Child Abuse Victim Advocate, Domestic Violence Unit, Criminal Division - Seattle City Attorney’s Office

Agency Name: Seattle City Attorney's Office

Position / Job Title : Child Abuse Victim Advocate | Domestic Violence Unit | Criminal Division

Location: Seattle, WA

Category : Non-Attorney

Job Description: With more than 200 attorneys and professional staff, the Seattle City Attorney’s Office is one of the largest law offices in Seattle and is the third largest public law office in the state. Our office is committed to making Seattle a safe, healthy, empowered and thriving community for everyone. We strive to address historical injustices within the court system with self-examination and to pursue justice in Seattle with integrity, creativity, and fairness. We believe working transparently, innovatively, and in collaboration with our partners in the community is necessary to achieve outcomes that promote equity, accountability, and healing.

Join a team of passionate prosecutors and advocates working together to address gender-based violence in Seattle by holding abusers accountable and providing victims with information, support, and resources. The Seattle City Attorney’s Office Domestic Violence Unit prosecutes crimes of misdemeanor intimate partner domestic violence, family violence involving adult children, elder abuse, and child abuse/neglect cases. The Domestic Violence Unit provides support and resources for child, adult, and elder victims.

The Domestic Violence Unit is composed of experienced prosecutors and victim advocates, as well as dedicated support staff. The Unit is proud of its diversity and is represented by people of various cultures and ethnic/racial backgrounds. Our Division includes an Advocate that speaks Vietnamese and Chinese, and our Unit has three Spanish-speaking Advocates. We would like to continue to expand our cultural and language capacities to better serve our clients.

Advocates work closely with prosecutors to give victims the best possible assistance and a voice in both arrest and non-arrest incidents. This position will handle child abuse cases, including cases of violence against a child by a stranger, teacher, family member, or mentor. These cases are very sensitive and require age-appropriate trauma-informed communication both with the child and with the non-offending parent or guardian.

In addition to this opportunity to join a team that is dedicated to public service, the City Attorney’s Office offers a generous benefit program which includes paid leave benefits, paid parental and family leave, low-cost health benefits, and the opportunity to participate in a defined benefit retirement program.

Job Responsibilities:

Contact victims of child abuse and their parent/guardian to conduct risk assessments, provide crisis counseling, make referrals to social service agencies, and educate victims about family violence, mental illness, substance abuse, and the criminal justice process.

Assist a wide variety of individuals including adults, children, the elderly, refugee populations, people with physical or cognitive disabilities and those suffering from substance abuse, mental illness as well as homelessness.

Assistance is offered primarily through outreach over the phone following police intervention.

Utilize interpreter services when needed.

Use a motivational interviewing approach to discuss the pros and cons of participating in the criminal justice system, giving a realistic picture of what that experience might look like and the limits of the criminal justice system to respond to their needs.

Allow victims and families to make informed decisions about their participation throughout the process, explaining their rights and offering opportunities to give input. This advocate does a considerable amount of work on cases that may not result in criminal charges.

Act as a representative of the prosecutor’s office, explaining the decisions made by the prosecutor as to whether cases are filed or not, and the outcome of cases in court.

Coordinate with the prosecuting attorney to ensure the victim and family’s voices are heard throughout the process, advising the prosecutor on the victim and family’s goals for prosecution and their input about the possibility of testifying.

Advocate for the victim’s position with the prosecutor, probation counselors, and to the court. The position does include speaking on behalf of victims in court hearings.

Prepare families for and attend defense interviews. Prepare children and families for testimony at trial, providing tours of courtrooms prior to official testimony.

Exercise diplomacy and patience with families who may have mixed feelings about criminal justice intervention.

Document all victim contact and summarize in written format any exculpatory or discoverable information.

Assist victims with drafting victim impact statements and requesting restitution.

Inform victims of their rights under RCW 7.69.030.

Coordinate with school counselors and administrators to reach out to children, to safety plan (with the child and the school) and ensure the child has support.

Work closely with Department of Child and Family Services (DCYF) case workers to safety plan, share information on court orders, and collaborate on interventions when possible.

Participate in the Best Practices multi-disciplinary team as a subject matter expert, assisting child welfare workers with cases involving domestic violence.

Attend court hearings with families both virtually and in person.

Maintain a caseload of criminal misdemeanor cases, tracking the progress of the case and updating victims and family partners (DCYF, schools) along each step of the case.

Utilize time and case management skills to prioritize and respond to case needs appropriately.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in counseling, social work, one of the social sciences or a related area, and two years of experience working with victimized children and their families, including direct case management (or a combination of education and/or training and/or experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform this work).

Desired Qualifications

Considerable knowledge of the criminal justice system and experience in the field of family violence or victim services

Knowledge of the child welfare system

Ability to work well in a team setting with individuals of different disciplines

Ability to work with resistant clients, excellent crisis management and communications skills

Ability to work with individuals from various backgrounds without judgment

Strong case management skills and ability to prioritize competing demands

Strong writing skills and case documentation

Ability to work with supervision, receiving and responding to feedback and following policies and procedures

Fluent language capability beyond English. Particularly Vietnamese, Somali, Amharic, and Urdu

Additional Information:

Race and Social Justice Initiative – The City of Seattle recognizes every City employee must play a role in ending institutional and structural racism. Our culture is the result of our behavior, our personal commitments, and the ways that we courageously share our perspectives and encourage others to do the same. To cultivate an antiracist culture, we seek employees who will engage in the Race and Social Justice Initiative by working to dismantle racist policies and procedures, unlearn the way things have always been done, and provide equitable processes and services.

Compensation and Benefits – This position is part of a stepped salary program with an initial Step 1 placement ($33.78/hour). Advanced initial step placement may be considered under limited circumstances, but step salaries are not subject to negotiation.

The full salary range for this position is $33.78 - $39.28 per hour.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, 12 official holidays and 2 floating holidays, sick, and paid parental leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees. City Attorney’s Office employees also have the opportunity to participate in a defined benefits retirement program. More information about benefits can be found at https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans.

The City of Seattle offers a monthly stipend for those who meet the qualifications and are assigned work that utilizes their language capabilities.

Workplace Environment – The Seattle City Attorney’s Office has implemented an Alternative Work Arrangements Policy. Most work is performed in a normal City work/office or courtroom environment. Advocates enjoy offices on the 18th floor of the Columbia Tower.

Current work is hybrid 2 days per week in office, 3 days working from home (laptop, cell phone and monitors provided). Court appearances are primarily at Seattle Municipal Court. Work environment is subject to change. Field work is rare but may include meeting with and/or transporting families in the community.

Holiday coverage may be required on a rotating basis several times a year.

Application Process – For your application to be accepted you must:

Complete the online City Application.

Attach a resume detailing your relevant experience.

Attach a cover letter describing your interest in the position.

Application Submission Guidelines – All applicants are required to apply on or before the closing date indicated on the job posting. Applicant inquiries received via email and websites such as Indeed, etc. will not be considered unless the individual has applied to the available position via the Government Jobs site.

The required documents listed in the above "Application Process" section must be attached to the application prior to the job closing date indicated to ensure full consideration for the application submitted. Please contact the Office of Human Resources on or before the closing date indicated above at Law_HR@Seattle.gov should you need assistance with the online application process.

Background Check Requirements (Excluding Civil positions) – All positions are security sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the verification of credentials and/or other information required by the municipal corporation’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Who may apply – This position is open to all candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, medical condition, or pregnancy. The Seattle City Attorney's Office encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.

Questions? Contact our Human Resources team at LAW_HR@seattle.gov.

Link to Application: http://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/seattle/jobs/4344822/child-abuse-victim-advocate-domestic-violence-unit-criminal-division/

Other Relevant Links:

Application Deadline: February 06, 2024