Disaster Client Advocate: Support our clients who have disabilities, access and/or functional needs

The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

Are you a leader? This team is new and is in need of a Regional Lead as well as a Harris County Lead!

The role of the Disability Integration Worker is to serve as a member of a temporary work unit on a disaster relief operation to successfully complete their assigned areas of responsibility on an operations service delivery plan. They ensure that all shelters and other service delivery sites, as well as all programs, services and communications are equally accessible to all clients, including those with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assessing evacuation and post-evacuation shelters for accessibility and assisting with solutions of noted issues.
• Coordinating with governmental and community partners, other functions and activities to meet the disaster-related access and functional needs of individuals, families, and communities.
• Training disaster operations workforce, including EBVs, on supporting clients and co-workers with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.
• Maintaining clear communication and collaboration with supervisor and peers.
• Providing feedback on disaster impact and community recovery, collecting essential elements of information.
• Providing accuratereporting of disability integration activity as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Good organizational skills, responsible, and punctual.
• Active listening skills.
• Ability to implement Standards and Procedures and follow associated job tools including reporting requirements.
• Ability to interact with community members in a clear, compassionate manner.
• Ability to involve appropriate others in managing problems and conflict.
• Commitment to maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of clients.
• Ability to coordinate effectively with governmental and non-governmental partners.
• Customer Focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Action Oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Values Differences: Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.
• Ability to drive at daytime and nighttime.
• Ability to sit and/or stand for long periods.
• Ability to lift 20 lbs.
• Ability to work outdoors in inclement weather.
• Ability to work in extreme heat and/or humidity or extreme cold.
• Ability to speak clearly on phone or in person.

Time Commitment:8-12 hours per dayduring times of disaster responsefor multiple, consecutive days. (In other words, this person is expected to stand up on disaster operations when their local territory is impacted and potentially provide support for regional events.) Time commitment is flexible and varied during steady state.