database skills (i.e., Microsoft Excel) or ability to acquire skills quickly;
- Experience counseling survivors of trauma from violence highly preferred.
General Qualifications:
- Appreciation of the agency’s philosophical understanding regarding violence and oppression (outlined in the “About the Agency” section of this announcement);
- Demonstrable commitment to inclusiveness and making the agency’s services accessible to all people;
- Demonstrable commitment to your personal healing as key to working responsibly and effectively with others;
- Demonstrable commitment to developing trauma-focused counseling and advocacy skills;
- Willingness to work flexible hours, including some weekend and evening hours;
- Demonstrable commitment to creating and maintaining a work environment reflective of the agency’s mission and philosophy regarding working relations;
- Demonstrable commitment to contributing to the operation and growth of the agency by taking on administrative/operational tasks and providing leadership as appropriate;
- Ability to balance autonomy, responsibility, and collaboration;
- Strong organizational skills and interest in maintaining a structured, warm, healing-conducive environment;
- Valid California driver’s license, insurance, and reliable access to transportation.
Salary/Benefits: $42,543 to $46,903 yearly salary plus benefits, includes twenty days vacation/sick leave, healthcare, vision and dental. RTS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Application Process: Submit cover letter and resume via email to katya@rapetraumaservices.org or via fax.650-652.0596 or post mail to address below. Please send all applications clearly labeled “Dir Serv App – (Your Name)”. In a cover letter briefly describe your view of the core impacts of trauma from violence on victim-survivors and their families and communities and how you believe people heal. Explain your investment in working with this population and what you bring to the work. Your letter must be succinct, not to exceed 1 page. We strongly encourage individuals who represent one or more underserved populations in San Mateo County (e.g., people of color, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, people with disabilities, immigrants, etc.) to apply. The position is open until filled.
Contact Information:
Rape Trauma Services: A Center for Healing & Violence Prevention
1860 El Camino Real, Suite #406, Burlingame, CA 94010
Phone: (650) 652-0598; Fax: (650) 652-0596
