Victim Advocate

Job Title

Performs duties as an advocate for crime victims before, during and after court proceedings.

Works with victims to accumulate, compile and prepare financial loss amounts for court hearings and for post-conviction restitution collection. Assists with establishing strong restitution collection practices. Collaborates with other agencies to represent the program to enhance and/or develop community resources to assist victims in the community. May make presentations to community, civic groups and agencies on the program as directed by the supervisor. Works with volunteers to serve the needs of the victims. Work schedule is Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Minimum qualifications include two years of academic course work from an accredited college or university in psychology, social work or a closely related field; and one year experience working as an advocate in a victim assistance program; work in a professional or paraprofessional capacity in the state court system; or any equivalent combination of experience, education and training. Required special qualifications include the ability to successfully pass a criminal background check.

Polk County takes pride in knowing that our employees are what makes the County a great place to work. We have a strong desire for each employee to feel respected; connected to the department they work for as well as other County departments and the community at large; and know that they are critical to County business. We understand that work may be necessary, but not what should define each individual. We all have diverse personalities and interests away from the job, and at Polk County we encourage our employees to be connected to something bigger than work.

Polk County offers generous employee benefits including, but not limited to: 11 paid holidays per year, 8 hours of vacation earned monthly with increases every 5 years, 8 hours of sick leave earned monthly, 4-5 Personal Leave Days earned each fiscal year (Depends on position; prorated depending on date of hire), PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) - 100% employer funded contributions, full health benefits for the employee and qualified family members with the employee paying only 10% of the premium, basic life insurance - employer paid, optional benefits such as additional life insurance, short term disability, deferred compensation savings program and flexible spending accounts for unreimbursed medical and dependent care expenses, qualifying employer for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program.

Polk County is located in the Willamette Valley just an hour from the Pacific Coast to the west and an hour from Portland to the north. The population is approximately 87,000 and the area spans about 744 square miles, with two thirds of the western part of the county being forest. National protected areas include the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge and Siuslaw National Forest.

The County is part of the agricultural richness the Willamette Valley has to offer. In recent decades, the valley has also become a major wine producer, with Polk County being one of the best in the area. The valley is often known as the "Oregon Wine Country." Polk County has over 25 wineries alone.

Polk County also houses the beautiful liberal arts college, Western Oregon University (WOU), and is only 30 miles from Oregon State University. WOU was an inaugural winner of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award. This award recognizes universities and colleges that have demonstrated the highest level of commitment and action towards fostering a campus community that celebrates all the many facets of diversity. WOU is one of the most diverse universities in Oregon and has a higher percentage of Latino students in the Oregon University system.

A cover letter is required. If you are a military veteran and want to apply for Veterans' Hiring Preference, you must attach supporting documentation and complete the Veteran's Preference Form. DO NOT ATTACH ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS (transcripts, letters of recommendation, certificates, etc.) They will not be considered at the application stage. You may bring them to the interview if you are selected to interview.