Shelter Advocate & Crisis Counselor
Organization: Rescue for Life International
Reports To: Executive Director
Position Type: Volunteer / Pro-bono
Location: Remote / Flexible
At Rescue for Life International, we turn heartfelt empathy into immediate, structured action. We are expanding our active team to deploy dedicated advocates to serve women, children, and families navigating severe crisis and distress, providing an operational bridge toward a brighter, restored future.
Mission Purpose
We exist to bring safety, healing, and stabilization to vulnerable households. By providing immediate intervention for individuals in distress, we move families from crisis toward a stable, independent future.
Key Responsibilities
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Mobile Crisis Response (Supervisory Oversight):
Lead and coordinate immediate responses to calls for assistance alongside the Mobile Crisis Team, providing on-the-scene emotional support, immediate safety assessments, and operational direction for team members in high-stress environments.
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Advocacy & Support:
Serve as a personal advocate for survivors, helping them navigate basic medical or legal hurdles and connecting them directly with essential resources (food, clothing, healthcare).
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Crisis Support & Active Care:
Provide trauma-informed, empathetic listening to help survivors process immediate trauma without judgment, offering a calming, supportive, and stable presence.
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Shelter Assistance: Assist with the intake process for new residents at the emergency shelter framework, ensuring the facility remains a peaceful, secure, and welcoming sanctuary.
Operational & Professional Skills
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Core Alignment:
A profound commitment to our values of compassion, unconditional inclusion, transparency, and immediate action.
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Trauma Sensitivity:
A basic understanding of how crisis impacts individuals, or a willingness to undergo provided Trauma-Informed Care training.
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Crisis De-escalation:
The ability to remain calm, lower the volume of a conflict, and think clearly when others are in a state of panic.
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Empathetic Boundaries:
The ability to care deeply for survivors while maintaining professional objectivity and emotional boundaries.
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Active Listening:
Proficiency in listening to understand and support rather than just to respond.
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Cultural Competency:
Absolute respect, dignity, and kindness toward women of all ethnicities, religions, and social backgrounds.
​Legal & Physical Requirements
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Background Clearances:
Must pass a federal and state criminal background check and a Child Abuse History Clearance (non-negotiable to protect the safety of vulnerable children and infants).
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Mobility:
Ability to travel to crisis scenes via the Mobile Crisis Team (requires a valid driver’s license and insurance).
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Confidentiality:
Strict adherence to absolute privacy protocols to protect the identity, location, and records of survivors.
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Availability:
Commitment to a minimum number of on-call hours per month or specific shelter shifts.
Preferred (But Not Required)
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Previous experience or studies in social work, nursing, human services, or emergency relief.
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Bilingual skills (e.g., Spanish/English) to better serve diverse, isolated communities across Central Maryland.
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Peer support certification or previous community leadership experience.
Why Volunteer?
As a Shelter Advocate, you are the first point of contact between a survivor's darkest moment and their new life. You will be on the front lines, providing an immediate path to safety, dignity, and long-term community integration to those who need it most.
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