Victim Advocate

Works directly with victims of crime performing a variety of highly emotional and interactive support, guidance, assistance and liaison functions. Provides crisis counseling and de-escalation in trauma-related settings, as well as more traditional individual, family or group victim counseling and education. Duties include case management, next of kin death notifications, short-term crisis support, victim rights education and agency referral services. Accompanies victims to legal proceedings, and informs victims about the criminal justice system and their constitutional and statutory mandated rights. Assists victims and/or family members with assorted transportation needs. Maintains accurate records of all victim interaction, activity and referrals. Compiles and creates periodic data reports including agency required statistics.

• Ability to maintain accurate records, logs, or other documentation as required by the position.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to use initiative and independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Ability to anticipate problems and intervene appropriately to avoid negative repercussions.
• Ability to remain calm in crisis or emergency situations.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with families, community resources, local and state law enforcement, other agencies, superiors, and peers.
• Ability to exercise good judgment in safeguarding confidential or sensitive information.
• Ability to elicit the desired employee behaviors in order to achieve goals and objectives in a team oriented environment.
• Ability to work on-call as needed.
• Knowledge of local, state and federal laws concerning Criminal Justice System.

PHYSICAL ABILITIES

• Intermittent performance of physically demanding work, typically involving some combination of grasping, reaching, pushing, pulling, bending, stooping, kneeling, lifting, and carrying.
• Must possess the hand/eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to use hands and arms to finger, handle, grasp and feel; climb into and out of vehicles; and operate the following: vehicles, computers, tools and any other equipment that is used to perform the essential functions of the job.
• Must be able to exert up to 100 lbs of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, or pull or otherwise move objects or possibly a child/children.
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods.
• Requires normal range of hearing and eyesight.
• Visual perception and discrimination including color perception is required.
• Requires ability to be flexible and available for any/all disaster or emergency situations.

• Provides information, assistance, and services to Crime Victims/Witnesses by telephone or by other forms of communication.
• Correctly locates, tabulates, and accurately compiles statistical data in a timely manner and generates the edited statistical report as requested.
• Successfully completes all assignments to specifications, within specified timeframe and budget as directed and in accordance with agency policies and regulations.
• Consistent with agency policies, provides compassionate and effective counseling to assist the victims in overcoming their loss and to understand the grieving and bereavement process.
• Reviews offense/incident reports for all the pertinent facts of the case to be able to provide the appropriate victim assistance in an efficient and consultative manner.
• Informs next of kin of the occurrence of a death within the agency jurisdiction or agency personnel in a professional caring manner.
• Provides appropriate assistance pursuant to agency policy.
• Provides effective short term and crisis counseling to victims in order to assist with emotional, physical, and the legal needs pursuant to agency policy.
• Identifies and establishes effective channels of communication with relevant outside agencies for the purpose of providing victims with information and various applicable services, compensation and legal aid, and miscellaneous support pursuant to state statutes if applicable and in accordance with agency policy.
• Assists victims through the criminal justice system (i.e. education of process and attending court trials, injunction hearings, depositions, and pre-file investigations with State Attorney's office).
• Provides transportation to victims and family of victims as needed (i.e. to hospitals, court proceedings, states attorney's office, etc.)
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

POLICY

• Arrives on time for work, limits breaks and lunches to the allotted time, and leaves on time. Uses leave in accordance with General Orders; communicates and cooperates with management in providing proper notice of leave; patterns and amounts of leave usage (not including legitimate, properly scheduled and approved leave and protected leave).
• Volume of work accomplished is consistent with position requirements and produced within quality tolerance standards.
• Works with other team members to achieve group goals by contributing ideas in group settings, accepting ideas contributed by others, operating within team rules, participating in team meetings, working with team members to improve job knowledge and skills, putting team goals over personal goals, and supporting team leaders once decisions are made.
• Follows standard office procedures, safety policies and procedures and agency General Orders.
• Maintains good interpersonal relations (the manner in which the employee responds emotionally and verbally) with the public, other employees, and supervisors. This policy also relates to the image the employee projects and includes cleanliness and personal grooming.

• Associate's degree from an accredited college required, or equivalent work experience.
• Ability to work on-call as needed is required.
• Valid Florida driver license required.
• Must pass MCSO 8-hour Driver Improvement Course.