Victim Advocate - Regional Mental Health Court/Regional Veterans Court (Internal Applicants Only)

Internal Applicants Only This position is open only to current employees of the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. Applicants must serve and pass their six-month probation period in their current position in order to be eligible to apply.

Supervisor:

Wendy Ross Salary:

Range 50 - $38.88 (step one) to $49.28 (step ten) hourly•

Work Schedule:

Monday - Friday. Our core business hours are, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; an alternative schedule is subject to supervisor's approval.

Work Location:

In-person/telecommuting- King County Courthouse , 516 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104. This position involves complex legal work and requires specialized knowledge in the areas of domestic violence, the mental health system, victim advocacy and criminal justice. This 15-hour position is responsible for providing advocacy for the Mental Health Court. Provides immediate crisis intervention to victims with highest priority given to the safety of victims Provides support, assistance and information to victims throughout criminal proceedings, which includes being available to respond to questions or concerns, explaining the legal process, and keeping the victim informed of court hearings and outcomes of hearings Assess victim's short and long term needs and referrals to appropriate community resources when applicable Initiates contact with victim upon receipt of police report/charge/case referral and maintains contact throughout the process of prosecution with the intent to identify and address any safety concerns, keep the victim informed of the status of the case, and gather the victim's input for the prosecutor and courts Prepares victims for interviews and court proceedings; attends court hearings as necessary to support victim and advocate on victim's behalf; attends defense and other types of interviews in support of victim Consults and coordinates with prosecutors daily regarding case issues and proceedings as a representative of victim's concerns, needs and input. This includes informing prosecutor of victim's willingness to assist with prosecution, support of Mental Health Court admittance, and of additional discoverable information or pertinent facts to the case gained through contact with victims Functions as a liaison between victims and various criminal justice entities as well as community resources - provides advocacy for victims through system advocacy Plans and schedules work for volunteers, prioritizing their workload and supervising them as needed Maintains a cooperative relationship with appropriate community resource agencies and provides training for the community when appropriate Assists with civil orders of restraint when necessary Gathers and compiles statistical data Engage in Race, Equity and Social Justice practices in daily work and decision-making Demonstrated expertise in the areas of domestic violence, sexual assault, mental health, criminal justice and court-based advocacy Extensive knowledge of criminal justice systems in King County, domestic violence and mental health issues, safety issues, counseling and crisis intervention Demonstrated ability to work with people in crisis Excellent communication skills, both oral and written; ability to communicate professionally and effectively with individuals, groups and in the courtroom Considerable knowledge of local related community resources Ability to work with diverse populations Ability to exercise independent initiative and judgment and also function as a team player Ability to problem-solve and identify needed procedural and policy changes Demonstrated ability to manage voluminous and sensitive caseloads Ability to motivate, supervise and coordinate workloads of volunteers Commitment to equity and social justice; willingness to engage in equity work, training and discussions.

Application Process:

PAO employees who are represented by Teamsters Local No. 117 will receive priority consideration . There exists a broken rung in many organizations that can make attaining formal positions challenging to historically excluded groups. We are not requesting a detailed expression of interest, as we prefer to keep barriers for applying low and will look forward to hearing about experience and aspirations for the role during the interview process. Selection Process Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, qualified bargaining unit members will be invited to participate in a panel interview process. •Employees with less than 2 years of service will receive .25 per hour less than the hourly salary table due to a mandatory contribution toward the Teamsters Pension Trust that was voted by members of Teamsters Local No. 117.