Victim Advocate - Grant Funded Position

About the role

The position is grant-funded and is at-will. The City of Colorado Springs is an accredited pay equity employer. The starting pay is within the posted hiring range based on experience and education. The position involves rotating on-call crisis intervention and emotional support for crime victims, coordinating services with other agencies, and providing referrals and follow-up support.

Responsibilities

• Provide immediate on-call crisis intervention and emotional support to crime victims as needed on a 24-hour basis.
• Review case reports to identify crime victims and contact them to offer services.
• Provide high-quality and comprehensive follow-up support services for crime victims.
• Cookordinate the provision of services with other criminal justice and community-based service programs to facilitate a seamless transition for victims.
• Affirm that victims are aware of their rights under the Colorado Victim Rights Act.
• Afford information and referrals on resources to crime victims for long-term assistance.
• Afford information on the status of their case through the initial phases of the investigation, including the filing of the case by the District Attorney's Office or when a final decision is made by CSPD not to file charges.
• Maintain data on victim contacts for tracking and grant reporting purposes.
• Afford assistance with grant applications and reports.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in a related field, preferably criminal justice, behavioral science, or social science.
• One year of full-time, professional experience in a related field, preferably working with victims of a violent crime, including crisis intervention experience or specialized training from a law enforcement agency in victim advocacy.
• Possession, or obtain upon hire, and maintenance of a valid, non-probationary Colorado driver's license not subject to restriction related to alcohol and/or drug violations or pending charges.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the Colorado Crime Victim Rights Act and the criminal justice system.
• Community resources for crime victims.
• Modern office procedures and equipment, including computers and supporting software (especially Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and Outlook).
• Proper English usage, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Internet usage.
• Strong crisis intervention and teamwork skills.
• Ability to conduct field work and provide direct, in-person crisis intervention services to victims of violent crime.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive and productive working relationships with co-workers and with internal and external partners.
• Ability to cope with emotional and stressful situations and make sound decisions.
• Ability to drive government vehicle at night and during inclement weather.

Skills

• Proficiency in spoken and written Spanish.
• Experience working with victims of violent crime in a criminal justice setting.
• Experience demonstrating a strong knowledge of victims' rights and the criminal justice system.

Benefits

This position is grant-funded and renewal of the grant is anticipated, though continued grant funding cannot be guaranteed.

Pay

The starting pay is within the posted hiring range based on experience and education.

Schedule

The position involves rotating on-call crisis intervention and emotional support for crime victims, coordinating services with other agencies, and providing referrals and follow-up support.