Victim Services Coordinator

Description

To develop, implement, and assess crime victim services within the police department. Provide direct services for victims of crimes including assisting with emotional and financial support systems and legal advocacy. Build partnerships with outside organizations, deliver community education on crime prevention and available services, and serve as a resource for police staff on community support options.

Examples of Duties

• Develop and implement a trauma informed embedded crime victim services program with the police department.
• Provide timely and relevant direct support, advocacy, and resources to all victims of violent crimes which occur within the city.
• Provide real-time crisis support, either in-person or by phone, to domestic violence victims while officers are on-site with the victim.
• Provide support and resources to victims of non-violent crimes which occur within the city as assigned.
• Maintain regular contact with crime victims to keep them informed of the status of their cases and assist them in identifying other needs or connecting with other resources.
• Assist victims of violent crimes with navigating the criminal justice system, including potentially assisting in the filing of court orders (Orders For Protection, Harassment Restraining Orders) and accompanying victims to court hearings.
• Assist in coordinating cases requiring further investigation or prosecution, serving as a trauma informed liaison with investigators, prosecutors, and other legal and victim advocates.
• Build collaborative relationships with officers and other department staff through regular contacts and interaction. Serve as a resource to staff regarding trauma informed victim services, including providing regular training and consultation.
• Develop partnerships and connections with other organizations for referrals by crime victims and the broader community with additional resources as appropriate.
• Represent the department at a wide range of community meetings, events, and speaking engagements to raise awareness about crime prevention, crime trends, and community resources.
• Maintain proper and timely documentation of case notes, correspondence, and databases.
• Keep current of the latest in relevant theories and practices in trauma informed victim services by attending seminars, trainings sessions, and maintaining active memberships in professional associations.
• Maintain regular and reliable attendance during scheduled work hours.
• May work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Maintain positive professional working relationships and effective and respectful communication with coworkers, supervisors, other jurisdictions, outside agencies, and community members
• Perform other duties or special projects, as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor degree from accredited college of university in social work, human services, or closely related field. In lieu of the required education, an equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.
• Three years of full-time experience working with crime victims.
• Training and experience in trauma informed victim work with an understanding of the needs, options, and resources for individuals impacted by domestic abuse or other violent crimes.
• Knowledge of and ability to advocate within various systems including social service, legal, economic, medical, and healthcare systems.
• Strong skills and experience with crisis assessment, person centered services, assertiveness, conflict management, confidentiality, and the ability to work independently.
• Experience working with a wide variety of computer software packages such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Must pass a background check.
• Ability to be available for phone consultation by department staff during off-duty hours for relevant cases.

• Master’s degree in social work, human services, or closely related field.
• Certifications in trauma informed victim work and/or domestic and sexual violence trauma work.
• Experience working closely with law enforcement or corrections.
• Experience in assisting in filing court orders and/or testifying in court proceedings.
• Experience interacting with and providing services to individuals from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Bilingual.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Communications: Must have the ability to actively listen to others for understanding of their needs and situations; ability to read, speak, and write English clearly. Must be able to assertively control conversations in order to quickly and accurately gather pertinent information and to be able to communicate this information professionally and precisely to the proper recipient. Be able to read and understand correspondence, memoranda and directives. The ability to write clear and concise reports. Skill in making both oral and demonstrative presentations. The ability to understand and execute instructions both in terms of content and intent.
Decision Making: Must act in a decisive manner, using good judgment. Must be able to assess problems and situations, able to anticipate needs and evaluate alternatives. Must be able to deal with emergency and stressful situations, to avoid over reaction, to maintain flexibility in adjusting to situations and procedures; to support and carry out directives. Must have a knowledge of the utilization of appropriate resources and the willingness to initiate use of available resources. Ability to understand and carry out complex directions. The ability to perform the job with a minimum of supervision.
Interpersonal Relationships: Must be consistent in dealing with people; must be sensitive to others' problems without direct involvement. Must exclude personal biases from work performance. Must have the ability to accept criticism and/or discipline. Must have tact and diplomacy. Must have the ability to work varying shifts or times. The ability to deal tactfully and cooperatively with both individuals and groups. Must have the ability to project a positive, enthusiastic image in public speaking engagements and when meeting with the general public; ability to multi-task and work independently with minimum supervision; ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, supervisors, other departments, outside agencies, and the general public.
Professional Attitude: Must have commitment to the organization, and the agencies the department serves; willingness to take initiative; dependability, maturity in relationships with others; and self confidence. Must represent the organization to other agencies and citizens with a courteous, helpful, accurate and business-like attitude in all radio, telephone, and other types of contact.
Technical Knowledge: Must have considerable knowledge of providing trauma informed work with victims of crime. Must have the ability to handle emergency and stressful situations. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite applications including word processing, spreadsheets, and law enforcement technology database packages and other various computerized packages as assigned.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 25pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking or hearing and using hands to finger, handle or feel, frequently requires reaching with hands and arms and repetitive motions and occasionally requires standing, walking and lifting; work requires close vision, ability to adjust focus, depth perception, color perception and peripheral vision; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating machines, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work has limited exposure to environmental conditions; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).