Victim Assistance Coordinator

All salaries posted are minimum starting rates.

Actual starting salary may be dependent on applicant qualifications and experience.

Description

THIS POSITION IS FUNDED THROUGH A YEARLY REIMBURSABLE GRANT FROM CAPCOG. The City of Buda Police Department intends to add this position permanently, however, currently the position is contingent on grant funding and continued employment depends on the availability of those funds.

JOB SUMMARY

Victim Assistance Coordinator Directs, manages and coordinates assistance to victims of violent crimes and their families while protecting the rights of victims. The work involves treating a variety of problems, questions, or situations in conformance with established criteria. This position affects the well-being of City of Buda area victims and their families.

Examples of Duties

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Maintains a positive working agreement with community agencies to secure available resources for victims and their families.
• Serves as the first point of contact for victims of misdemeanor, felony, violent and non-violent, property, and family crimes that have been reported to and verified by the Buda Police Department.
• Establishes schedules and methods for providing citizen assistance services; identifies resource needs; reviews needs with appropriate management staff; allocates resources accordingly
• Assists victims in achieving, to the most practical extent possible, all the provisions set out in the Rights of Crime Victims, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal Procedure, specific to their situation; serves as an advocate for victims in ensuring that they receive eligible assistance and benefits; and assists in obtaining information and in the completion of the loss value information, Victim Impact Statement and Crime Victim Compensation Application.
• Refers victims to counseling, social services, shelters and other agencies for assistance.
• Performs the more technical and complex tasks of the work unit including working at the site of homicides, crimes against children, family violence and sexual assault; conducts training on, and performing, death notification to homicide victims’ next of kin.
• Keeps victims informed of the status of their case by mail, email and phone contact; provides emotional support to victims.
• Provides on-site, on-call crisis intervention services 24 hours per day; seven days a week.
• Enters victim information and documents all contact and attempted contact with victims in records management software and spreadsheets.
• Prepares victim information packets to include pre and post indictment letters for felony cases, filed and unfiled letters for misdemeanor cases, Victim Information Packets explaining the criminal justice system and informing victims of services available, Victim Impact Statement and Crime Victim Compensation applications.
• Attends Jury Trials with victims during their testimony for provides emotional support.
• Provides ongoing support information, resource materials, and referrals for additional services to victims.
• Maintains all victim files and historical paperwork.
• Tracks and maintains statistical information related to the victim assistance program.
• Collaborates with multiple victim assistance/service related agencies and attends meetings of these organizations as appropriate.
• Conducts public meetings and prepares training for community volunteers, and other outreach partners.
• Identifies and implements appropriate training activities for staff and organization.
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.
• Participates in the preparation and administration of program budget; submits budget recommendations; monitors expenditures.

Typical Qualifications

Education and Experience:

A bachelor’s degree or knowledge equivalent in Criminal Justice, Behavioral Science, or a closely related area is preferred but not required. Specific and related experience in crime victim assistance is preferred.

Special Qualifications:

Valid State of Texas driver's license required.

Supplemental Information

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of State laws related to victim assistance. provisions set out in the Rights of Crime Victims, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal Procedure.
• Protect and ensure victim rights are maintained.
• Skill in using computers for data entry.
• Skill in using computers for word processing and/or accounting purposes.
• Comfortable working with Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint.
• Ability to remain calm in difficult and sometimes tragic human events related to serious crimes and situations.
• Skills in conflict resolution, interviewing and counseling.
• Skills in dealing with offensive and sensitive crime related issues. Conduct crisis intervention.
• Ability to counsel victims of violent crimes.
• The ability to be flexible and open to new ideas and encourages others to value change, inclusion and acceptance of victims of crimes and their rights.
• The ability to work well under pressure and stress; meet deadlines; plan, organize and prioritize multiple work assignments.
• The ability to work well and take direction from the police administration.
• The ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• The ability to write reports, prepare business letters, expositions, and summaries with proper format, punctuation, spelling, and grammar, using all parts of speech.
• Possess outstanding communications skills and be able to organize and communicate very effectively.
• Soft skills in effective communications, team player, flexible, problem solver, accepts feedback, good listener, possesses confidence and creative thinking.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work is light and includes exerting up to 20 pounds occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects and the following physical abilities: fingering, hearing, mental acuity, repetitive motion, speaking, talking, visual acuity, and walking.

WORK ENVIRONMENT