Victim Witness Specialist

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys•Sacramento, CA

About The Position

This position is for a Victim Witness Specialist within the Department of Justice, United States Attorneys' Offices. The role involves providing a variety of services to crime victims, their families, and witnesses. The specialist will receive formal and/or on-the-job training. Responsibilities will increase in complexity as training and experience progress. The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication (fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing).
Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
May be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
Must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.
Specialized experience must be described in your resume. The USAO cannot assume what duties were/are accomplished based on a job title.
To be eligible at the GS-9 level, must meet at least ONE of the following conditions: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a combination of Education and Experience.
Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level. Specialized experience is defined as experience assisting with ongoing victim-witness communication needs; supporting victim advocacy communication and/or legal advocacy programs; collaboration with law enforcement personnel and/or social service organizations; and conducting and/or or providing assistance with workshops, seminars, presentations, and/or meetings.
Education: One of the following types of education in a closely related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Social Work, Psychology, Sociology): a LL.B. or J.D., if related; OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree or higher; OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.
Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 1 full year.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) eligibility.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) eligibility.
Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) eligibility.
Special Employment Consideration eligibility (Persons with disabilities, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, certain other veterans, spouses of certain members of the armed forces, and returning Peace Corps volunteers).
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
If a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, must certify registration with the Selective Service System, or exemption.

Nice To Haves

Proof of ICTAP eligibility (written notification or separation personnel action form).
Copy of written notification of CTAP eligibility.
Copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 for VEOA consideration.
Documentation to verify eligibility for non-competitive appointments.
Proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency if education was completed in foreign colleges or universities.
English translation if documentation is not in English.

Responsibilities

Identifying resources and providing referrals to crime victims, their families, and witnesses.
Providing information to victims on schedule changes, status of defendant's pleas, and results of trial.
Providing in-court support to victims and witnesses during and prior to hearings and trials.
Speaking to public, civic, industry and special interest groups on victim's issues.
Collaborating with law enforcement personnel, Federal investigative agency victim specialists and social service providers.
Responding to victim inquiries, assessing concerns, and determining program eligibility for victim-witness services.
Assisting crime victims in completing applications and required documents to access victim assistance funding or needed services.
Coordinating and managing victim notifications, restitution claims, and other pertinent case information.
Conducting victim assistance workshops, seminars, and presentations.
Reviewing literature on victim witness issues.