Who We Are
Second Bloom of Chatham, Inc. is a nonprofit organization serving Chatham County and is recognized as the designated provider of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking services for the community. Second Bloom is a member of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV) and the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCCASA).
What We Do
Second Bloom of Chatham works to end intimate partner and sexual violence by centering survivors, addressing root causes, and transforming the systems that perpetuate harm. We partner with our community to identify and respond to the evolving needs of those impacted, while advancing equity, dignity, respect, and self-determination for all people across Chatham County.
Our work includes crisis response, advocacy, legal support, housing assistance, counseling, prevention, community education, systems collaboration, and other services designed to strengthen safety, stability, and long-term well-being for survivors and their families.
Position Summary
The Court Advocate provides trauma-informed, survivor-centered legal advocacy and support to individuals impacted by intimate partner and sexual violence as they navigate civil and criminal legal systems.
The Court Advocate assists survivors with understanding court processes and available options, completing protective-order paperwork, preparing for court proceedings, accessing legal resources, and receiving support before, during, and following court appearances. The position provides court accompaniment and works collaboratively with Second Bloom staff, attorneys, court personnel, law enforcement, and community partners to promote coordinated and comprehensive survivor services.
The Court Advocate also supports the coordination of Second Bloom's court advocacy services by reviewing court calendars, anticipating service and staffing needs, identifying known clients with upcoming proceedings, and ensuring appropriate follow-up.
All services are provided within the scope of the advocate role and in a manner that promotes survivor safety, dignity, autonomy, informed choice, and self-determination. The Court Advocate provides legal information and advocacy but does not provide legal advice.
Essential Responsibilities
Legal & Court Advocacy
- Provide survivor-centered legal advocacy and assistance with navigating civil and criminal legal systems.
- Assist survivors with understanding and completing protective-order paperwork, including 50B and 50C processes, within the scope of the advocate role.
- Provide court accompaniment and survivor support before, during, and following court proceedings.
- Explain court processes, procedures, terminology, and available resources in clear and accessible language while maintaining appropriate boundaries between legal advocacy and legal advice.
- Assist eligible survivors with the North Carolina Address Confidentiality Program.
- Maintain appropriate training and assist eligible survivors with Crime Victims Compensation and related victim-assistance resources.
- Provide warm referrals to attorneys, Legal Aid, and other appropriate legal resources when legal advice or representation is needed.
- Assist survivors with identifying and addressing barriers that may interfere with their ability to participate in court proceedings, including transportation, language access, childcare, safety concerns, and other identified needs.
- Conduct timely follow-up with survivors before and after court proceedings, as appropriate.
- Develop and maintain professional working relationships with court personnel, attorneys, law enforcement, victim-service providers, and other community partners.
- Identify recurring barriers survivors encounter within legal and court systems and communicate those concerns to program leadership to support systems improvement.
Court Calendar & Service Coordination
- Maintain appropriate authorization and training to access North Carolina eCourts Portal information necessary for assigned legal advocacy responsibilities, including Domestic Violence Agency Elevated Access when authorized.
- Review applicable court calendars and case information in advance of scheduled court sessions to identify anticipated survivor advocacy and court-coverage needs.
- Identify known Second Bloom clients with upcoming court proceedings and coordinate appropriate outreach, preparation, and follow-up.
- Assess anticipated court-service volume and communicate staffing, scheduling, interpreter, transportation, referral, or other identified service needs to program leadership.
- Coordinate with other trained advocates to support appropriate court coverage and continuity of survivor services.
- Maintain awareness of changes in court schedules, procedures, and other information relevant to Second Bloom's court advocacy services.
- Use court information only for legitimate agency purposes and in accordance with court-access requirements, Second Bloom confidentiality policies, and applicable federal and state confidentiality protections.
- Maintain professional relationships with the Clerk of Court, court personnel, attorneys, law enforcement, and other court-system partners to support effective survivor advocacy.
Survivor Advocacy & Crisis Response
- Provide trauma-informed crisis intervention, emotional support, safety planning, and systems advocacy to survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence.
- Meet with walk-in and scheduled clients and provide individualized advocacy based on each survivor's identified needs, priorities, and goals.
- Assist survivors with identifying options, accessing resources, completing necessary applications and paperwork, and navigating community systems.
- Provide referrals and warm handoffs to internal and external services, including housing, counseling, healthcare, financial assistance, legal services, and other community resources.
- Conduct timely follow-up with survivors, as appropriate, to assess ongoing needs, reinforce safety planning, support access to resources, and promote continuity of services.
- Participate in Helpline and crisis-response coverage as assigned.
- Provide hospital or medical accompaniment and respond to other emergency survivor-assistance needs as appropriate.
- Coordinate with other Second Bloom programs to support continuity of services and reduce unnecessary duplication or barriers.
- Support survivor autonomy and informed decision-making and avoid directing or making decisions on behalf of survivors.
Community & Systems Collaboration
- Build and maintain professional relationships with organizations and individuals involved in legal advocacy and survivor services.
- Participate in community meetings, multidisciplinary initiatives, Coordinated Community Response activities, and other systems-collaboration efforts as assigned.
- Provide community education about intimate partner and sexual violence, survivor resources, legal advocacy, and related topics as appropriate.
- Participate in outreach activities, including Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and other community initiatives.
- Identify systemic barriers affecting survivors' access to safety, justice, and services and communicate emerging trends to program leadership.
- Represent Second Bloom professionally in court and throughout the community.
Documentation, Collaboration & Accountability
- Maintain timely, accurate, objective, and survivor-centered documentation of services provided in OSNIUM and other designated agency systems.
- Document court advocacy, court accompaniment, service contacts, safety planning, referrals, follow-up, advocacy activities, and outcomes in accordance with agency policies, grant requirements, confidentiality protections, and applicable legal and ethical standards.
- Collect only information necessary and appropriate for service delivery, continuity of services, program evaluation, accountability, and required reporting.
- Maintain strict survivor confidentiality and adhere to applicable confidentiality protections, advocate privilege, agency policies, and professional standards.
- Participate in interdisciplinary case staffing and coordinate with other Second Bloom programs while sharing only information necessary and appropriate for coordinated service delivery.
- Adhere to applicable mandated-reporting requirements.
- Support grant-funded activities, data collection, performance measures, outcomes tracking, and reporting requirements associated with assigned services.
- Participate in program evaluation and identify service gaps, barriers, emerging needs, and opportunities for improvement.
- Attend required staff meetings, supervision, training, and professional-development activities.
- Perform other duties consistent with the position and as assigned by the supervisor.
Core Competencies
The Court Advocate is expected to demonstrate competency in:
- Survivor-centered and trauma-informed advocacy
- Intimate partner and sexual violence dynamics
- Crisis intervention and safety planning
- Civil and criminal legal-system navigation
- Legal and court advocacy
- Professional boundaries and scope of advocacy
- Confidentiality and advocate privilege
- Cultural humility and culturally responsive practice
- LGBTQ2S+ inclusive and affirming services
- Rural service delivery and systems navigation
- Court-service coordination
- Community and systems collaboration
- Accurate, timely, and appropriate documentation
- Professional communication
- Ethical decision-making
- Survivor autonomy, dignity, informed choice, and self-determination
Education and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, criminal justice, psychology, sociology, or a related field preferred.
- Consideration will be given to candidates with significant relevant professional, community, or lived experience.
- Minimum of two years of experience working with survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence or in victim services, legal advocacy, court advocacy, crisis response, or a related human-services setting preferred.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Demonstrated understanding of intimate partner and sexual violence, coercive control, trauma, and barriers survivors may experience when accessing legal systems and community services.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to provide culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and survivor-centered services across diverse communities and identities.
- Knowledge of, or ability to learn, North Carolina civil and criminal court processes relevant to survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence.
- Ability to provide legal information, court advocacy, and systems navigation while maintaining the boundary between legal advocacy and legal advice.
- Ability to learn and effectively use North Carolina eCourts and other systems necessary to perform assigned court and legal advocacy responsibilities.
- Ability to review court calendars, organize anticipated service needs, manage time-sensitive responsibilities, and communicate court-coverage needs effectively.
- Ability to work independently, take initiative, manage multiple priorities, and respond appropriately to crisis situations while functioning effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team.
- Ability to maintain professional boundaries, protect survivor confidentiality, and maintain timely and appropriate documentation.
- Ability to establish effective professional relationships with survivors, court personnel, attorneys, law enforcement, community partners, and colleagues.
- Commitment to ongoing learning, cultural humility, reflective practice, and continuous quality improvement.
- Commitment and ability to provide equitable and affirming services to all survivors without discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, language, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, military or veteran status, citizenship or immigration status, religion, socioeconomic status, prior convictions or incarceration, prior or current mental health treatment, or any other status protected by applicable law.
Additional Requirements
- Complete required intimate partner violence, sexual violence, confidentiality, crisis-response, legal advocacy, and agency-specific training.
- Obtain and maintain applicable authorization and training for North Carolina eCourts access.
- Maintain required training related to the Address Confidentiality Program and Crime Victims Compensation, as applicable.
- Participate in ongoing professional development relevant to court and survivor advocacy.
- Maintain reliable transportation and the ability to travel within Chatham County and surrounding areas for court, community, hospital, and survivor advocacy responsibilities.
- Maintain flexibility in scheduling to respond to court calendars, survivor needs, community events, and other time-sensitive advocacy responsibilities.
- Some evening, weekend, outreach, or on-call responsibilities may be required.
Pay: $42,000.00 - $48,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
Work Location: In person
