Victim Advocate

About the Role

Provides advocacy and crisis intervention to victims, survivors, and stakeholders affected by sexual and domestic violence. Conducts intakes, assessments, and consultations, offering information and establishing appropriate dispositions, referrals, and follow-up for patients and impacted community members.

Responsibilities

• Appropriately screens walk-in patients and consults.
• Utilizes active listening skills to ascertain each patient's needs and responds accordingly.
• Responds to crisis line callers in accordance with written procedures.
• Accurately assesses lethality and initiates appropriate intervention for patients expressing suicidal ideations.
• Provides crisis callers with accurate information and makes appropriate referrals.
• Offers emotional support to patients in crisis while setting limits.
• Prioritizes and processes cases efficiently.
• Conducts empathetic, objective interviews with patients, maintaining a supportive and non-threatening therapeutic relationship.
• Observes patient behavior and alerts staff when potential for violent or dangerous behavior is detected.
• Approaches depressed and/or suicidal patients in a non-threatening, supportive, and empathetic manner while maintaining a therapeutic relationship.
• Works cooperatively with intra-interdepartmental staff.
• Maintains professional demeanor at all times.
• Accurately completes documentation of patient encounters in the electronic medical record (EMR).
• Collaborates with physicians and staff in all aspects of patient care and consults appropriately regarding case management.
• Documents information in the clinical record and completes all paperwork related to patient encounters in accordance with quality assurance standards.
• Obtains collateral information from families, care providers, and significant others when necessary.
• Completes demographic and disposition documentation required for DV SAC referrals.
• Provides shift change information according to policy.

Requirements

• Associate’s Degree in Health Education, Social Work, or related field (required).
• Course work in crisis intervention and grief counseling (preferred).
• 1–3 years of experience (required); 3–5 years (preferred).
• Minimum of 1 year in crisis intervention and mental health counseling.
• Experience summarizing patient information and documenting psychosocial findings and other patient interactions.
• Basic Life Support – Health Care Provider (BLS-HCP) certification.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Pay

Pay Range: $26.14 – $36.59 per hour.

Benefits

Review the 2025-2026 UMMS Benefits Guide for details.