Victim Advocate

Polk County, Oregon; Dallas (OR); On-site; USD 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

11 paid holidays per year

8 hours of vacation earned monthly

8 hours of sick leave earned monthly

PERS employer funded contributions

Full health benefits for employee and

Life Insurance – employer paid

Job summary

Polk County is seeking an Advocacy Specialist to support crime victims before, during, and after court proceedings. You will help victims compile financial loss data for restitution hearings and assist in building strong restitution collection practices.

You will collaborate with other agencies, present to community groups as directed, and coordinate with volunteers to address the needs of victims in Polk County. This role requires compassion and attention to detail.

Qualifications

• Two years of academic coursework in psychology, social work or related field.
• One year experience working as an advocate in a victim assistance program or equivalent experience/education.

Responsibilities

• Advocate for crime victims before, during and after court proceedings.
• Assist with collecting and preparing financial loss amounts for restitution hearings and post-conviction restitution.
• Collaborate with other agencies to represent the program and develop community resources for victims.
• May make presentations to community groups and agencies as directed by the supervisor.
• Work with volunteers to serve victims' needs.

Education

Two years of academic coursework in psychology, social work or related field

Job description

ABOUT THE JOB

Performs duties as an advocate for crime victims before, during and after court proceedings. Works with victims to accumulate, compile and prepare financial loss amounts for court hearings and for post-conviction restitution collection. Assists with establishing strong restitution collection practices. Collaborates with other agencies to represent the program to enhance and/or develop community resources to assist victims in the community. May make presentations to community, civic groups and agencies on the program as directed by the supervisor. Works with volunteers to serve the needs of the victims.

WORK SCHEDULE

Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Two years of academic course work from an accredited college or university in psychology, social work or a closely related field; and one year experience working as an advocate in a victim assistance program; work in a professional or paraprofessional capacity in the state court system; or any equivalent combination of experience, education and training.

REQUIRED SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Must be able to successfully pass a criminal background check.

Polk County, the Organization

Polk County takes pride in knowing that our employees are what makes the County a great place to work. We have a strong desire for each employee to feel respected; connected to the department they work for as well as other County departments and the community at large; and know that they are critical to County business. We understand that work may be necessary, but not what should define each individual. We all have diverse personalities and interests away from the job, and at Polk County we encourage our employees to be connected to something bigger than work.

Benefits

Polk County offers generous employee benefits including, but not limited to:

• 11 paid holidays per year
• 8 hours of vacation earned monthly with increases every 5 years
• 8 hours of sick leave earned monthly
• 4-5 Personal Leave Days earned each fiscal year (Depends on position; prorated depending on date of hire)
• PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) - 100% employer funded contributions
• Full health benefits for the employee and qualified family members with the employee paying only 10% of the premium
• Basic life Insurance - employer paid
• Optional benefits such as additional life insurance, short term disability, deferred compensation savings program and flexible spending accounts for unreimbursed medical and dependent care expenses
• Qualifying employer for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program

Our Community

Polk County is located in the Willamette Valley just an hour from the Pacific Coast to the west and an hour from Portland to the north. The population is approximately 87,000 and the area spans about 744 square miles, with two thirds of the western part of the county being forest. National protected areas include the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge and Siuslaw National Forest.

Polk County is part of the agricultural richness the Willamette Valley has to offer. In recent decades, the valley has also become a major wine producer, with Polk County being one of the best in the area. The valley is often known as 'Oregon Wine Country.' Polk County has over 25 wineries alone.

Polk County also houses the beautiful liberal arts college, Western Oregon University (WOU), and is only 30 miles from Oregon State University. WOU was an inaugural winner of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award. This award recognizes universities and colleges that have demonstrated the highest level of commitment and action towards fostering a campus community that celebrates all the many facets of diversity. WOU is one of the most diverse universities in Oregon and has a higher percentage of Latino students in the Oregon University system.

Please refer to the Class Specification for the full job description and minimum experience, education and training requirements for this position.