SAAVE Advocate

Westchester Medical Center; Town of Mount Pleasant (NY); On-site; USD 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Westchester Medical Center seeks a trauma-informed victim advocate to provide crisis intervention and accompaniment in the Emergency Department, assist with safety planning, referrals, and court or police encounters, and support the Senior Director with program administration.

The role emphasizes collaboration with the Forensic Acute Care Team and LAP processes, plus data management, training of volunteers, and ongoing professional development within the WMCHealth network.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma required; Associate's or Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 0–3 years of experience may be acceptable.
• SAAVE Rape Crisis Advocate certification (pre-certification and annual training).
• LAP advocate certification with Westchester County Domestic Violence High Risk Team.

Responsibilities

• Accompanies victims to medical/forensic exams, court, and appointments.
• Provides information, referrals, and crisis intervention to victims.
• Conducts screenings in hospitals for victimology.
• Maintains thorough case records and statistics.
• Assists with victim compensation applications through OVS.
• Supports LAP implementation including safety planning and referrals.
• Coordinates with police and community partners for services.
• Oversees program services and volunteer advocates training.
• Answers 24/7 crisis hotline and documents services.

Skills

Crisis intervention

Victim-centered care

Case management

Volunteer supervision

Communication skills

Documentation

Education

High School Diploma

Associate's degree

Bachelor's degree

Tools

MS Office (Excel)

Excel

Word

Outlook

PowerPoint

Webex

Job description

Job Summary:

To provide trauma informed and victim/patient centered crisis intervention advocacy, forensic exam accompaniment in WMC Emergency Department, safety planning, referral services and general information to survivors and secondary victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, stalking, harassment, and general trauma. In addition, to accompany survivors to medical appointments, clinics, police departments, appointments with law enforcement and attorneys and court appearances. Assist the Senior Director with day-to-day administrative maintenance of the office, grants, trainings, screenings, and other tasks.

Responsibilities:

• Accompanies sexual assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, human trafficking and trauma victims/clients to medical/forensic exams, court, police stations, and other appointments as needed.
• Provides information, referrals, practical assistance, and crisis intervention to victims in WMDHospitals for sexual assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, harassment, stalking and other forms of sexual misconduct.
• Conducts screenings in hospitals for various types of victimology.
• Provides and/or oversees all crisis interventions, supportive listening and case management for all victims.
• Assists with applying for victim compensation through the New York State Office of Victims Services (OVS) including emergency HIV prophylaxis prescription payments.
• Participates in implementation of the countywide Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) including direct services, safety planning, data collection, reporting and referrals.
• Provides information and referrals to victims for services on WMCHealth Valhalla campus and the network of Westchester County community partners/providers, such as domestic violence shelters, mental health treatment facilities, medical care practitioners, and other local service providers.
• Performs trauma-informed and patient-centered rounding and completion of screening tools for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder assessment/referrals in adult trauma patients in coordination with Westchester Medical Center’s Trauma Program. Maintains thorough, accurate and timely records as required.
• Performs trauma-informed and patient-centered virtual or telephonic screening tool for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder assessment/referral in pediatric trauma patients/caregivers in coordination with Westchester Medical Center’s Pediatric Trauma Program. Maintains thorough, accurate and timely records as required.
• Collaborates with police officers to effectively provide assistance to victims, including medical and mental health appointments and facilitate kit pick-up.
• Maintains and monitors computerized data for accurate and timely grant management and reporting.
• Maintains thorough, accurate and timely case records and statistics.
• Provides data for accurate grant reports which comply with New York State regulations.
• Maintains logs and forms for all program services offered (direct services, hotline, walk-ins and the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) for domestic violence.
• Coordinates on a weekly basis and as needed with the Forensic Acute Care Team and Emergency Department regarding forensic cases and statistics.
• Advocates for victims with victim service providers, including domestic violence providers and Family and Criminal Court staff.
• Works collaboratively with other SAAVE staff in the development of new protocols and practices.
• Maintains programmatic documentation including training manuals.
• Provides victims follow-up to ensure needs are met and addresses additional issues as they arise.
• Maintains logs for additional training/certifications of staff and volunteer advocates.
• Assists Program Manager in developing and maintaining accurate schedules for FACT accompaniment on-call, crisis hotline and LAP Line shifts.
• Maintains and monitors an online training platform for onboarding of new volunteer advocates. Maintains volunteer advocates training completion paperwork and certifications for the program.
• Answers 24/7 crisis hotline and provides support for callers in crisis in need of information and referral. Completes required documentation of services provided.
• Schedules and coordinates team meetings and/or trainings for the program.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Crime Victims Advocacy Services
• Helps with providing outreach, education and training to departments within the WMCHealth hospital network as well as off-campus, including community agencies, schools, colleges and universities as needed.
• Participates in staff, direct service and supervision meetings; Attends WMC Child Protection Committee, Westchester County Domestic Violence Council, Westchester and Rockland Counties Anti-Trafficking Task Forces and other meetings as necessary.
• Engages in a minimum of 10 hours of additional professional development training annually.

Qualifications/Requirements:

Experience:

0–3 years of experience.

Education:

High School Diploma, required. Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, preferred. Professional experience sufficient in scope, depth, and performance may serve in place of academic requirements.

Licenses / Certifications:

(SAAVE) will provide training for the certification requirements below):

• Certification as SAAVE Rape Crisis Advocate (pre-certification and annual training required).
• Certification as LAP advocate with Westchester County Domestic Violence High Risk Team.

Other:

• The ability to communicate with, supervise and empower volunteers to be effective in their roles – experience with volunteers preferred.
• Ability to work cooperatively with different types of personalities.
• Knowledge of:
  • Victim-centered and trauma informed care,
  • Crisis intervention techniques and case management responsibilities;
  • Human behavior and needs at times of crime and crisis;
  • Behavioral health, social services, and other community resources;
  • The criminal justice system, NY State Criminal Code, and Rights of Victims;
  • Police department operations, policies and procedures.
• Current up-to-date computer skills are required.
• Responsible, accountable, and takes ownership of actions
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Detail-oriented and excellent follow-through
• Strong MS Office application skills, particularly Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Webex and internet research.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment.