What does a domestic violence advocate do?
Domestic violence advocate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real domestic violence advocate resumes:
- Assist patients in securing medical coverage by screening refer patients and coordinating the application process through successful approval.
- Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor and work as a team member with the YWCA staff and administration.
Domestic violence advocate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 18% of Domestic Violence Advocates are proficient in Safety Planning, Domestic Violence Victims, and Legal Advocacy. They’re also known for soft skills such as Compassion, Time-management skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Domestic Violence Advocates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Safety Planning, 18%
Facilitated weekly topic-based support groups for survivors of domestic violence promoting empowerment, harm reduction strategies, and safety planning.
- Domestic Violence Victims, 8%
Refer domestic violence victims to community counseling organizations, program counselors, local psychologists, or medical treatment facilities.
- Legal Advocacy, 7%
Provided legal advocacy by assisting with writing and filing protection orders and attending civil and criminal court with clients.
- Social Work, 5%
Worked collaboratively with county social workers when a child disclosed abuse.
- Community Resources, 5%
Provide domestic violence education, emotional support and referrals to community resources.
- Crisis Intervention, 5%
Provided crisis intervention counseling, information and referral and emergency shelter intake to survivors of domestic violence.
Most domestic violence advocates use their skills in "safety planning," "domestic violence victims," and "legal advocacy" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential domestic violence advocate responsibilities here:
Compassion. The most essential soft skill for a domestic violence advocate to carry out their responsibilities is compassion. This skill is important for the role because "social and human service assistants often work with people who are in stressful and difficult situations." Additionally, a domestic violence advocate resume shows how their duties depend on compassion: "provided immediate and compassionate counseling for survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse, both in-person and via telephone. "
Time-management skills. Many domestic violence advocate duties rely on time-management skills. "social and human service assistants often work with many clients," so a domestic violence advocate will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways domestic violence advocate responsibilities rely on time-management skills: "conducted performance reviews for all customer service representatives to reduce resolution time and improve customer satisfaction rates. "
Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of domestic violence advocates is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday domestic violence advocate duties, as "social and human service assistants talk with clients about the challenges in their lives and assist them in getting help." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "answered crisis line and provided information & referrals excellent telephone presence, communication & de-escalate skills"
Interpersonal skills. domestic violence advocate responsibilities often require "interpersonal skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "social and human service assistants must make their clients feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues." This resume example shows what domestic violence advocates do with interpersonal skills on a typical day: "established interpersonal relationship skills within hospital and with county mental health programs/organizations. "
Organizational skills. A commonly-found skill in domestic violence advocate job descriptions, "organizational skills" is essential to what domestic violence advocates do. Domestic violence advocate responsibilities rely on this skill because "social and human service assistants must often complete lots of paperwork and work with many different clients." You can also see how domestic violence advocate duties rely on organizational skills in this resume example: "coordinated multi-stakeholder response initiatives in acute domestic crisis situations co-led the drafting of strategic organizational policies and procedures"
Problem-solving skills. Lastly, "problem-solving skills" is an important element of what a domestic violence advocate does. Domestic violence advocate responsibilities require this skill because "social and human service assistants help clients find solutions to their problems." This resume example highlights how domestic violence advocate duties rely on this skill: "assist clients in safety planning, identifying options, and problem-solving. "
The three companies that hire the most domestic violence advocates are:
- Good Shepherd Services6 domestic violence advocates jobs
- Americorps5 domestic violence advocates jobs
- Premier Inc.2 domestic violence advocates jobs
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Compare different domestic violence advocates
Domestic violence advocate vs. Family support worker
A family service worker is a social service agent who assesses the needs of family and promotes wellbeing, social justice, and human rights through governmental and social service agencies. Family service workers offer services that can include counseling and mediation to families that will help them navigate the protocols of the social system. They act as liaisons between families facing problems and different government organizations. Family service workers also ensure that families in need are getting the benefits they are entitled to, as well as help them access various community resources.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, domestic violence advocate responsibilities require skills like "safety planning," "domestic violence victims," "legal advocacy," and "criminal justice." Meanwhile a typical family support worker has skills in areas such as "foster care," "family support," "family services," and "behavior management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Family support workers really shine in the government industry with an average salary of $40,316. Comparatively, domestic violence advocates tend to make the most money in the government industry with an average salary of $43,373.On average, family support workers reach similar levels of education than domestic violence advocates. Family support workers are 0.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Domestic violence advocate vs. Outreach worker
An outreach worker is responsible for supporting community events and relief efforts to assist citizens with their needs, providing them resources, and facilitating lifestyle programs. Outreach workers coordinate with participants, suppliers, and sponsors for funding and promotions. They also manage the budgeting and allocation of resources for the programs, ensuring that the activities adhere to the state regulations and community benefits. An outreach worker must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing progress reports and transactions.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, domestic violence advocate responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "safety planning," "domestic violence victims," "legal advocacy," and "criminal justice." Meanwhile, an outreach worker has duties that require skills in areas such as "autism," "patients," "outreach services," and "mental illness." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Outreach workers may earn a lower salary than domestic violence advocates, but outreach workers earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $53,625. On the other hand, domestic violence advocates receive higher pay in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $43,373.outreach workers earn similar levels of education than domestic violence advocates in general. They're 2.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for domestic violence advocates in the next 3-5 years?
Virginia Schwindt
MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University
Domestic violence advocate vs. Family worker
A family worker's role is to provide an intervention with parents, children, and young persons to help improve outcomes for families and children. The job they do includes working with parents to help strengthen family relationships and their ability to provide support and be community involved closely. They implement a program that helps parents recognize a child's needs, encouraging child self-esteem development, and positive behavior. Moreover, other duties include giving referrals to other community services as required and to assess family progress.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a domestic violence advocate is likely to be skilled in "safety planning," "domestic violence victims," "legal advocacy," and "mental health," while a typical family worker is skilled in "foster care," "child development," "intake assessments," and "risk factors."
Most family workers achieve a similar degree level compared to domestic violence advocates. For example, they're 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Domestic violence advocate vs. Child welfare specialist
Child welfare specialists are professionals who are responsible for protecting children and youngsters from harm by visiting their homes and other residential facilities to investigate their living conditions. These specialists are required to determine the suitability of the homes and resources of foster and adoptive parents for child placement. They must serve as child advocates by attending court proceedings to provide inclusive court proceedings. Child welfare specialists must also work closely with local enforcement to ensure the safety of children.
Types of domestic violence advocate
Updated January 8, 2025
