KIDS GROUP LEAD FACILITATOR
Tuesdays 5pm - 8pm
JOB DESCRIPTION
About The Abbie Shelter
The Abbie Shelter is a leading nonprofit organization in beautiful Flathead Valley, Montana. Our mission is to promote safety, independence, and empowerment for survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Flathead County. We serve clients of all backgrounds and genders through free services including 24-hour helpline, court advocacy, mental health care, shelter, and safety planning services. We are much more than just a shelter, and we support our clients through any step of the process of getting safe and recovering from intimate partner violence. Every year the Abbie supports more than 1,000 clients through our services and provides education to more than 1,500 additional people in the community.
Organization Aims
Show up. Answer the call. Provide accessible services to all who seek them.
Prioritize Safety: the physical and emotional safety of our clients, staff, and supporters.
Meet people where they are at with empathy and compassion. Be trauma-informed.
Be a voice for victims’ rights and social justice. Challenge the status quo when it needs challenging.
Offer hope to the suffering.
Never give up!
Organization Values & Approaches
Trauma-Informed: We aim to accommodate the real neurobiological needs of trauma survivors
Client Led: We view the survivor as being in charge of their own journey
Strengths Based: We focus on the positive and the possible
Relationship Based: We trust that relationships between survivors and staff are key to success
Evidence Based: We use research to guide our policies and practices
Feminist Based: We acknowledge the societal structures that limit peoples’ choices
Coordinated Community Response: We collaborate with local partners to coordinate systems of care
Employee Self-Care: We believe that you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Organization Core Competencies
Have a deep understanding of the complexities and demanding nature of providing direct care to vulnerable populations and survivors of trauma, and possess the ability to provide trauma informed care.
Have the ability to empathize with clients while simultaneously providing a boundaried, self-regulated, structured, and compassionate professional relationship.
Demonstrate cultural competence, the ability to empathize with people from diverse backgrounds, and experience providing inclusive services.
Have the capacity to balance client and organizational needs with personal emotional and physical needs.
Possess strong self awareness, with the ability and desire to self-reflect.
Have the ability and desire to work effectively both independently and collaboratively.
Have strong time management and task prioritization skills.
Have the ability to seek support, articulate needs, and receive feedback from clients, and co-workers.
Have the desire and capacity to build partnerships and work cooperatively with other service providers.
Possess above-average listening skills.
Strong written communication and documentation skills; proficiency in use of computer programs such as Google Drive, Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.
Ability to legally operate a motor vehicle and provide own transportation, lift up to 40 lbs, and work under variable conditions including: variable weather, noise, and other potentially unpredictable situations.
A passion for the mission of the Abbie Shelter.
Abbie Shelter Statement Of Inclusion
The Abbie Shelter fosters a culture of inclusion. We value folx with a wide breadth of life experiences and world views. The Abbie values people of all racial, cultural, national, sexual orientations, gender identities, religious beliefs, marital statuses, family structures, ages, mental and physical health and abilities, political perspectives, educational backgrounds, and class statuses.
Position Description
The Kids Group Lead Facilitator serves as the lead for our 60-90 minute “Kids’ Group” on weekly group nights at the shelter. A support group for adult survivors of domestic and sexual violence meets concurrently, and Kids Group serves as the child care service for adults attending group. The Facilitator collaborates with other direct services staff and volunteers as a key link in systems of care and support. Kids served at Kids Group will be both shelter residents and children from the community whose parents are attending the adults’ group. Children will be of all ages. As an open group, the children in attendance may vary each week. Tuesday nights are a dynamic, high-energy, community-building three hours of fun at the shelter, and the Kids Group Lead Facilitator serves as one of two key staff persons on site to manage “Group Night” and ensure that the evening runs smoothly.
Preferred Qualifications
Applicants must have paid experience working in Early Childhood, preferably as a Lead Teacher. Applicants will be requested to engage in a background check process prior to hiring.
Responsibilities
“Lead Teacher:” Manage all aspects of weekly Kids Group. Arrive first and leave last.
Activities and Curriculum: Select or design activities for Kids Group that are trauma informed and create an engaging environment.
Environment: Prepare Kids Group spaces - indoor and outdoor - for Kids Group each week, including monitoring for safety hazards and creating a warm and trauma-informed environment.
Volunteer Management: Supervise volunteers and assign them to appropriate roles.
Relationship: Build safe connections with kids, and facilitate relationship building with volunteers.
Safety Planning: Help kids build skills and knowledge to stay safe at home. Identify high-risk clients and coordinate support services and interventions with other staff.
Documentation: Complete documentation as needed. Protect confidentiality of client information.
Perform other duties as assigned which fulfill the mission of the Abbie Shelter.
Compensation
This position is part-time and will be paid hourly. Wage range is $22–27/hr DOE.
Application Process
Send resume and letter of interest to director@abbieshelter.org before February 28, 2023. We will respond to applications as they are received. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis through March 24, 2023. The first Kids Group is April 4, 2023.
