Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) Victim Advocate

Family Services Inc.•Poughkeepsie, NY

2d•$26 - $26•Hybrid

About The Position

The DCSO 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. Enthusiastically supports, practices and communicates agency’s mission and statement of values. Our mission is to help families and individuals help themselves through direct services, collaboration, and advocacy.

Requirements

BA in Human Services field preferred and/or 3 to 5 years relevant work experience.
Human Services, counseling, and/or advocacy experience.
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 within DCSO and other 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.
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.
Must be authorized to work in the United States without work sponsorship.

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 agency’s and department’s protocol.
Expand service reach by researching community organizations and providing community outreach through presentations and tabling events.
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 need of program.