Court Advocate - Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault

Job description

The First Response Court Advocates play a vital role in delivering the care, support and knowledge/resources needed by survivors of all ages who have experienced sexual assault or intimate partner violence. The First Response Court Advocate plays a dual role: provides education on legal options, civil and criminal court and Personal Protection Order processes and serves as supportive accompaniment to survivors at HAVEN, Oakland County hospitals, police departments, and in court. The Advocate must be able to provide survivor-centered empowerment-based support which includes crisis intervention, safety planning, emotional understanding and assistance, education of the court, kit release process and what to expect, and offering needed resources to both the survivor as well as the family.
Position Qualifications:

• Crisis Intervention
• Requires the ability to be diplomatically assertive and nonjudgmental with others
• Responsible for assigned weekly on call shift
• Response for rotating weekend and holiday on call shifts as assigned
• Must be able to respond to anywhere in Oakland County in one hour or less

Required education and experience

• Bachelor degree in human services/criminal justice or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communications skills
• Prior experience in crisis intervention
• Ability to problem solve

• Ability to work independently including overnight

• Available for assigned overnights on call

Preferred education and experience

• Experience working with intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault (SA)
• Multi-lingual

• Knowledge of the criminal justice system and community resources

• Prior experience working with marginalized and underserved populations

• Familiarity with power and control dynamics

Additional eligibility requirements

• Must possess and maintain a valid Michigan driver's license and an acceptable driving record as established by HAVEN policy

• Access to a reliable personal vehicle

Responsibilities:

• Provide services to survivors that are centered in anti-racism and inclusive of all backgrounds and lived experiences
• Provide personal, medical and legal advocacy to survivors of SA and IPV that is culturally specific, trauma informed, anti-racist, and inclusive
• Fulfill the weekly 24-hour on-call schedule responsibilities
• Fulfill the rotating weekend 24-hour on call schedule responsibilities and holiday assignment
• Maintain accurate records regarding client case files
• Advocate with systems personnel to create and enhance trauma informed services
• Provide information about the criminal court process, evidence gathering, reporting, crime victim rights, and the PPO process to survivors
• Accompany and assist survivors at criminal proceedings, PPO filings and hearings, and police departments in Oakland County
• Assess survivor's safety and assist with individualized safety planning
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with systems personnel
• Increase awareness and educate systems personnel on issues related to survivors and their response to trauma
• Facilitate HAVEN focused internal and external committee meetings
• Work to achieve a coordinated community response in Oakland County through High-Risk Response Teams and other similar initiatives
• Work in partnership with forensic nursing staff to ensure survivor centered services
• Stay updated on secondary issues that affect survivors such as immigration, sex trafficking, and anti-racism
• Maintain professional development areas of anti-oppression and anti-racism regarding marginalized and underserved populations
• Actively participate in HAVEN initiatives to address the oppression at the root of sexual assault and intimate partner violence and make our services and community more equitable.
• Work collectively with other HAVEN programs to implement strategies
• Establish and maintain community, civil and criminal justice contacts to expand referrals
• Provide referrals to community resources when appropriate
• Ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with HAVEN staff and clients
• Stay up-to-date on best practices focusing on survivor-centered trends, laws, legal knowledge, resource sharing and crisis intervention skills

Core Competencies

• Acts to align own program's goals with the strategic direction of the agency.
• Provides assistance, information, or various support to others, to build or maintain relationships with them.
• Works cooperatively with others to produce innovative solutions.
• Seeks performance feedback from their manager and from others with whom they interact on the job.
• Tries to build relationships with people whose assistance, cooperation, and support may be needed.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $16.00 - $17.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• On call

COVID-19 considerations:
To keep our employees, residents and clients safe we provide masks, hand sanitizer and multiple daily deep cleanings of the building; social distancing and plexi-glass. All visitors must adhere to temperature taking and questionnaire completion.

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Pontiac, MI: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Language:

• Bilingual (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Willingness to travel:

• 25% (Preferred)

Work Location: Multiple Locations