About the role
Title: Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) Victim Advocate
Status: Non-Exempt
Supervisor: Coordinator of Advocacy
Salary: $25.93/hr.
Schedule: 32 hrs. per week w/ on-call rotation requirement
Function: 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.
Qualifications: BA in Human Services field preferred and/or 3 to 5 years relevant work experience. Human Services, counseling, and/or advocacy experience.
Position 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.
Skills and Abilities:
* 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.
Essential Requirements: * 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.
Benefits:
Do you value flexibility and support in your work environment? We offer a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and programs that provide our employees the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives. Our benefits packages include:
· Medical, dental, and vision coverage
· 403(b) retirement plan
· Group term life and long-term disability insurance
· Supplemental life insurance & accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D)
· Paid vacation, holiday, sick, and personal time
· Supplemental insurance through AFLAC
· Employee assistance program (EAP)
Our Agency Values
Integrity - Being honest and trustworthy
Compassion – Extending empathy and understanding to others
Hope - Believing in the strength of the human spirit and heart, to emerge and thrive in the face of challenge
Diversity – Promoting a vison of community comprised of wide-ranging assets
Respect - Treating all individuals with dignity and without judgement
Community - Recognizing and reinforcing the importance of our world as being comprised of people of differing strengths and perspectives
Justice – Promoting social and economic equity and fairness
Quality – Striving for excellence in every aspect of our work
Our Mission: To support people, strengthen families, and nurture safer, healthier communities.
Work Environment – Family Services Inc. Center for Victim Safety and Support is a 24 hour crisis center. Co-located Advocates will split their time between their law enforcement jurisdiction, advocating/interacting with community agencies and systems, meeting with individuals and working on a team at the Center for Victim Safety and Support, completing documentation and administrative responsibilities and participating in meetings at Family Services.
#INDCP