Housing and Economic Empowerment Counselor Advocate

Position Title: Housing and Economic Counselor Advocate

Supervisor: Director of Survivor Supports

Department: Community Programs

Full or Part Time: Full Time

Fair Labor Standards Act Status: Non-Exempt

Starting Salary Range: $53,690 -$57,330

Additional $1/hour for bilingual premium

Position Code:

Revision Date: July 2025

About Safe Passage

Safe Passage is a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the aftermath and prevention of domestic violence and relationship abuse. Safe Passage provides services to address survivors’ holistic needs for recovery and physical safety. Services include trauma-informed counseling and support groups for survivors, families and children, community education, and individual and policy advocacy.

Our Mission: Safe Passage is dedicated to creating a world free of domestic violence and relationship abuse. We support survivors and their families. We engage our community. We advocate for systemic change.

Safe Passage is an organization made up of survivors, women, trans folks, people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, and LGBQ people. Oppression and violence disparately impacts us and we strongly encourage people from these and other impacted communities to apply. We aspire to foster a work environment that is inclusive as well as diverse. Survivors come from all different backgrounds, and so do our employees. We encourage you to apply if you believe you have the skills and experience to thrive in this role and contribute to our mission at Safe Passage.

Position Summary

The Housing and Economic Counselor Advocate maintains a caseload of direct service clients and provides case management and coaching related to housing and economic stability and wellbeing for survivors of domestic violence. The Housing and Economic Counselor Advocate provides crisis intervention and counseling to people who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence through individual counseling, helpline response, and emergency walk-in intervention. The Housing and Economic Counselor Advocate collaborates with other Community Program team members, attending the weekly Case Share meetings, covering helpline shifts, engaging in ongoing housing/economic related training, participating in supervision, and participating with local and regional committees and coalitions related to housing and economic policy and access.

Essential Functions

• Provide trauma-informed one-on-one and group support services to survivors for whom domestic violence includes safe housing and economic risks and concerns.
• Collaborate closely with the Community Program team to assess survivor safety and respond to client needs around housing and economic issues.
• Design and implement services to meet the economic and housing needs of domestic violence survivors.
• Help survivors build more safety and independence through support and advocacy related to income and resources, housing stability, career development and continuing education
• Provide services including financial education, goal-setting, housing search, completing applications, vocational and/or job search supports, safe use of technology and supporting basic needs
• Support survivors through action steps that meet their financial literacy, income building and economic empowerment goals
• Collaborate with Community Counselors around issues related to children, disability, immigration, mental health, and/or legal needs
• Provide advocacy on behalf of survivors working with community based systems (law enforcement, court systems and other services)

Counseling & Advocacy

• Provide crisis intervention and counseling to people who are experiencing or have experienced

domestic violence through individual counseling, helpline response, and emergency walk-in

intervention.

• Co-Facilitate culturally responsive support groups designed to support and

empower survivors around economic justice.

• Assess clients’ needs and provide advocacy and referrals (internal and external) on issues

related to housing, public assistance, immigration, employment, education, children’s

issues and others based on individual needs.

• Participate in helpline coverage, as needed

Knowledge and Practice

• Develop and maintain knowledge of the intersection of domestic violence, housing stability, economics, and trauma, and safe use of technology for survivors of domestic violence.
• Develop collaboration and networks with anti-poverty and housing coalitions and groups
• Participate in local and regional communities of practice.
• Engage in training and professional development opportunities to increase skills and knowledge about current issues.
• Serve as internal consultant to other staff and volunteers on issues of housing and economics
• Develop an agency computer lab to support survivors to access needed information/resources

Community Engagement & Outreach

• Provide outreach related to our housing and economic programming for survivors
• Collaborate with other service providers and agencies to promote the availability and accessibility of services to address the housing and economic goals and needs of survivors.

Program Administration

• Maintain appropriate files, records and statistics, and submit reports and information as needed for reporting to funders, Board of Directors, and others.
• Participate in supervision meetings, counselor meetings, staff meetings, task forces and committees, and collaborations.
• Engage in training and professional development opportunities to increase skills and knowledge
• about current issues

Expectations of all employees

In the performance of essential and general job responsibilities, all Safe Passage employees are expected to:

• Demonstrate commitment to Safe Passage’s mission and principles of diversity, inclusion, and empowerment.
• Represent Safe Passage in a professional and competent manner to clients, organizational partners, and other stakeholders.
• Perform quality work within deadlines.
• Work effectively as a team contributor on all assignments while contributing to a positive working environment for staff and volunteers.
• Work independently while understanding the necessity for communicating and coordinating work efforts with other employees and organizations.

Work Hours and Schedule

35 hours/week, majority of hours are 9am-5pm Monday through Friday with one evening per week and the occasional weekend commitment. This position has a hybrid working option, with at least 3 days in office and other days off-site.

Hiring Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED

Years of Experience

• Minimum of two (2) years of experience providing counseling and/or crisis intervention

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Required

• Demonstrated understanding of domestic violence, housing, economics, and trauma
• Demonstrated financial literacy and knowledge of economic domains that impacted survivors
• Demonstrated knowledge of housing resources and options
• Familiarity with community resources and systems
• Ability to advocate effectively on behalf of clients using a multicultural empowerment model.
• Proficiency in verbal and written communication, collaboration, and organization

Preferred

• Bilingual (Spanish and English)
• Experience facilitating support groups
• Experience working with survivors of domestic violence and trauma
• Experience providing financial literacy, housing, vocational or related counseling/advocacy

Tools & Technology Requirements

Tools & Technology Requirements for all staff: High level of proficiency and comfort utilizing and troubleshooting technology, including but not limited to PC systems, google suite (gmail, drive, calendar), zoom and web conferencing, electronic databases, and cloud-storage programs.

Benefits

Safe Passage is a supportive, collaborative workplace that fosters growth in its employees, both personally and professionally. We strive to hold an environment that encourages growth, creativity, and flexibility. We are advocates for livable wages, self-care and work-life balance, and our compensation package reflects this. Employees receive 3 weeks of accrued vacation for the first year, 4 weeks starting year 2, and 5 weeks after 9 years, prorated for part time. We provide three personal days, and ample holiday and sick time. Benefits include health and dental insurance, and a 401(k) plan with agency match.

Safe Passage works to earn its position as a justice-centered employer of choice in Western MA. Safe Passage provides a bilingual pay premium of $1/hour for staff who possess language competency that is likely to be utilized in their position.

Application Instructions

To apply: Send resume and cover letter with the subject Housing and Economic Program Counselor Advocate to .

Application deadline for internal applicants is July 31st 2025 and August 29th for external applicants.

For more information about Safe Passage and domestic violence, visit our website at

Safe Passage is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong organizational commitment to the achievement of excellence, diversity, and inclusion among staff.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $53,690.00 - $57,330.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Ability to Commute:

• Northampton, MA 01060 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Northampton, MA 01060: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Northampton, MA 01060

Salary : $53,690 - $57,330