Senior Victim Advocate (Social Services Specialist III)

*This position includes a signing bonus of $2,500 (full-time) for new county hires.

This position works within the Division of Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (DSVS) to provide advocacy services. This is an exciting time to join the DSVS as we recently completed our strategic plan and refreshed our mission, vision, and values to align with the DFS Mission, Vision, and Values and the One Fairfax Policy. We invite you to learn more about DFS and its Mission, Vision, and Values, by clicking here. To learn more about One Fairfax, we highly encourage you to watch the Becoming One Fairfax—An Introduction to Key Concepts video by clicking here and visit the One Fairfax webpage here.

Works as a member of Advocacy Services. Under general supervision of the Advocacy Services Supervisor, this position provides community-based advocacy services.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

• Provides advocacy services to include crisis intervention, emotional support and options counseling, safety planning, education of the civil and criminal justice system, and court accompaniment
• Collects data and reports on goals and measures around Advocacy team services
• Facilitates access to court and legal information for victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, and stalking
• Performs short-term case management which entails conducting assessment to include risk assessment, to identify needs of clients and develop a safety and service plan; supporting clients in accessing resources and services; monitoring service plan and documenting all case management activities in the client’s record
• Represents DSVS in the coordinated community response to domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking by participating in various committees, workgroups and outreach efforts both locally and regionally
• Serves as subject matter expert on Sexual Assault (Intimate and Non-Intimate partner) and Domestic Violence.
• Provides training and technical assistance for the county and community agencies
• Develops and provides needed court training to DSVS staff as it pertains to victims of domestic and sexual violence and stalking
• Assists Lethality Assessment Protocol (LAP) Line follow-up tasks such as reviewing messages and assigning cases to staff
• Supports coordination for the Fairfax County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).
• Works with Advocacy Services Supervisor to assess staff training needs and provide or arrange training necessary to develop skills and knowledge of victim advocates
• Provides supervisory assistance and leadership in the absence of the Advocacy Services Supervisor
• Provides rotational coverage of the program’s 24-hour crisis lines and responds to requests for hospital accompaniment
• Performs other duties as assigned

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of principles of interpersonal violence accountability and community resources available to those who perpetrate violence
• Knowledge of the relationship between trauma impact and domestic violence problems
• Knowledge of best practices for sexual assault (stranger/intimate partner) and domestic violence intervention particularly in safety planning
• Ability to assist other professionals with connecting clients to advocacy services
• Have excellent written, oral, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with subordinates, co-workers, county officials, public and private sector organizations, community groups and the general public
• Ability to use automated systems to include any technological tools the County may provide to successfully carry out duties
• Ability to interview, assess needs, counsel, and refer clients to other resources as needed
• Ability to assess safety, risk, and protective capacity
• Possess critical thinking skills, ability to apply critical thinking, knowledge, and research
• Ability to meet deadlines and keep up with documentation

Note: This recruitment may be used to fill other Social Services Specialist III vacancies within the Division of Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (DSVS).

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree, plus three years of professional social work experience. A master's degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Valid driver's license

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, child protective services check, and driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.

This position is considered essential personnel and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster).

Additional Work Schedule Requirements: Provides coverage for 24-hour crises lines as well as responding to requests for hospital accompaniment, on a rotational basis. Schedule includes some evening and weekend hours to meet program needs.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in social work or other related fields.
• Minimum of three years of experience working with victims of domestic and sexual violence, and children exposed to domestic violence.
• Minimum of three years of professional experience as a victim advocate.
• Experience working with victims of stalking and human sex trafficking.
• Experience directly working with a diverse multicultural population.
• Experience working with the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court system.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. Ability to use automated technology to access, input, retrieve, and process information. Employee may be required to lift up to 15 lbs. Must be able to transport self to different worksites or locations, as needed. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 39% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.