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Victim Advocate I/II/III - Bilingual Preferred

Ventura County See More Job Openings by This Employer

$41,017.60 - $68,681.60/year

Ventura, CA

October 2, 2024

Job Description

Description

What We Offer
The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package. Aside from our base salary range, an employee within this position will also be eligible for the following:

General Salary Increase - 3.5% effective December 22, 2024.
Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate degree.
Bilingual Incentive - Some positions may be eligible for the bilingual incentive depending on the applicable memorandum of agreement and the needs of the department. To qualify for this incentive, incumbents in eligible positions must take and pass the applicable bilingual fluency examination.
Veteran’s Points: The Victim Advocate I is an entry level classification, and Veteran’s Points may apply to eligible applicants. Documentation of military service must be submitted with your application prior to close of recruitment in order to receive points.
Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions.
Health Plans - You are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans.
Flexible Spending Accounts - Pre-tax benefit towards eligible medical, dental, and vision care expenses.
Pension Plan - Participation in the County's defined benefit pension plan. If eligible, you may establish reciprocity with other public retirement systems such as CalPERS.
Holidays - 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.

The District Attorney's Office and The Crime Victims' Assistance Unit
The Ventura County District Attorney's Office is the public prosecutor for the county's 850,000 residents. Our office employs approximately 320 employees including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and other professional support staff who strive to seek justice, ensure public safety, and protect the rights of crime victims. The Crime Victims' Assistance Unit functions to guide victims through the criminal justice process, to ensure victims' rights are honored, and to assist victims in obtaining services to help them cope with the trauma they have suffered. Through the efforts of a dedicated team of Victim Advocates, the Victims' Assistance Unit provides comprehensive services to victims of all types of crime.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office recognizes the importance of diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion in the office’s culture and climate, hiring, training, opportunities for advancement, and its relationship with the communities it serves.

This Position
Victim Advocates assist victims of crime by providing a full range of services including assistance with compensation claims, crisis intervention, court support, case status updates, community referrals, and community awareness.

The ideal candidate will have experience (working and/or volunteering) with direct client contact, in a governmental victim services program (city/state/federal); a non-profit victim services program (any non-profit working with victims of crime); as a mental health provider/intern/trainee; in a social services agency; in a legal services agency; in a criminal justice agency (city/state/federal); in a law enforcement agency; or in a health care agency.

Distinguishing Characteristics
The Victim Advocate I is the entry-level advocate and provides services to victims, assumes responsibility for case management and victim contact under direct supervision.

The Victim Advocate II is the journey-level advocate, and manages a full caseload and provides a full range of services to victims under general supervision. These services may include short-term crisis intervention, community referrals, orientation to the criminal justice system, case status updates, community presentations and court support. The Victim Advocate II is responsible for statistical data collection relevant to his/her case assignment.

The Victim Advocate III is the lead level advocate and manages a full caseload and provides a full range of services to victims under general direction. This level differs from the I and II in that the Victim Advocate III provides supervisory assistance at the request of the Director of Victim Services, and assists with grant proposals, special projects/programs and budgetary recommendations, community presentations, and training. This level assists the Director in training staff and volunteers.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed term), Intermittent, and Extra Help vacancies within the District Attorney's Office. There are currently three (3) regular, and one (1) fixed term vacancies available. Fixed Term employees are eligible for the same benefits and compensation as Regular employees.

PAYROLL TITLES AND APPROXIMATE SALARIES
Victim Advocate I: $19.72 - $27.55 Hourly
Victim Advocate II: $21.06 - $29.53 Hourly
Victim Advocate III: $23.48 - $33.02 Hourly

AGENCY/DEPARTMENT: District Attorney's Office

Victim Advocates are represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and are eligible for overtime compensation.

NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, incumbent may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department.

Examples Of Duties

Depending on assignment, duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

Provides victims with follow-up contacts relating to case status/disposition information such as charges filed, status of criminal proceedings, terms and conditions of probation, parole hearings and release date.
Provides crisis intervention and emergency assistance by making immediate assessment of needs and makes referrals to other community resources.
Initiates and maintains case logs, documents case activities, maintains ledgers and other recordkeeping systems.
Orients victims to the criminal justice system by explaining procedures and status of criminal proceedings or cases; provides court support to victims.
Acts as an advocate for victims to ensure their needs are addressed within the community and criminal justice system confers with law enforcement officials and prosecutors on the status of cases; assists with the preparation of temporary restraining orders, reimbursement claims, and other processes designed to assist and protect the rights of victims.
Provides support to victims and family during interviews with law enforcement officers, attorneys and court personnel; explains criminal justice system and rights of victims.
Assists with applications for State victim assistance compensation by obtaining necessary information and documents, filling out and processing necessary forms and following the case through payment of bills, coordinates with victims, service providers and the State Board of Control.
May be assigned administrative tasks and/or perform other related duties as required.

Victim Advocate II duties may also include:

Promotes the victim assistance program through community presentations.
Performs outreach to identify victims eligible for assistance; evaluates needs and eligibility for State compensation.
Participates on County-wide task forces, councils, and committees.
Assists with the preparation of grant statistics and periodic reports.

Victim Advocate III duties may also include:

Supervises unit activities of one or more program areas (i.e., sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, etc.).
Assists the program director with grant proposals and preparation of unit budgetary recommendations.
Assists with special projects and programs relating to the victim assistance programs and prepares special reports and recommendations on unit operations or program development.
Provides training for victim services staff, volunteers, and outside organizations and associations.
Assists with the design and production of informational fliers, brochures, and posters relating to the program.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
OPENING DATE: October 2, 2024
CLOSING DATE: Continuous (Please note that applications will be reviewed and processed frequently due to the pressing need to fill the positions. Qualified and interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.)
FIRST APPLICATION REVIEW: Week of October 14, 2024

Typical Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the exam process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

Victim Advocate I: Equivalent to 15 semester units of college level coursework which includes courses in psychology, sociology, criminal justice, criminology, victimology, or a related field plus six (6) months experience in a field related to victim services, community programs/projects or criminal justice related work; OR, one (1) year experience in a field related to victim services, community programs/projects or criminal justice related work.

Victim Advocate II: Equivalent to 30 semester units of college level coursework which includes courses in psychology, sociology, criminal justice, criminology, victimology, or a related field plus one (1) year experience in a field related to victim services, community programs/projects or criminal justice related work; OR, two (2) years' experience in a field related to victim services, community programs/projects or criminal justice related work.

Victim Advocate III: An Associates Degree in sociology, psychology, criminal justice, victimology or a related field, plus one (1) year experience in a field related to victim services, community programs/projects or criminal justice related work.
-OR- Three (3) years experience in a field related to victim services, community programs/projects or criminal justice related work.
-OR- One (1) year of experience as a Ventura County Victim Advocate II.

Education may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of three years.

DESIRED:
Experience working and/or volunteering with any of the following:

Governmental victim services program (city/state/federal)
Non-profit victim services program (any non-profit working with-victims of crime)
Mental health services
Social services, Legal Services, Law Enforcement, and/or Health Care agencies

HIGHLY DESIRED:
Depending on the vacancy, some positions may require bilingual skills or specialized program knowledge (i.e., sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, domestic violence, etc.)

TRANSCRIPTS: Verification of course work is required if your qualifications for this position are based on the college courses completed. Transcripts or grade reports from an accredited college or university which reflect passing grades in the required subject areas must be submitted either with your application or within three (3) business days after the recruitment closes to continue in the process. You may attach a copy to your online application, or you may send via mail to latoyya.wilson-rodriguez@ventura.org. If transcripts are not submitted, your application will be screened out and you will not be allowed to continue in the process - no exceptions. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.

You must submit your college transcripts and any necessary further coursework information with your application, a hardcopy with a paper application or a scanned copy as an attachment for an online application. If you submit a hard copy with a paper application, be sure it is a copy. Whatever you submit will not be returned to you. To attach a scanned copy to an online application, use the Add Attachment(s) link in the Attachments section at the bottom of the page where you can edit the various sections of your application. If the name on your college transcripts is different from the name on your application, include documents that show the name change (e.g., a marriage certificate). College transcripts from a foreign institution require an academic credential evaluation to determine the U.S. equivalency.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Some (I) to considerable (II/III) knowledge of:

The criminal justice system.
Crisis intervention practices, interviewing, and community resources.
Violent crime victimization.
Victims' rights and advocacy techniques.
Basic case record-keeping skills.

Working ability to:

Communicate effectively with victims, defendants, witnesses, and the public.
Coordinate and maintain effective working relationships with various agencies and individuals.
Identify and seek out people who may qualify for victim assistance.
Interpret and explain procedures and processes.
Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
Work in an environment providing support to victims of various and/or violent crimes.
Work effectively in crisis situations.
Provide crisis intervention to victims of various crimes.
Make public presentations.
Collect, interpret and evaluate case data.

Victim Advocate III (In addition to above)
Working ability to:

Train and lead the work of others.
Assist program director with supervisory duties.
Administer program activities as assigned.

Recruitment Process

FINAL FILING DATE: Continuous and may close at any time; therefore, apply as soon as possible if you are interested. Your application must be received by the County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.

To apply on-line, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/jobs. If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here(Download PDF reader) for additional information.

Note to Applicants: It is essential that you complete all sections of your application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualifications. A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application and supplemental questionnaire; however, it/they may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION - qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process.

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EVALUATION: A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.

NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an Oral Exam, which may be preceded or replaced with the score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence. Responses such as "See Resume" or "Refer to Resume" are not acceptable and may disqualify an applicant from further evaluation.

ORAL EXAMINATION - 100%: A job-related Oral Examination will be conducted to evaluate and compare participating candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

NOTE: If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an oral exam will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list.

Applicants successfully completing the exam process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Prior to actual appointment from the eligible list, the successful candidate will be required to pass a thorough background investigation conducted by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation. Background investigation findings may be a basis for removal from the eligible list. To speak to a Bureau of Investigation representative concerning the background investigation process, call (805) 477-1654.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact LaToyya Wilson-Rodriguez by email at LaToyya.Wilson-Rodriguez@ventura.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

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$41,017.60 - $68,681.60/year

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