Regional Mental Health/Regional Veteran's Court Victim Advocate (Internal Applicants Only)

Summary

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 -$37.47(step one) - $47.50 (step ten) *

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, our core business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Work Location: In-person /telecommute (hybrid)- King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104

The ideal candidate will be working in the Regional Mental Health/Regional Veteran's Court. Mental Health Court is a specialized court responsible for handling cases where the defendant has mental health issues. The Victim Advocate will work within the unit to provide advocacy and coordinate with the Mental Health Court and its staff. Advocacy responsibilities include: assessing and addressing victim safety concerns; providing direct services to victims at all critical stages of prosecution; serving as a liaison between victims and key players in the Mental Health Court system; connecting victims to appropriate community resources; and working to ensure that victim's rights are honored in the criminal justice system.

Job Duties

• 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 race, equity and social justice principles in regular job duties and decision making.
  
  

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• 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
• Actively participate in PAO equity work, attending equity trainings and discussion
• Provide support for the Race, Equity and Social Justice policy and principles, work with PAO colleagues and management to identify opportunities for improvement.
  
  

Supplemental Information

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

Materials will be reviewed for qualifications, and the most competitive candidates may 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.
  
  

Benefits

King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what’s best for themselves and their eligible dependents
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers
• Employee Giving Program
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
• Training and career development programs
  
  

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page.

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.

01

Are you currently employed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office?

• Yes
• No
• Required Question