LEAD FAMILY ADVOCATE
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: Under general supervision of the Justice for Children Program Coordinator, the Senior Family Advocate performs moderately difficult and complex administrative duties relating to program development, monitoring and coordination in addition to the typical duties of the Family Advocate. The Senior Family Advocate may exercise supervision over a small number of subordinate workers, paraprofessionals and volunteers. Does related work, as required.
TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:
Monitors and analyzes the performance of different programs and services offered by the Justice for Children Advocacy Center;
Conducts weekly case supervision with the Family Advocates and Victim Assistants;
Assists in the interpretation of office policies and rules for the benefit of staff members;
Helps develop efficient record-keeping systems and administrative procedures;
Assists with the planning and coordination of special projects in the areas of community and professional outreach and education;
Assists in evaluating staff training needs and coordinates special training programs;
Assists in the orientation of new staff members;
Assists in administrative duties related to grant reporting;
Provides individual and group support services to child victims of crime and their non-offending family members;
Provides crisis intervention and short-term counseling;
Assesses victim needs and makes appropriate referrals;
Advocates for victims, ensuring their needs are addressed within the community and criminal justice systems;
Provides assistance for victims in completing compensation claims and OVS affidavits;
Provides assistance and information on shelters, restraining orders, availability of counseling and explanation of court process;
Confers with attorneys, law enforcement and Child Protective Services on the issues affecting a victim’s ability and willingness to cooperate with the investigation and prosecution;
Participates in CAC multidisciplinary monthly case review meetings;
Provides accompaniment to forensic medical evaluations, court, police and District Attorney’s Office;
Provides follow-up outreach through phone contact;
Maintains appropriate case documentation and statistics;
Organizes and presents seminars on victimization with emphasis on family violence prevention;
The above examples of duties are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific statement of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.
FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES, AND/OR PERSONAL
CHARACTERISTICS: Good knowledge of the modern principles and practices of the Criminal Justice system, Family Court System, and Victim Advocacy; good knowledge of community agencies,facilities, and services which can be utilized to assist victims of child abuse and their families; good knowledge of the principles underlying human behavior, growth and development; good knowledge and understanding of partnerships with the multidisciplinary team; good organizational and public speaking skills; emotional maturity; good powers of observation; good discretion and judgment; initiative; resourcefulness; dependability.
The physical demands and work environment characteristics 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 function.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls, and reach with hands and arms. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and low light conditions. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from high school or possession of an appropriate equivalency diploma recognized by the NYS Department of Education,
AND
A. Graduation from a regionally accredited or NYS registered college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, or a related field AND two (2) years of full-time paid experience in a criminal justice agency or other agency whose duties hall have involved counseling, victim advocacy, case management or client supervision:
OR
B. Graduation from a regionally accredited or NYS registered college or university with an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, or a related field AND four (4) years of full-time paid experience in a criminal justice agency or other agency whose duties shall have involved counseling, victim advocacy, case management or client supervision;
PART-TIME, PAID EXPERIENCE WILL BE PRO-RATED AS APPROPRIATE
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR APPOINTMENT AND CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT
Possession of a valid New York State driver’s license at the time of appointment and maintenance of such license throughout the tenure of employment in the position.
Competitive Class