Victim Advocate

Provides AF personnel, their family members, or intimate partners who are victims of domestic abuse nonclinical emergent and urgent service through safety assessments and safety planning services. The DAVA promotes a coordinated community response to allegations of domestic abuse via providing a range of support and education services to victims during duty hours, as well as on-call emergency services after duty hours. This position provides comprehensive services 24 hours a day/7 days per week to assist and advocate for victims of domestic abuse and to ensure a victim’s are connected with the appropriate resources to ensure their safety. The DAVA does not provide clinical treatment services.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Respond to calls IAW established protocols, maintains a record of calls, and provides the Family Advocacy Officer or designee a situational report the following duty day.

• Partner with the Family Advocacy case manager, or mental health on-call provider if the treatment/case manager is unavailable, to establish current and effective safety plans. The victim’s safety is the DAVA’s top responsibility and priority. The DAVA shall review the Victim’s Safety Plan during each victim contact. Establish a Victim’s Safety Plan on a case-by-case basis.

• Develop safety plans based on initial and ongoing risk assessments. If imminent risk of serious harm or death is established, notify the FAO, law enforcement, and Command.

• If children are involved, the process also includes child physical safety and emotional well-being; refer involved children to the treatment/case manager for follow-on care.

• Immediately report any changes in the victim’s circumstances that changes or impacts the safety plan to the FAP treatment/case manager or mental health on-call provider if the treatment/case manager is unavailable.

• When determining whether a victim is at imminent risk of serious harm or death, risk factors will be assessed per the detailed job description.

• Provide safety assessments and safety planning for comprehensive services to include emotional support, arrangement of transportation; accompany victims to medical, legal and/or law enforcement appointments, assist in securing protective orders, emergency food and/or shelter and information benefits.

• Work directly with victims to ensure that expressed needs are advocated and presented to personnel at intervening agencies.

• Assess imminent risks for health and/ or safety of the victim and make referrals as appropriate.

• Assist victims with navigating the system to obtain the services desired and refer victims to the appropriate services for continued care.

• Ensure victims of domestic abuse receive sensitive, confidential with the exception of state, federal, and military reporting requirements and immediate comprehensive care and treatment needed to restore health and well-being.

• Assist victims in developing safety plans, conduct a risk assessment, and provide emotional support, prevention awareness and education to victims.

• Provide information on victim services and resources available on and/or off the installation.

• Explain reporting options during the initial contact whenever possible to ensure that the victim makes informed decisions about whom to disclose information regarding the abuse.

• Ensure that first responders, (Emergency Medical Services and or law enforcement etc.) when appropriate, are contacted immediately during emergencies and in situations where there is imminent harm to the victim or others.

• Partner with the FAP treatment/case manager to support the victim and promote safety for the victim and children in the home. Briefs the treatment/case manager prior to the Clinical Case Staffing (CCS) so that the CCS team has the most current information on the victim and children for staffing.

• Support the Family Advocacy Outreach Manager (FAOM) in developing System Advocacy, Education and Public Awareness, and promoting a coordinated community response to domestic abuse.

• Operate within established guidelines.

Experience, Education & Credentialing Requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in any of the following disciplines: Social Work; Psychology; Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling; Counseling or Behavioral Science; Criminal Justice, or related field.

• Two years of experience assisting and providing advocacy services to victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault.

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office© Suite and have the ability to input, retrieve, and format documentation via various database/software.

• DAVAs shall have knowledge of military programs, organizations, chain of command, unit missions, life styles, and situations that contribute to family stress, problems and crisis situations. * Possess the ability to work effectively with individuals and families from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

• Ability to work cooperatively with military and civilian medical, social service, law enforcement, and legal personnel on behalf of victims.

• Must possess and maintain a valid, unrestricted motor vehicle license.

• Must possess transportation to transport victim in crisis (non-emergent) situations as a last resort.

• Must be able to provide on-call 24 hours/7 days per week victim advocacy services.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Understanding of the military and AF FAP.

• Possess working knowledge of military protocol when addressing Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Government personnel.

• Must speak, read, understand, and write English fluently.

• Be computer literate and possess proficiency in computer skills to use Microsoft Office Suite to prepare briefing slides, information papers, and enter data in required management reports and utilize information systems to prepare required reports and information.

• Ability to effectively interface and communicate with civilian and military personnel at all levels.

Physical Requirements:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

General Office Demands:

• Must accurately record your daily timesheet per AFSC’s Timekeeping Policy

• Must be able to operate general office equipment including but not limited to: computer, phones and related media and information devices on most or all workdays

• Ability to communicate and interact with others, both in person and/or by telephone to conduct business

• Working under time pressure

• Working rapidly for long periods to meet deadlines

• Must be able to travel as needed and adhere to AFSC travel policies and procedures.

• Physical requirements can typically be characterized as sedentary: work involves exerting up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.

Major Job activities and mental requirements:

• Multiple concurrent tasks

• Ability to perform under stress

• Reading and comprehension

• Writing

• Problem solving

• Confidentiality

• Customer contact

Our Equal Employment Opportunity Policy:

Armed Forces Service Corporation (AFSC) is an equal opportunity employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to age, color, gender, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other class protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

Job Type: Full-time

Required education:

• Bachelor’s