Victim Advocate (STRIVE)

Title: STRIVE Victim Advocate

Status: Non-Exempt, Full-Time, 32 hours per week, with on-call requirement

Supervisor: Coordinator of Advocacy

Salary: $24.73 per hour

Location: Poughkeepsie, NY

Function:

Statewide Targeted Reductions in Intimate Partner Violence (STRIVE) is designed to equip criminal justice and victim service agencies with the necessary resources to enhance capacity to respond to intimate partner violence (IPV). The STRIVE Victim Advocate will be responsible for facilitating interagency collaboration on IPV cases in the designated STRIVE jurisdictions while providing direct services to victim/survivors. The STRIVE Victim Advocate will conduct lethality assessments and work closely with law enforcement departments to build trust with victims assessed as high danger as well engage in community outreach events and activities.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in human services or related field and/or
• 3-5 years relative work experience in human services, counseling, and/or advocacy.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide direct services to clients including, but not limited to: crisis counseling, safety planning, advocacy, information and referrals, emergency financial assistance, and claims filing.
• Assist victims who have had police contact or wish to file a police report. Review domestic incident reports and lethality screens and outreach to victims and law enforcement as appropriate.
• Accompany victims of crime to hospitals, police departments, and court while providing crisis counseling, information and referrals, assistance with crime victims compensation claims, criminal justice advocacy and personal advocacy.
• Conduct victim home visits on case by case basis, including scheduled visits and unscheduled visits with members of law enforcement.
• Provide information and referrals to all clients in need following the agency’s and department’s protocol.
• Participate in interagency collaboration to increase offender accountability and enhance victim safety.
• Expand service reach by researching community organizations and providing community outreach through presentations and tabling events.
• Participate in on-call rotation for evening and weekend coverage of 24-hour hotlines.
• Complete all administrative tasks as assigned on a timely basis, this includes, but is not limited to: documenting all activities, preparing weekly and monthly activity reports, maintaining up-to-date case records, and inputting into the client database.
• Maintain statistics and prepare reports as needed and maintain up-to-date client records.
• Other duties as assigned based upon need of program.

Skills & Abilities:

• Clear and effective communication, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to work effectively when under extreme pressure.
• Ability to work independently, but relate issues to manager, as appropriate.
• Possess out of the box thinking, resourcefulness, and strong advocacy skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain working relationships with 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.

Essential 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, etc.
• 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.

​​​​​​​We value flexibility and support in our work environment and offer a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives. Our benefits package include: 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:

To support people, strengthen families, and nurture safe and healthier communities.

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.

Work Environment – Family Services Inc. Center for Victim Safety and Support is a 24 hour crisis center. The STRIVE Advocate will split their time between advocating/interacting with community agencies and systems, meeting with individuals and working on a team at the Center for Victim Safety and Support, completing documentation and administrative responsibilities and participating in meetings at Family Services.

​​​​​​​#INDCP

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 hr@familyservicesny.org.

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.