Crime Victims Advocate

City Of League City•League City, TX

About The Position

Crime victims’ advocates provide crisis intervention and assistance to victims of crime to protect their rights and prevent further injury or escalation. They work to reduce trauma and victimization, provide long-term solutions to complex problems, and help victims coordinate services by using existing resources and navigating the criminal justice system. The role aims to reduce recidivism and guide victims through recovery. The advocate serves as the Department’s crime victim liaison, provides public education and employee training, identifies at-risk juveniles and families, and develops intervention strategies. The position also provides supportive counseling, case management, crisis intervention and management, grief and bereavement counseling, death notifications, referrals, and administrative support. It assists victims with transportation, compensation claims, protective orders, and communication with law enforcement about their cases.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a mental health field.
Valid Texas driver’s license.
Availability to work in an on-call capacity to provide 24/7 emergency assistance.
Ability to provide services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, runaways and their families, at-risk youth, families in crisis, suicidal persons, and surviving family members of suicides.
Ability to identify and interview at-risk juveniles and families following adjudication of criminal cases and develop strategies to prevent recidivism.

Nice To Haves

Licensed Social Worker, Licensed Professional Counselor, or Licensed Family Therapist.
Experience in crisis intervention and/or psychotherapy, or experience working with survivors of sexual assault or domestic violence, and/or people with mental health disorders.
Experience in the criminal justice field.
Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

Act as the Department’s crime victim liaison as required by law.
Provide and coordinate public education for community groups and in-service training for police department employees on social issues, services, and programs.
Assist in identifying at-risk juveniles and families and provide information and referrals to social services and programs.
Interview juveniles and families following adjudication of criminal cases to develop long-term intervention strategies.
Maintain knowledge of available public and private social services.
Prepare progress and activity reports as requested.
Maintain and update hard-copy and computer files.
Provide supportive counseling, case management, crisis intervention and management, grief, bereavement and loss counseling, death notifications, and resource materials.
Make referrals to support agencies as necessary.
Help coordinate emergency transportation to hospitals, women’s centers, social services agencies, and other destinations.
Assist with filing crime victims’ compensation claims and obtaining protective orders.
Assist victims by phone or in person in liaising with detectives or police officers, seeking information about case status, and navigating the criminal justice system.
Provide crisis intervention to homeless people, drug and alcohol offenders, and people with mental health disorders.
Provide short-term counseling and supportive guidance services to individuals and families in the community.
Provide critical incident stress debriefing for police and fire officials and their families.
Assist elderly family members who are victims of abuse.
Coordinate and supervise social work interns and practicum students in collaboration with local universities.
Develop counseling programs for couples in conflict or distress.
Develop partnerships with social service providers and government agencies to develop and implement community programs.
Provide mutual aid assistance to surrounding law enforcement agencies when requested.