III - Bilingual Preferred

County of Ventura (CA)•Ventura, CA

43d•$21 - $34

About The Position

Victim Advocates assist victims of crime by providing a full range of services including assistance with compensation claims, crisis intervention, court support, case status updates, community referrals, and community awareness. The ideal candidate will have experience (working and/or volunteering) with direct client contact, in a governmental victim services program (city/state/federal); a non-profit victim services program (any non-profit working with victims of crime); as a mental health provider/intern/trainee; in a social services agency; in a legal services agency; in a criminal justice agency (city/state/federal); in a law enforcement agency; or in a health care agency. The Victim Advocate I is the entry-level advocate and provides services to victims, assumes responsibility for case management and victim contact under direct supervision. The Victim Advocate II is the journey-level advocate and manages a full caseload and provides a full range of services to victims under general supervision. These services may include short-term crisis intervention, community referrals, orientation to the criminal justice system, case status updates, community presentations and court support. The Victim Advocate II is responsible for statistical data collection relevant to his/her case assignment. The Victim Advocate III is the lead level advocate and manages a full caseload and provides a full range of services to victims under general direction. This level differs from the I and II in that the Victim Advocate III provides supervisory assistance at the request of the Director of Victim Services, and assists with grant proposals, special projects/programs and budgetary recommendations, community presentations, and training. This level assists the Director in training staff and volunteers.

Requirements

Victim Advocate I: Equivalent to 15 semester units of college level coursework which includes courses in psychology, sociology, criminal justice, criminology, victimology, or a related field plus six (6) months experience in a field related to victim services, community programs/projects or criminal justice related work; OR, one (1) year experience in a field related to victim services, community programs/projects or criminal justice related work.
Victim Advocate II: Equivalent to 30 semester units of college level coursework which includes courses in psychology, sociology, criminal justice, criminology, victimology, or a related field plus one (1) year experience in a field related to victim services, community programs/projects or criminal justice related work; OR, two (2) years' experience in a field related to victim services, community programs/projects or criminal justice related work.
Victim Advocate III: An Associates Degree in sociology, psychology, criminal justice, victimology or a related field, plus one (1) year experience in a field related to victim services, community programs/projects or criminal justice related work. -OR- Three (3) years' experience in a field related to victim services, community programs/projects or criminal justice related work. -OR- One (1) year of experience as a Ventura County Victim Advocate II.
Some (I) to considerable (II/III) knowledge of: The criminal justice system. Crisis intervention practices, interviewing, and community resources. Violent crime victimization. Victims' rights and advocacy techniques. Basic case record-keeping skills.
Working ability to: Communicate effectively with victims, defendants, witnesses, and the public. Coordinate and maintain effective working relationships with various agencies and individuals. Identify and seek out people who may qualify for victim assistance. Interpret and explain procedures and processes. Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information. Work in an environment providing support to victims of various and/or violent crimes. Work effectively in crisis situations. Provide crisis intervention to victims of various crimes. Make public presentations. Collect, interpret and evaluate case data.
Victim Advocate III (In addition to above) Working ability to: Train and lead the work of others. Assist program director with supervisory duties. Administer program activities as assigned.

Nice To Haves

Experience working and/or volunteering with any of the following: Governmental victim services program (city/state/federal) Non-profit victim services program (any non-profit working with-victims of crime) Mental health services Social services, Legal Services, Law Enforcement, and/or Health Care agencies
Depending on the vacancy, some positions may require bilingual skills or specialized program knowledge (i.e., sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, domestic violence, etc.)

Responsibilities

Provides victims with follow-up contacts relating to case status/disposition information such as charges filed, status of criminal proceedings, terms and conditions of probation, parole hearings and release date.
Provides crisis intervention and emergency assistance by making immediate assessment of needs and making referrals to other community resources.
Initiates and maintains case logs, documents case activities, maintains ledgers and other recordkeeping systems.
Orients victims to the criminal justice system by explaining procedures and status of criminal proceedings or cases; provides court support to victims.
Acts as an advocate for victims to ensure their needs are addressed within the community and criminal justice system confers with law enforcement officials and prosecutors on the status of cases; assists with the preparation of temporary restraining orders, reimbursement claims, and other processes designed to assist and protect the rights of victims.
Provides support to victims and family during interviews with law enforcement officers, attorneys and court personnel; explains criminal justice system and rights of victims.
Assists with applications for State victim assistance compensation by obtaining necessary information and documents, filling out and processing necessary forms and following the case through payment of bills, coordinates with victims, service providers and the State Board of Control.
May be assigned administrative tasks and/or perform other related duties as required.
Promotes the victim assistance program through community presentations.
Performs outreach to identify victims eligible for assistance; evaluates needs and eligibility for State compensation.
Participates on County-wide task forces, councils, and committees.
Assists with the preparation of grant statistics and periodic reports.
Supervises unit activities of one or more program areas (i.e., sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, etc.).
Assists the program director with grant proposals and preparation of unit budgetary recommendations.
Assists with special projects and programs relating to the victim assistance programs and prepares special reports and recommendations on unit operations or program development.
Provides training for victim services staff, volunteers, and outside organizations and associations.
Assists with the design and production of informational fliers, brochures, and posters relating to the program.

Benefits

Incumbents may be eligible for an educational incentive of 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5% based on completion of an Associate, Bachelor's, or postgraduate degree that is not required for the classification.
Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational necessity and certification of skill.
Victim Advocates are represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and are eligible for overtime compensation.

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