Victim Assistance Specialist – On-Call

National Center for Victims of Crime; United States; Remote; USD 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading organization in crime victim advocacy is seeking a Victim Assistance Specialist to provide trauma-informed support to crime victims. This role involves answering hotline calls and providing resources and referrals. Candidates should possess strong communication skills and a commitment to victim advocacy, with a preference for those with a bachelor’s degree and social service experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or combined relevant experience.
• Strong English written and verbal skills.
• Fluent in English and Spanish preferred.

Responsibilities

• Field hotline calls, text messages, and online chats.
• Maintain privacy and confidentiality of victims.
• Participate in group debriefing and team meetings.

Skills

Problem-solving

Communication

Resilience

Multi-tasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Computer

Database

Job description

The National Center for Victims of Crime plays a prominent role in the local and national crime victim advocacy. The organization advocates for stronger rights, protections, and services for crime victims; provides education, training and evaluation, and serves as a trusted source for current information on victims’ rights.

The DC Victim Hotline and the VictimConnect Resource Center are operated within the Center for Victim and Survivor Services (CVSS) program of the National Center for Victims of Crime. CVSP combines a traditional telephone-based hotline with an innovative online chat, text messaging service, and web-based information and referral service 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

Primary Purpose of Position:

The primary role of a Victim Assistance Specialist (VAS) is to provide confidential strength based and trauma-informed support to crime victims and survivors by providing resources, information, and referrals. VAS are responsible for answering calls, online chat, and text messages when individuals reach out for support and assistance on both hotlines operated by CVSS. On-call Victim Assistance Specialists provide dependable backup for both hotlines. VAS represent the National Center for Victims of Crime during outreach events, as needed.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

• Effectively field hotline calls, text messages, and online chats on the online platform using prepared protocols and a victim-centered, trauma-informed, strength-based approach on the VictimConnect Resource Center and DC Victim Hotline.
• Maintain privacy and confidentiality of crime victims and survivors accessing the hotlines.
• Commit to 2 weeks of remote onboarding at hire - 40 hours each week, Monday through Friday, 9 am - 5 pm EST.
• Actively participate in on-call shift coverage requests by consistently signing up for an average of five hours a month and completing selected shifts, unless other arrangements are approved.
• Actively participate in group debriefing, hotline team meetings, staff meetings, supervision meetings, and planning sessions, as needed.
• Attend regular check-in meetings with your supervisor and/or watch any recorded meetings during any downtime in your work shift.
• Collect and enter data required for funding.
• Provide programmatic support to the Hotline Supervisors, Hotline Leadership Team, and other NCVC staff members as needed.
• Other duties as assigned

Non-Essential Functions:

• Attends monthly hotline team meetings, periodic staff meetings and training sessions.
• Complies with proper paperwork procedures, prompt follow-up communications and departmental policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or combined relevant experience.
• Prior social service experience preferred
• Strong English written and verbal skills.
• Fluent in English and Spanish and confident in communicating both verbally and in writing, preferred.
• Access to a working personal computer, headset, and an internet connection of 100 Mbp
• Access to a private and quiet workspace.
• Have the ability to speak to and support callers of various forms of victimization and marginalization.
• Demonstrated commitment to promoting victim and survivor advocacy.
• You have the ability to cover overnight, weekend, and/or holiday shifts on short notice.
• Excellent problem-solving skills while working under pressure.
• The ability to multi-task, pay attention to detail, and stay organized with many competing priorities.
• Comfortable using various forms of technology and databases
• The ability to research topics and train and shadow peers in a subject area.
• Demonstrates resilience through self-awareness, balance, and commitment to self-care.

Internal and External Contacts:

• Interfaces regularly with general employee population in person and virtually.
• Interfaces regularly with members in person, virtually, and on the phone.

Physical Requirements:

This is a sedentary position by nature. The employee must be able to sit for long periods of time. Must be able to use a phone and computer easily.

Reporting Structure:

This position reports to the Hotline Supervisor