Legal Services Supervisor

The Legal Services Supervisor is responsible for development, coordination, follow-up and delivery court and legal services. The Legal Services Supervisor oversees the coordination and operation provides services in Multnomah County Courthouse to survivors seeking protective orders. This position supervises staff and volunteers, and conducts services designed to help survivors who face barriers to safety and stabilization. The Legal Services Supervisors works under minimal supervision to provide leadership, program design, supervision of staff, and component planning. The position manages client assistance funds, reports on the expenditures to funders, budgets the funds, and monitors the appropriateness of the expenditures by Home Free staff. They also ensure contract and legal compliance.

Education, Training & Experience:
•    Bachelor’s degree in social work, women’s/gender studies or a related field preferred. Associates degree and one year of related experience OR High School diploma/GED and two years of relevant experience or lived experience of domestic and/or sexual violence may be substituted in lieu of 4-year degree.
•    This position requires experience or willingness to learn in the following areas: networking and building community partnerships, and provision of supportive services, especially within vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.
•    This position requires knowledge in the following areas: courts, civil and criminal law, legal resources, law enforcement and cross-disciplinary response to domestic and sexual violence.
•    Completion of 40-hour domestic and sexual violence advocacy training, or equivalent to be approved by the Program Director OR expectation that training will be completed within first six months of employment (provided internally). 
•    Prior completion of Assertive Engagement (AE) training, OR expectation that training will be completed after employment (provided internally).
•    Lived experience as a survivor of domestic or sexual violence and/or sex trafficking highly valued.  
•    Bilingual highly preferred, but not required.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: 
•    Leadership – Inspires and elicits respect and trust; Accepts feedback from others; Provides vision and inspiration to peers and subordinates; Gives appropriate recognition to others; Displays passion and optimism; ensures others understand how their work relates to the organizational vision and ensures that job goals are aligned with Volunteers of America Oregon goals and strategic objectives.  
•    Mission-focused and passionate, with an emphasis on serving survivors using evidence-based practices. 
•    Ability to problem-solve by exercising independent judgment. 
•    Strong oral and written communication and familiarity with case file standards and data management in a Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)-compliant environment. 
•    Skills and abilities in crisis intervention, community networking, and advocacy. 
•    Ability to organize and manage multiple priorities within tight deadlines. 
•    Excellent communication, collaboration, and community networking skills. 
•    Proficient or willingness to learn proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel). 
•    Enthusiasm for working with individuals of diverse identities, building bridges, and collaborating with a wide array of community partners including governmental and other non-profit agencies. 
•    Comfort and skillfulness discussing topics related to domestic and sexual violence, equitable relationships, trauma, and contending with oppressive systemic factors which contribute to the ongoing prevalence of domestic and sexual violence with various entities. 
•    Ability to be self-directed, multitask, pivot effectively to fulfill the various aspects of the role, be flexible, prioritize daily workload, and operate calmly amidst stressful circumstances. 
•    An understanding and passion for continued learning around the root causes of domestic and sexual violence, and how injustices intersect based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ability. 
•    The desire and ability to promote an anti-racist, inclusive, and culturally diverse and culturally responsive environment. 
•    The ability to relate respectfully with people of diverse backgrounds and ages, and to utilize equitable and trauma-informed practices. 
•    Awareness of your own personal and/or positional privilege and power. 

Additional Eligibility Requirements:
•        Ability to pass a background check, including fingerprinting and sex offender registry checks.
•    Ability to pass Multnomah County Circuit court requirements to conduct business in the courthouse.
•    Current driver’s license and/or ability to move throughout Portland area to fulfill job duties.
•    Completion of Trauma Informed Supervision and other supervisor trainings within the first 6 months of employment.
•    Bicultural highly preferred, but not required.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
•    Responsible for meeting all objectives stipulated by the contract(s) or grant(s) funding this position and those supervised.
•    Assists advocacy team in meeting all grant objectives stipulated by the contract(s) or grant(s) funding this position.
•    Coordinate and implement legal services and program components and client assistance funds.
•    Provide supervision and support for all assigned staff and conduct hiring processes for assigned positions. 
•    Monitor Home Free’s use of client assistance funds and provide support for staff around appropriate deployment of these resources
•    Provide leadership in the development of and adherence to effective, culturally sensitive, and responsive services to survivors.  
•    Develop and maintain relationships with community groups, social service agencies, and other community partners.
•    Develop and utilize both traditional and innovative methods of outreach to inform survivors in target communities of the availability of services, and provide coaching to staff around these approaches. 
•    Maintain program documents, records of service provision, provide necessary statistics, and prepare reports as required by agency and funders.
•    Perform file audits as required by individual funders and agency policy.
•    Create payment requests in the Intacct accounting system, communicate with accounting staff as needed, and manage the distribution of checks to vendors or partner agencies. 
•    Report to funders, budgets the funds and monitors expenditures by staff and community partners. 
•    Enforcement of program rules, adherence to agency policy and missions, and consistent practice of VOA Oregon Safety Procedures as they relate to daily tasks, activities, and service provision to program participants.
•    Provide culturally responsive court and legal advocacy and assistance.
•    Establish and maintain positive working relationships with Multnomah County Court staff and judges, Family Court Services, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s office, community groups, social service agencies, and other partners.
•    Provide case consultation to court staff and other partners to assist with case planning and cross-training.
•    Provide petitioners with logistical information on civil legal remedies, civil and criminal justice systems, appropriate community resources, and the dynamics of domestic and sexual violence.
•    Provide coordination and support for coverage of the Restraining Order Room and Hotline.
•    Support the restraining order room volunteers in the courthouse and on the Restraining Order hotline. 
•    Cross-train and provide occasional support to other Home Free programs, as needed, especially within Home Free’s Emergency Services Program and Hotline.
•    Organize and implement a monthly survivor group.
•    Utilize client assistance to support survivors with transportation needs and debt reduction.
•    Adherence to Home Free’s Ethical Communication policies and procedures.
•    Work collaboratively with other Program Managers across Home Free programming, as well as the Operations Coordinator.
•    Maintain records of service provision, provide necessary statistics, and prepare reports as required by Home Free and funders.
•    Maintain files and ensure all required paperwork is kept up to date.
•    Develop and maintain positive relationships with community groups, social service agencies, and other community partners.
•    Provide specialized training for community partners on the legal system.

Other Responsibilities: 
•    Represent VOA Home Free at community meetings and events.
•    Attend trainings as required.
•    Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Supervisory Responsibility:  This position supervises between 1-5 advocates.

Work Environment:
o    Works in a courthouse. Frequently travels locally for community training, meetings, and advocacy purposes.  
o    Must be prepared to handle client crises and/or emergencies.
o    Work is primarily performed in a professional office setting with moderate light and temperature.
 
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: This is a full-time position; Monday through Friday.  

Volunteers of America Oregon is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.