Larimer County Job Opening

                     POSITION TITLE:   VICTIM/WITNESS SPECIALIST I – ELIGIBILITY LIST

               POSITION NUMBER:   DTA.1562

                         DEPARTMENT:   DISTRICT ATTORNEY

                STARTING SALARY:   $17.17 - $23.18 PER HOUR (DOQ)

    APPLICATION DEADLINE:   10/20/2008

 

 

Provides state-mandated services to victims and witnesses including counseling, referrals, and crisis intervention; acts as a liaison between victims, witnesses, and the court system.

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

·         Provide counseling and crisis intervention for victims, witnesses, and their families; assist victims in setting up a safety plan.

·         Inform victims on procedures for obtaining compensation for financial loss through restitution or Victim Compensation.

·         Provide information on the civil process, including the right to file a civil judgment against the defendant and the steps needed to obtain a civil protection order.

·         Act as a liaison between the victim, witnesses, and the attorney or investigator; set up and participate in meetings; provide transportation if needed; attend any or all stages of the criminal justice process with the victim and/or witness.

·         Advise victims of the policies and procedures pertaining to criminal protection orders; provide copies of orders to victim and collateral agencies.

·         Refer victims to collateral agencies, including community resources, law enforcement agencies, and legal resources as needed.

·         Provide victims of crimes with victim impact statements and advise victims of their right to be heard at court proceedings, sentence hearings, and plea agreement acceptances; compose comprehensive memos that contain victims’ recommendations and input.

·         Maintain, compose, and compile statistical records, verify accuracy of records, and make recommendations as needed; coordinate the processing of appropriate paperwork.

·         Provide victim contract information or verification to employers, collateral agencies, or schools of victim and witness’ involvement in a criminal case, when needed.

·         Consult with victims regarding the charges filed, reduction of charges, negotiated pleas, dismissal of charges, or any other dispositions.

·         Evaluate effectiveness of program; assess the needs of the community and provide recommendations to meet those needs; assist in the development of new programs and procedures.

·         Attend seminars, conferences, workshops, classes, lectures, etc., as appropriate, to enhance and maintain knowledge of trends and developments in the field; review professional journals, attend association and professional meetings; otherwise maintain contacts with professionals to facilitate exchange of information.

·         Participate in the provision of ongoing training for law enforcement, volunteer advocates, peer educators, and the community at large.

OTHER DUTIES:

·         May perform home visits for victims and witnesses.

·         Perform other duties as appropriate or necessary for performance of the job.

 

 

QUALIFICATIONS:

Knowledge of:

·         Principles, practices, and objectives as related to the criminal justice system and prosecution; crisis intervention techniques, counseling methods, and interviewing techniques in a victim/witness program.

·         Principles of human behavior.

·         Recordkeeping and reporting procedures.

·         Routine software and business applications including, but not limited to, word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and databases.

·         Scope and application of laws and regulations pertaining to victim/witness programs.

Ability to:

·         Communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.

·         Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other County employees, representatives of other agencies and organizations, and members of the community.

·         Travel to other jurisdictions to participate in special prosecutions or in remote offices as assigned.

·         Evaluate and apply program policies and procedures.

·         Effectively respond to conflict situations and people in conflict.

·         Provide empathetic support to victims and witnesses and extract pertinent information from interviews and reports.

·         Complete Prevue Assessment as administered by the Office of the District Attorney.

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:  Any combination of experience and training that would like provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying.

Experience:

·         One year of experience in a directly related field or in the performance of similar duties and responsibilities; counseling, public service experience, and experience working with victims and/or witnesses desirable.

Training:

·         Equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in Sociology, Psychology, or a related field. 

·         A Master’s Degree preferred.

Licenses/Certificates:

·         Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Colorado Driver’s License.

·         Possession of, or ability to obtain, Victim Witness certification.

·         Bilingual (Spanish/English) skills preferred.

·         Maintain continuing education hours annually or as required.

 

 

S:\Job Postings\DA\2008\VictimWitnessSpecI.DTA.1562.doc