DART Victim Advocate

Family Services Inc. • Poughkeepsie, NY

1d • $26

About The Position

The DART Victim Advocate acts as the liaison to the police department including co-location at the police department, providing outreach and assistance to victims who have had police contact or wish to file a police report. The DART Victim Advocate will receive referrals directly from the Police Department. This Advocate will be responsible for following up on police referrals and providing casework services to clients including crisis counseling, safety planning, advocacy, information and referrals, emergency financial assistance, and claims filing.

Requirements

• Must have a bachelor’s degree in the human services or related field.
• Or 3-5 years relative work experience in human services, counseling, and/or advocacy.
• Complete and maintain training certification as NYS DOH Rape Crisis Counselor.
• Complete mandated reporter training; Report any behavior or implication of behavior of child abuse to the appropriate authorities.
• Must be able to get to and from various work locations throughout work shift and outside of office hours for on-call purposes. This includes Family Services, local courts, hospitals, police departments, social services, etc.
• Strong computer skills, including a working knowledge of an e-mail package and MS software programs: Word and Excel.
• Established cell phone, willing to use for work (will be reimbursed), with effective coverage for the Dutchess County area.
• Clear and effective communication, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to work effectively when under extreme pressure.
• Ability to work independently, but relate issues to manager, as appropriate.
• Possess out of the box thinking, resourcefulness, and strong advocacy skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain working relationships with community agencies and stakeholders.
• Ability to remain organized and complete administrative tasks, such as documenting activities and maintaining up-to-date records, in a timely manner.

Responsibilities

• Provide casework services to clients including crisis counseling, safety planning, advocacy, information and referrals, emergency financial assistance, and claims filing.
• Assist victims who have had police contact or wish to file a police report. Review domestic incidents and outreach to victims and officers as appropriate.
• Accompany victims of crime to hospitals, police departments, and court while providing crisis counseling, information and referrals, assistance with crime victims compensation claims, criminal justice advocacy and personal advocacy.
• Provide information and referrals to all clients in need following the agencies and departments protocol.
• Expand service reach by researching community organizations and providing community outreach through presentations and tabling events.
• Establish professional relationships and participate in bi-weekly meetings with liaisons from the District Attorney’s Office, Police Department, Dutchess County Probation, and other community agencies, as needed.
• Participate in on-call rotation for evening and weekend coverage of 24-hour hotlines.
• Complete all administrative tasks as assigned on a timely basis, this includes, but is not limited to documenting all activities, preparing weekly and monthly activity reports, maintaining up-to-date case records, and inputting into client database.
• Maintain statistics and prepare reports as needed and maintain up-to-date client records.
• Other duties as assigned based upon the need of program.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match up to 5%.
• Generous paid vacation, holiday, sick and personal time package (2 weeks’ vacation in first year, 13 paid holidays per year, 12 sick days per year and 4 personal days per year).
• Access to Family Services’ Compassionate Leave Program where employees can donate/receive unused time off.
• Group term life and long-term disability insurance.
• Supplemental life insurance & accidental death and dismemberment coverage (AD&D)
• Supplemental insurance through Aflac.
• Employee assistance program (EAP).
• Pet insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level