Victim Services Specialist - Indio/Riverside - County of Riverside
Riverside, CA 92501
About the Job
The Office of the District Attorney has opportunities for Victim Services Specialists in Indio/Riverside. Under general supervision, provides a wide variety of trauma-informed supportive services to victims, derivative victims, and witnesses of serious violent crimes; coordinates the role of victims and witnesses through client advocacy with respect to the courts, law enforcement, and related agencies; and performs other related duties as required pursuant to PC13835 and Marsy's Law.
The department highly encourages bilingual candidates to apply.
Meet the Team!
The District Attorney of Riverside County , as the public prosecutor acting on behalf of the People, vigorously enforces the law, pursues the truth, protects those victimized by crime, exonerates the innocent, and safeguards the rights of all to ensure that justice is done on behalf of our community. The office's staff of over 700 is comprised of prosecuting attorneys, sworn investigators, victim-witness advocates, paralegals, investigative technicians, forensic analysts, and a wide range of information technology and supporting staff all committed to excellence and integrity in public service. We are, and we seek to maintain, a diverse workforce to match a diverse county.
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Provide trauma intervention services utilizing a trauma-informed approach to victims of violent crime to reduce re-victimization.
• Serve as liaison to collateral agencies including, but not limited to, law enforcement, courts, social services, and other concerned parties to provide crisis intervention services for crime victims and witnesses of crime; identify physical and psychological barriers to safety; identify options; develop an action plan and assist with the implementation of the plan; effectively manage a load of complex cases to ensure that all client's needs are met.
• Respond to client needs and facilitate client services including, but not limited to, safety planning, crime scene cleanup, protective relocation or shelter, document replacement, property repair, funeral and burial arrangements, intervention with creditors, landlords, schools and employers, and application to the California Victim Compensation Board and collection restitution; provide resources and referrals for ongoing support or services.
• Assist clients who have experienced poly victimization with emergency situations and assess risk, safety and bio-psycho-social welfare; develop and implement complex care plans and monitor victim progress; complete case evaluation on difficult situations for the purposes of assessing danger/risk of lethality and determining appropriate types of services needed during the life of a case.
• Develop and maintain trusting and professional relationships with victims/witnesses; provide counseling, crisis intervention, and case management services as needed to assist clients in healing and may include advocacy, educating, referral, counseling, mediation, crisis intervention and stabilization.
• Participate in the prosecution of cases and court operations; keep up to date with legislative and legal updates as it pertains to victim and witness services; provide support to victims and families impacted by legislative changes that cause reductions in sentencings or probation and registrant guidelines post-conviction.
• Participate in a variety of special teams such as the Mass Casualty Crisis Response Team, Crime Prevention Unit, Collaborative Courts, K-9 Team and others as needed; is an active member of the prosecution team and participates in Integrated Trial Teams, which includes prosecutors and investigators.
• Counsel victims and witnesses to reduce trauma; provide advocacy and support to victims during interviews with law enforcement, district attorneys, or defense attorneys; implement assessments and determine client's needs based on assessment outcomes.
• Advocate on behalf of clients to help ensure that all victims and witnesses are treated with dignity, respect, courtesy, and sensitivity; advocate on behalf of clients to help ensure that their rights are protected; accompany victims to court in order to provide support during testimony; coordinate travel arrangements and financial assistance.
• Provide information to victims and witnesses concerning the procedures of the criminal justice system, juvenile justice system, and justice agencies; provide information on other judicial systems as necessary to meet the needs of the client.
• Maintain records to meet state, federal, and internal reporting requirements; prepare complex narrative and statistical reports of case records, assessments and referrals; write case documentation as required by funding sources.
• Provide training to law enforcement, district attorneys, and other agencies or the public concerning the Division of Victim Services and the rights of victims and witnesses; collaborate with attorneys as a member of the prosecution team.
• Provide education and training to other staff members, community agencies, and other professionals on victimology and the criminal justice system; interpret public social services rules, regulations, and policies to clients and the public.
• Drive a County vehicle as necessary to carry out services.
• Assist in the orientation and training of Victim Services Advocate I staff, volunteers, and interns.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree, preferably with a major in psychology, sociology, social welfare, social/human services, criminal justice, or a closely related field to the assignment .
Experience:One year of paid or unpaid experience providing case management, supportive or crisis intervention counseling, and advising clients of available programs, services, and resources in a public or private social service or criminal justice agency.
Knowledge of: The laws and procedures of criminal justice agencies as they affect the responsibilities and rights of victims and witnesses of crimes; public agency and community resources and their functions; interviewing and counseling techniques.
Ability to: Lead and direct the work of volunteer staff; mentor Victim Services Specialist staff; prepare statistical and narrative reports; maintain effective working relationships with others; provide psychological and emotional support to reduce trauma associated with being a victim or witness of a crime; communicate effectively in oral and written form; promote specific program projects through the use of effective presentations.
Other Requirements
License: Possession of a valid California Driver's License is required.
Must be able to pass an extensive background check.
Pre-Employment
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of both a pre-employment physical exam, including a drug/alcohol test, and a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment.)
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
What's Next?
This recruitment is open to all applicants.
Applicants who are current County of Riverside District Attorney employees may be considered before other applicants depending on the volume of applications received.
Qualified applicants may be considered for future vacancies throughout the County.
BASED ON THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, THIS POSTING MAY CLOSE WITHOUT NOTICE.
Applications received prior to the closing date will be considered based on the information submitted. Changes or alterations cannot be accepted. No late applications will be permitted. Include relevant work experience details on your resume and/or application.
Applicants who fail to provide information demonstrating they possess the position requirements may not be considered further in the application process. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.
Veterans' Preference
The County has a Veterans Preference Policy. Upload a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 (or NGB-22) indicating dates of service, and a copy of your spouse's letter of disability (if applicable) with your application. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. See the policy here ( Download PDF reader ).
Proof of Education
If using education to qualify, upload a copy of your education documents (degree/transcripts) to your profile in Government Jobs at the time you apply. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.
If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services ( NACES ) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ( AICE ).
Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: http://dao.rc-hr.com/.
For more information regarding the position, please contact the recruiter Mary Miller at 951-955-3454 or via email at mmiller@rivco.org .
MEDICAL/DENTAL/VISION INSURANCE: A choice of different medical, dental and visions plan are available to elect. The County provides a Flexible Benefit Credit contribution as governed by the applicable SEIU Memorandum of Understanding to contribute towards the cost of these plans.
Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list here .
MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).
- Tier I (Classic Member - Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.
- Tier II (Classic Member - Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.
- Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. As of July 1, 2020, the employee contribution is 7.25% and subject to change annually.
A new member is defined as any of the following:
CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".
Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.
Note:
This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to retirement@rivco.org or by calling the Benefits Information Line at (951) 955-4981,
Option 2.
If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at (888) 225-7377 to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees' Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If there's any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options.
VACATION ACCRUAL (Bi-Weekly Accrual):
0< 3 year = 80 Hours (10 Days)
4< 9 years = 120 Hours (15 Days)
10 or more years = 160 Hours (20 Days)
Maximum Vacation leave accumulation is 480 hours.
SICK LEAVE: Four (4) hours Sick Leave accrual per pay period with unlimited accrual.
HOLIDAYS: Normally 12 paid holidays per year.
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: Allowed 5 days (3 days are County paid; 2 additional days can be taken from accrued Sick Leave balance).
BASIC LIFE INSURANCE: Equal to one times annual base salary not to exceed $50,000 of term life coverage. Premiums are paid by the County. Additional Supplemental Life plan is available for employee purchase.
DISABILITY: Short-term Disability benefit pays up to a maximum of $461.54 weekly, payable up to a maximum of 52 weeks.
POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION: A monthly contribution is made by the County towards retiree health insurance offered through the County as governed by the applicable SEIU Memorandum of Understanding.
OTHER: There may be other benefit provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding. Please contact the recruiter listed on the job posting directly for more information.