Community & Legal Advocate

Project Safe Inc.

Position: Legal & Community Advocate–Clarke

Responsible To: Community Response & Outreach Services Director

Salary: $46,000.00 - $52,000.00 based on experience

Hours: Full Time Monday- Friday days, evenings as scheduled

On Call Rotation

Position Summary:

This position holds two main components: providing direct services to victims of domestic violence and ensuring collaborative partnerships within the criminal justice systems. The direct service responsibilities include providing support, assistance with safety planning, essential legal advocacy, and referrals to community resources. The partnership responsibilities include facilitating the development of collaborative relationships with all levels of the criminal justice system to ensure the needs of domestic violence survivors through crisis intervention, ongoing supportive services, systems change advocacy, and prevention and education in the community.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Direct Service

• Coordinate with community partners to ensure that police reports from Project Safe’s service areas are promptly reviewed.
• Monitor police reports and civil protective order filings to identify those involving intimate partner violence and make significant contact with the victim to inform them of all available services.
• Serve as a liaison between victims of domestic violence and Family Violence Intervention program providers
• Ensure victims are informed of their rights as the victim of a crime, including completion of crime victim compensation applications, registering with VINE, and offer other resources as appropriate.
• Ensure all persons seeking assistance receive trauma-informed services including crisis intervention, safety planning, emotional support, advocacy, and information about the criminal justices’ processes.
• Host weekly TPO clinic at courthouse to provide appropriate information, referrals, and assistance to potential petitioners
• Accompany victims and advocate throughout civil and criminal court proceedings
• Facilitate trauma-informed support groups that provide domestic violence education and peer support with the goal of empowerment and healing.
• Oversee and participate in the twice-weekly walk-in hours rotation providing survivors of domestic violence with face-to-face resources to identify immediate needs relating to a survivor’s domestic violence situation.
• Ensure the completion of all required paperwork, case notes, and statistical information continually ensuring strict confidentiality in line with our organizational values.

Partnership Development

• Build alliances and collaborative relationships at all levels of the criminal justice system to prioritize comprehensive services to survivors of domestic violence.
• Initiate contact and maintain connections with attorneys willing to provide pro bono or reduced fee legal services for victims of domestic violence.
• Assist in creating a supportive environment for victims to voluntarily report information to law enforcement while maintaining strict confidentiality standards.
• Initiate a comprehensive approach to the relationship between law enforcement and Project Safe to ensure the best outcome for survivors.

Qualifications: Knowledge and experience

• MSW preferred, or equivalent graduate degree for intern supervision.
• Minimum 3 years of working with survivors of domestic violence.
• Ability to develop and maintain cooperative relations with a diversity of individuals, organizations and government agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to manage time, evaluate progress, and adjust activities to complete work within established time frames.
• Ability to effectively work independently and collaboratively without direct supervision.
• Critical Thinking – logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Knowledge of the impact of domestic violence on children and older people; LGBTQ individuals; and people with disabilities.

Communication Skills

• Excellent communication and public speaking skills both written and oral – talking and writing effectively in order to convey information appropriately to the needs of the target audience.
• Understanding of and willingness to learn advocacy-based analysis of both the uses and limitations of research on domestic violence.

Other requirements

• Participate in agency staff meetings and other team meetings as needed to contribute to positive and empowering work culture.
• Commitment to ongoing research and education to ensure survivors received the most comprehensive services.
• Adhere to agency policies and work rules, including strict confidentiality and code of ethics, consent to criminal background checks and maintenance of valid driver’s license and proof of insurance.
• Complete other duties as needed to support all areas of Project Safe’s mission and vision for the organization.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $46,000.00 - $52,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person