Bilingual Counselor/Advocate

Job Description: Bilingual Counselor/Advocate

Position Summary: Raksha Inc seeks a full time mental health therapist with a background in client advocacy to work with both minors and adult victims and survivors of domestic violence while promoting Raksha’s mission. Raksha’s mission is to promote a stronger and healthier South Asian community through confidential support services, education, and advocacy. 

Position Duties:

1. Answer Raksha’s helpline and client related calls.
2. Provide crisis intervention.
3. Helping clients with safety planning.
4. Provide counseling/therapy to individuals and families,
5. Provide and document advocacy and support services to clients in the online database system, Apricot.
6. Assist clients in accessing social services, safe housing, job training, and legal aid/immigration services (including writing support letters).
7. Provide court accompaniments to survivors of domestic violence.
8. Conduct presentations with staff or volunteers and actively participate in community organizing and coalition-building efforts.
9. Network with social service organizations.
10. Assist in administrative, fundraising, media relations.
11. Conduct intakes and risk assessments.
12. Facilitate monthly Saturday adult support groups.
13. Attend weekly staff meetings and direct services meetings.
14. Assist with staff initiatives in line with Raksha’s mission.
15. Flexible working hours (including evenings).
16. Attend administrative supervision with the clinical director
17. Schedule and assist clients with organizing transportation (e.g. uber, MARTA) service
18. Assist other staff with reporting service numbers for grants
19. Attend professional development/ staff training as well as maintain yearly CEUs
20. Create educational and outreach material based on the needs of clients

Qualifications:

1. Master’s degree in a counseling-related field and licensure preferred, e.g. LMFT, LMSW/LCSW, LPC/LAPC. Bachelor’s degree required in counseling, social work or psychology.
2. Fluency in another language; preferred: Hindi/Urdu/Gujarati.
3. Previous experience in crisis intervention and/or working with trauma required
4. Previous experience and training to work with children and families strongly preferred.  
5. Understanding of issues pertaining to victims of violence (e.g. domestic, interpersonal)
6. Ability to work sensitively with diverse cultures and populations (e.g. immigrants).
7. Ability to work well under pressure and some ambiguity.
8. Strong communication (both written and verbal), facilitation, and organization skills.
9. Ability to work flexible hours incl. evenings/weekends.
10. Self-motivated and good time management skills.
11. Computer Literacy (e.g. MS Office) and Documentation skills.
12. Fluency in a South Asian or other language preferred. Ability to utilize interpreters as needed. 
13. Ability to respect/sustain interpersonal boundaries.
14. Be willing to promote Raksha’s mission as outlined above.

Annual Salary: $40,000–$45,000.

Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator

Responsible for overall compliance with the special conditions of federal and state grants. This person will also support the program personnel and provide technical support and guidance in program and administrative issues. This person will also represent Raksha in the community and aid in enhancing coordinated community response to end domestic and sexual violence in the South Asian community. This staff will also train and coordinate the community liaisons and volunteers to create a resource pool in the community as well as oversee the billing of community liaisons.  Qualifications required for this position will be preferably from South Asian community with experience in grants management, training and managing community volunteers, developing job descriptions and protocols to assist with volunteers who will work in the field of domestic violence sexual assault, and crime victimization. 

Position Responsibilities:

• Interview and Provide orientation to new volunteers and community liaisons/ambassadors 
• Create and manage Raksha’s volunteer and community liaison/ambassador database
• Coordinate training of volunteer liaisons/ambassadors on Raksha’s services, best practices providing interpretation/translation, support services, community outreach and education topics.  
• Develop and maintain volunteer and community liaison job descriptions, protocol, and handbook. 
• Create Speakers Bureaus with volunteers and community liaisons/ambassadors
• Assist community liaison/ambassador and volunteers in connecting to assignments and committees
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of time from community liaisons/ambassadors and volunteers and update the application process
• Coordinate outreach, and education events with staff , volunteers, and community liaisons/ambassadors
• Maintain/retain our volunteer/lead community liaisons relationships
• Coordinate internal communications between all volunteers, liaisons, staff members
• Support Community Building projects by coordinating with community leaders, documenting needs and  supporting collaboration
• Create and implement outreach plans and strategies for identified/priority communities
• Oversee Social Media, development of outreach material, and organizational communications.
• Support documentation and overall communications on projects
• Ensure timely receipt of volunteer and liaison timesheets and billing
• Conduct presentations with other volunteers and actively participate in Community education programs and coalition-building efforts
• Network with social service organizations locally and nationally
• Assist in administrative and organizational tasks as needed

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in a counseling related field or a Bachelor’s Degree 

accompanied by significant work experience in direct advocacy and crisis 

intervention preferred 

• Fluency in a South Asian language preferred but not required
• Familiarity with the South Asian culture preferred but not required
• Understanding of issues related to violence against women and strategies 

towards empowerment 

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage interns, volunteers, and outreach staff
• Strong written and oral communication, facilitation, and organizational skills
• Leadership qualities and Public Speaking required
• Ability to deal with conflict and community members who 
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Ability to work flexible hours which may include some evenings and weekends
• Computer literacy, especially Microsoft Office, Social Media, Database, Adobe, E-newsletters,  Websites, etc

Salary commensurate with experience $ 40,000

Please send cover letter, resume, writing sample and three references to:

Raksha Inc. email: [email protected]

Raksha Inc. is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, disability, marital status, citizenship status, sexual orientation.

Community Liaison

Counseling Intern and Social Interns are welcome!

Contact Fatima Wasim at [email protected] or at 404-876-0670.

Legal Intern

Raksha is seeking an unpaid intern to be a legal advocate for our clients and to assist clients with a range of legal needs and referrals  (i.e. immigration issues, TPOs, divorce, custody issues, etc.).  Primary duties center on the client.  The Intern will liaise with supervising attorneys from local firms and organizations in areas of immigration, civil/legal issues, divorce, and custody issues.  Interns will also be working/collaborating with court based advocates throughout Metro Atlanta. The intern will also accompany clients to court, work with attorneys, assist with research, writing, preparing client statements, and assist with preparation of client and supporting affidavits for court.

The intern should expect to work approximately 10 hours per week with flexibility in scheduling and work throughout the summer. Start dates are flexible. Access to transportation is critical, as intern will accompany clients to court and legal meetings throughout Metropolitan Atlanta.

This internship is appropriate for a first year student, but may be modified to suit for 2nd or 3rd year students.

Proficiency in a South Asian language is required.

Strong oral and written communication skills are required

Interested applicants should submit their resume and a cover letter which includes a statement of interest. Applicants should possess a desire to work with immigrant populations and/or with survivors of domestic/sexual violence.  All applicants must pass a background check prior to beginning the internship.

Applicants may apply online.

Contact:

Manisha Lance

[email protected]

Raksha, Inc.

P.O. Box 12337

Atlanta, GA 30355

Phone:  404-876-0670

Raksha Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation.