Survivors of Homicide, Inc. Job Description:
Full-Time SOH Director of Victim Services Advocate
Accountable and Responsible for the Following: Direct Service and Administrative Duties.
Full-Time Position 40 hours per week.
Provides direct supportive services to secondary survivors of homicide and supervises all direct service personnel in accordance with the mandated guidelines of the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) supported grant. Responsible for submission of all required agency documentation related to the VOCA grant as well as other mandated state and federal reports.
General Statements of Responsibilities
The Director of Victim Services Advocate (DVSA) will provide supportive services to secondary victims of homicide, including providing information on the criminal justice system, court-based advocacy, emotional support and counseling, compensation claim assistance, and referrals to other appropriate services. Additionally, the DVSA will be responsible for overseeing of all direct service activities and supervision of Victim Advocates, Interns, and Volunteers. Timely documentation of client services will be maintained for quarterly reports to the Office of Victim Services. The DVSA can reach out to new members, maintain connections with established members, and focus on direct service, which will result in increased membership and volunteerism. The DVSA will also report issues and trends to the SOH Board of Directors.
Statement of Supervision
The President of the SOH Board of Directors, Vice-President, and Treasurer supervises the DVSA. In addition, there is oversight from the full board. If there are personal issues, these should be initially addressed by group email with the President, Vice President, and Treasurer.
Additional concerns may be brought before the Board of Directors. Attendance is required at scheduled Board meetings to provide agency updates and answer any questions.
The DVSA will maintain frequent contact with all agency staff and volunteers who provide direct service. This is to ensure that agency guidelines are being followed as well as to provide any information or assistance that may be needed.
Support and Counseling
This may include telephone support, email support, or meeting one-on-one in person or through other virtual platforms. This includes their home (once safety guidelines have been established) or any other public place that is convenient for the victim. What follows is an assessment of their strengths, needs, support system, level of distress, and need for referrals, therapy, or clinical assistance. Assistance is also made in filing for Victim Compensation.
Court Support Advocacy
All families will be assisted in registering for the CT SAVIN system (if they would like to be notified) and the DVSA is highly encouraged to attend court hearings and trials. Introduction to the court-based advocates is essential as well as providing information about the criminal justice system including their rights as victims of crime. The DVSA should have a familiarity with the court system and represents victims, members, and their families, not the system. Member emotional needs, rights and access to services are primary. The DVSA may assist families with drafting victim impact statements or statements related to court proceedings. Also, the DVSA will ensure that all requested post-trial notifications are set up for families through DOC and OVS.
Information and Referral
Either in person or on the phone, the DVSA recognizes the needs of the members, assesses, and involves their natural support system, and may make recommendations to outside systems for support. Referrals to appropriate resources are made for clinical counseling, therapy, or to other agencies to help with any specific needs. Subcontractors through the Office of Victim Services and resources through 211 are utilized. The DVSA must stay up to date on agencies and resources that are available to secondary survivors of homicide in the State of Connecticut as well as on the national level.
Peer Support Meetings
We currently hold four peer support groups a month. Two are in-person/virtual hybrid, one is in-person, and one is online. The DVSA is responsible for facilitating at least one support group a month and will be on call to facilitate other meetings as needed. Group emails are sent out twice a month and events are made through the agency’s closed Facebook group. The objective of the SOH support groups is to provide a non-judgmental safe haven for SOH members where they can come and share their feelings, joys, heartaches, challenges, and experiences with others who understand.
Networking
SOH is a peer-supported volunteer network. Empowerment through advocacy or helping others is considered to be a form of healing. Part of the DVSA role is to serve as a resource toward connecting those members with similar experiences for support and grief recovery. Also, the DVSA will serve on community and state task forces/committees that are applicable to serving victims of crime. Additionally networking with other applicable state and non-profit agencies that further the mission of SOH.
Email
The DVSA should be comfortable with using Yahoo Mail and Constant Contact to respond to member inquiries promptly and send out mass group emails. All emails are archived and those related to providing client services should be printed and put into their case file.
Familiarize and understand the Federal VOCA and State grant process
It is mandatory that the DVSA be familiar with the rules and requirements of federal, state and community grants and submit appropriate reports and documentation as requested. This includes allowable and non-allowable activities and maintaining client documentation (age, demographics, service notes) for quarterly statistical reports. The DVSA is responsible for the correlation of agency statistics and submission of all VOCA and state reports as well as oversight on the submission of other community grants.
Quarterly Reports
The Office of Victim Services requires statistical reports to be filed quarterly. The DVSA is responsible for the preparation of the statistical correlation of these reports, including the organization of service notes from other Victim Advocates. Twice a year the report also contains a narrative asking for specific examples of types of service rendered as well as community collaboration. The DVSA will be responsible for the correlation of all service notes and narrative materials for these reports from all staff and volunteers. All reports are digitally stored through Carbonite.
Continued Competency
Attendance at approved trainings will serve toward professional development and are encouraged. Compensation Program and Recordkeeping and Reporting are required trainings for all new employees. The Office for Victims of Crime also holds many free webinars with a variety of victim services-centered topics.
Physical Demands - Light lifting of boxes or bags on occasion.
Mental Demands - Facilitation of group meetings, witness of disturbing and graphic stories, crisis intervention and referral, sensitivity to family issues. It is recognized that working, hearing, reading, and talking about murder on a daily basis can affect one’s outlook on life. It is critical to speak to one of the board members or staff regarding issues surrounding some of the more disturbing cases and your reactions to them. Within one month of employment, new employees should identify the person he/she chooses to relate to and connect with this person once a week.
Licensure/Certification/Registration - Bachelor’s Degree (A Master’s Degree is preferred) in criminal justice or applicable field and at least eight years of direct service experience with victims of crime. A valid driver’s license, up to date vehicle registration, and auto insurance are required.
Work Environment - Provides community-based services to members. Frequent travel is often required for court proceedings and home visits. The central office is in Wethersfield, CT and is used as a hub for all employees. Communicate with the SOH president regarding in and out of office movement, document breaks of service, and change of activity through a daily office log. Due to the nature of this work nights and weekends may be required. All activities must be done within the full-time status of 40 hours and no overtime is permitted.
Travel Reimbursement - All travel is computed as leaving from the Wethersfield office and returning to the office. The reimbursement rate of mileage is based on the current Federal rate.
Administrative Duties- Administrative duties are an important part of maintaining required documentation for agency records as well as reports.
Administrative activity includes:
· Ensuring that all agency client files are updated with appropriate documentation
· Preparation, submission and management of federal and grants.
· Oversight of other community grant submissions
· Preparation and submission of VOCA statistical reports. This includes gathering all applicable activities from staff and volunteers.
· Completion of personal time sheets and monthly expense reports and maintaining time logs/expense reports from staff, volunteers, and interns.
· Distributing the victims’ needs assessment survey in January and June and analyzing the results to improve agency services
· Communication with the Treasurer as to the status of agency funds, documentation, and reporting.
Pay: $20.00 - $25.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
