Advocate

Title: Intake Victim Advocate

Status: Non-Exempt

Salary: $24.73 per hour

Schedule: Monday – Friday, 32 hours per week, with on-call requirement

Supervisor: Clinical Coordinator

Function:

The Intake Victim Advocate is a front-line advocate, first responder to a victim in need, clinical scheduler, and primary advocate for the Youth Who Witness Violence initiative. The Intake Victim Advocate provides casework services to clients including crisis counseling, safety planning, advocacy, information and referrals, emergency financial assistance, and claims filing. This requires the ability to work quickly and concisely under extreme pressure to provide services and safety to survivors of crime.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelors in human services, Psychology or Social Work field preferred and/or 3 - 5 years relevant work experience.
• Human Services, counseling, and/or advocacy experience.
• Bilingual is a plus.

Other 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, correctional facilities.
• 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:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match up to 5%.
• Generous paid vacation, holiday, sick and personal time package (2 weeks’ vacation in first year, 13 paid holidays per year, 12 sick days per year and 4 personal days per year).
• Access to Family Services’ Compassionate Leave Program where employees can donate/receive unused time off.
• Group term life and long-term disability insurance.
• Supplemental life insurance & accidental death and dismemberment coverage (AD&D).
• Supplemental insurance through Aflac.
• Employee assistance program (EAP).
• Pet insurance.

Our Mission:

Family Services brings people together to find the support they need, improving their lives and communities, and building a stronger safer Hudson Valley.

Our Values:

Compassion – Extending empathy and understanding to others.

Integrity – Being honest and dependable.

Hope – Believing in the strength of the human spirit and heart, to emerge and thrive when faced with a challenge.

Diversity – Promoting a vision 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 – Aspiring for excellence in every aspect of our work.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide advocacy services to clients, including but not limited to, crisis counseling, safety planning, advocacy, accompaniment, information and referrals, and claims filing.
• Accompany victims of crime to hospitals, police departments, and/or court while providing criminal justice advocacy and personal advocacy
• Meet with clients in person, by phone or through online platforms, such as zoom.
• Attend to incoming calls on the 24-hour Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis/Crime Victims hotlines for a designated period.
• Participate in on-call rotation after hours.
• Meet with client to complete screening for trauma therapy services to assess eligibility and appropriateness for therapy services.
• Manage and organize therapy referrals and the client trauma therapy waitlist.
• Provide information and referrals regarding CVSS therapy and support group services, as well as community providers based on client needs.
• Take on advocacy role for client’s involved with Youth Who Witness Violence initiative.
• Assist in the co facilitation of the Youth Who Witness Violence Support Group
• Establish and maintain liaisons within local school systems, community organizations, police departments, District Attorney’s office, and others.
• Expand service reach by researching community organizations and providing community outreach through presentations and tabling events.
• Assist with fundraisers and special events (some of these may be outside agency hours of operation).
• Maintain an active role in the participation of weekly and/or monthly CVSS staff, clinical staff, and advocacy staff meetings.
• Complete all administrative tasks as assigned on a timely basis, including but not limited to documenting all activities, preparing weekly and monthly activity reports, maintaining up-to-date case records, and inputting documentation into the client database.
• Maintain up to date client records, statistics and prepare reports as needed.
• Other duties as assigned based upon the need of program. 

Competencies

• Clear and effective communication, both oral and written. 
• Ability to work effectively when under extreme pressure.
• Ability to work independently, but relate issues to coordinator, as appropriate.
• Possess out of the box thinking, resourcefulness, and strong advocacy skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain working relationships within respective law enforcement agencies, 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.
• Willingness to deploy into community with Youth Witness to Violence team in response to community trauma.

Work Environment – Family Services Inc. Center for Victim Safety and Support is a 24-hour crisis center. The Intake Victim Advocate will split their time between advocating and interacting with community agencies and systems, meeting with individuals and working on the Clinical and Advocacy team at the Center for Victim Safety and Support, completing documentation and administrative responsibilities and participating in meetings at Family Services. The Intake Victim Advocate will remain available to deploy into the Dutchess County community with Youth Witness to Violence team in response to community trauma.

Family Services, Inc. complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [email protected].

Family Services is an equal opportunity employer. We follow federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination in hiring and employment.

Must be authorized to work in the United States without work sponsorship.

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