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Surrender Prevention Coordinator

Schedule: the working schedule for this position is Tuesday - Saturday 10AM - 6:30PM with Sunday and Monday off.

Who We Are

ACC is one of the nation’s largest open-admission animal shelters, whose mission is to End Animal Homelessness in NYC. We touch the lives of nearly 30,000 animals each year. ACC is more than an animal shelter; we are a resource to the community, always seeking ways to keep the human-animal bond intact. With a 90% placement rate, our progressive, life-saving initiatives contribute to the successful placement of our animals.

We strive to find loving homes for homeless and abandoned cats, dogs, guinea pigs and rabbits, both by adopting animals directly to the public and by partnering with more than 200 dedicated animal placement organizations (our New Hope partners). We also help keep NYC communities safe and rescue animals in need, responding to emergencies that involve animals as well as keeping our doors open 24/7 for people and animals in need.

Summary

The key figure in ACC’s goal to keep pets at home with their families, the Surrender Prevention Coordinator is tasked with the complex job of interacting with clients in challenging, sometimes emergency situations and connect them to resources that prevent unnecessary relinquishment of their pets to the shelter. They interact with pet owners who may be considering surrender of their pets due to pet illness or injury, behavioral challenges, ability to provide general care, and more, often due to a simple lack of access to resources. The Surrender Prevention Coordinator provides comprehensive referrals for subsidized care for pets in addition to connection to social services and additional ACC programs, as needed.

In addition to providing non-judgmental coaching to clients in difficult situations, they do the very important work of collecting data and information on this segment of our clientele and manage grant funds associated with the care provided to their pets. The Surrender Prevention Coordinator is one-part social service counselor, one-part researcher.

Required Qualifications:

+ High School Diploma or GED required.

+ Minimum two years in a heavy counseling or customer service/social service-oriented role.

+ At least one of the following is required:

+ Minimum one year of experience performing behavior assessments, animal training, or other enrichment activities.

+ Minimum one year of experience in a veterinary setting, assessing health status, providing vaccinations, etc.

+ Treats animals and people respectfully, considering all individuals as potential collaborators with something to offer.

+ Must be forward-thinking and anticipate challenges, responding quickly and thoroughly.

+ Must be adaptable and receptive to rapidly evolving protocols and able to rally others with excitement and opportunity.

+ Possesses a love of animals and can interact with them in a calm, non-threatening manner.

+ Must speak Spanish.

+ Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds and work standing for 8 hours or more.

Benefits:

ACC values work/life balance and offers a generous paid-time-off (PTO) package that includes vacation time, birthdays off, personal days and sick pay. We also value physical and mental health by offering a great open access Cigna medical, dental and vision insurance at a low premium to our employees as well as 401K and Pension, Life Insurance. We also have on-the-job training for 2-4 weeks, periodic all staff trainings to include safety, DEI, cross training, and other growth opportunities.

Because ACC is a nonprofit, employees may be eligible for loan forgiveness, cancellation, and/or consolidation under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF). Created under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, PSLF allows borrowers who work full time for nonprofits and government agencies to have their outstanding debt forgiven tax-free on Federal Direct Loans, after making 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan.

Please see the attached flyer for more details on our benefits package.

Essential job functions:

+ Coordinate services and act as liaison to vendors, social services and/or animal welfare groups to provide comprehensive support services to prevent surrender to ACC, including subsidized veterinary care, spay/neuter services, training, transportation, boarding, advocacy and connection to social services.

+ Counsel clients applying for ACC grant support to determine eligibility and arrange for disbursement of funding and provision of services.

+ Provide key insights to leadership on program efficacy and possible areas for adjustment and growth while acting as a leader within the Admissions department, troubleshooting issues and providing direction to the team, in the absence of a supervisor or manager.

Other Responsibilities:

+ Provide follow up support to clients working with the program to ensure long term success.

+ Manage use of ACC surrender prevention support resources, including grant funds and supplies, at the direction of supervisor/manager.

+ Provide low stress handling using fear free practices when assisting Admissions receiving intake of animals.

+ Assist the general public in the admittance of animals through comprehensive interviews and completion of all necessary paperwork, as needed.

+ Through counseling, determine if prevention or deferment of admission is possible with additional support.

+ Collaborate with AC&C Adoption and New Hope departments to implement pathway planning, divert intake, or minimize length of stay for deferred intakes.

+ Answer email inquiries sent to the Admissions Department account.

+ Keep supervisor informed of support resource supplies and needs.

+ Accurately document all information provided by animal owner or guardian regarding animal history, health, and behavior.

+ Provide key insights to leadership on program efficacy and possible areas for adjustment and growth.

+ Fear Free certification within 30 days of hire.

+ Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Preferred Qualifications:

+ Ability to excel in a fast-paced, often high-stress environment.

+ Can be discreet and confidential in various situations, is an expert communicator, a people person, and a team player.

+ Available to modify schedule and work location as needed to meet the needs of the organization, including with little notice.

Work Environment

At ACC it's all hands-on deck. We work together as a team, which means you may be asked to help with tasks that involve working outside in all sorts of weather. As a busy animal shelter in one of the biggest cities in the world it can get noisy inside. Employees should have the ability to remain calm yet professional in stressful situations involving animals and/or members of the public. ACC houses hundreds of animals in its facilities at any given time and with that comes fur, odors and other airborne particles in abundance.

ACC offers many low-cost services to pets and people in need. This includes compassionate end-of-life services for people who cannot afford to go to a private veterinary office but still want to provide a professional and peaceful transition for their beloved pet.

This position will work between our Manhattan and Queens Care Centers.

Reports To: Admissions Supervisor

Overtime: This is a non-union position and is eligible for overtime.