Substitute Victim Advocate II/III - Limited Term

• Contacts victims to assess their needs; provides appropriate information, support, and referrals for victims, including medical, psychological, funeral/burial, legal, financial, shelter, employment, and other services according to their assessment; makes home visits as required.
• Provides criminal justice system orientation and witness stand support for victims.
• Provides crisis and short-term counseling for victims, their families, and witnesses before and during the court process.
• Intervenes on victims’ behalf with media, landlords, creditors, or employers.
• Assists victims with locating, completing, and submitting required documents, including but not limited to appeals forms, protective orders, and visas.   
• Provides or coordinates verbal and written translation for victims. 
• Staffs booths at community events and Victims’ Rights Awareness Month activities.
• Coordinates victim appearances and provides transportation, travel arrangements, accommodations, and court support as needed.
• Confers with attorneys and law enforcement agencies on issues affecting victims.
• Liaises between victims and Deputy District Attorneys on extent of injuries; receives and relays medical updates; updates court log; provides courtroom assistance. 
• Annotates files; provides case status updates; confers pleas; executes required notifications related but not limited to case filings, rejections, decisions, and Marsy’s Law requirements. 
• Assist victims with their Victim Impact statements, Restitution Request Forms, and related matters.
• Maintains required victim advocacy knowledge and expertise; attends required training.

This recruitment is to fill a full-time substitute position. Employees in substitute positions receive benefits equivalent to permanent full-time employees, therefore will be eligible to earn vacation, sick leave, health, and pension benefits. This recruitment may also be used to fill future permanent, substitute, limited term, and temporary positions, both full-time and part-time throughout the County.

This is a working supervisor classification responsible for staff and victim/witness advocacy activities of the Victim Witness Assistance program. It is distinguished from Victim Advocate III as the Victim Advocate III is solely responsible is providing victim/witness services. The Victim Witness Supervisor is further distinguished from the Division Manager as the Division Manager retains overall responsibility for the administration of the Victim Witness Assistance program.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience

A combination of education, training, and experience resulting in the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. An example of qualifying education and experience includes:
 
Victim Advocate II:  
Graduation from an accredited institution with a bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences, criminal justice field, or a related field. AND; one year experience as a Victim Advocate I or an equivalent position. 
 
Victim Advocate III:  
In addition to the above:
Either A:  One year of experience equivalent to a Victim Advocate II; Or B:  Two years of experience within Criminal Justice or Social Services systems interviewing, counseling, and referring client contacts to other community resource agencies. Relevant experience includes social work, therapy, counseling, probation work, and law enforcement. Note: Employment/Resource services and other para/ non-professional experience does not qualify.

Applications, including answers to supplemental questions, must be submitted online by the final filing date.  Apply for this position at governmentjobs.com/careers/slocountyca. Most County recruitments require you to respond to supplemental questions as part of the application process.  We recommend that you review these questions prior to beginning your application.
 
An initial application review will be conducted. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and are best qualified will be invited to participate in selection activities which may include online assessments, performance exams, written exams, and interviews.
 
Final candidates will be required to have an in-depth background review performed before proceeding in the process. Please note that references will not be contacted until the end of the process. 
 
If you have questions or would like to discuss the opportunity further, please contact Human Resources at hr@co.slo.ca.us. Confidential inquiries are welcomed.
 
For further information regarding the County of San Luis Obispo, visit our website at www.slocounty.ca.gov.

BACKGROUND CHECK:
To accept a position with the District Attorney’s Office, you must successfully complete a Background Investigation.  Below is a partial list of offenses or issues that may disqualify you from successful completion.  Please review the below list:

• Any felony conviction
• Recent misdemeanor conviction, or any two misdemeanor convictions as an adult
• Poor employment history
• Any sale, manufacture, or cultivation of illegal drugs
• Recent use of illegal substances such as opiates, hallucinogens, injectables, cocaine, methamphetamine, or similar substance
• Poor driving record such as numerous hazardous traffic violations or chargeable accidents
• Recent conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, or any two convictions for this offense as an adult
• Any act of domestic violence, as defined by law
• Any crime committed against a child
• Behavior or derogatory remarks constituting discrimination or bias toward others based on their race, religion, gender, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other protected class
• Any material misstatement of fact or intentional omission of information during the application or background process

Reasonable Accommodation Notice
Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment. Please call 805-781-5959 for assistance or e-mail hr@co.slo.ca.us for more information.

Veteran's Preference Points 
If you are applying for employment with the County of San Luis Obispo and you served in the United States Armed Forces, you may be eligible for veteran's preference points as part of the recruitment process. Some dependents and survivors of eligible veterans may also be eligible for preference points.  Click here for more information and to learn how to apply for this benefit.  Please note that Veteran’s credits must be on file with the County of San Luis Obispo Veterans Services Office prior to the recruitment closing date indicated on the job announcement.

Equal Employment Opportunity 
The County is an equal opportunity employer. Objectives are directed toward assuring equal opportunity in selection / promotion, pay, and job assignments. Recruitment and selection procedures have been established to ensure non-discrimination on the basis of political or religious opinions or affiliations, age, sex, race, color, national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or other non-merit factors. In addition, the County complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act in hiring and retaining employees. For more information contact the Human Resources Department at (805)781-5959.