Victim Specialist

Summary

Victim Specialists provide information on victimization, crime prevention, legal rights and protections, the criminal justice process, and rereferrals for services. The services provided can include crisis intervention directed toward deescalating a situation, establishing physical and emotional safety, providing concrete/basic needs assessments, identifying emergency needs, and empowering the victim's ability to make choices regarding possible courses of action.

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Duties

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• Provides direct assistance services to persons who have suffered direct physical, emotional, or financial harm as a result of a violent crime.
• Contacts victims, conducts needs assessments and develops an action plan for immediate and on-going services as indicated by the needs assessment.
• Provides crisis intervention services, which are directed toward de-escalating a situation, establishes physical and emotional safety, and provides concrete/basic needs services, emergency needs and reinforcing the victim's ability to make choices regarding possible courses of action.
• Ensures FBI Adherence to the Attorney General Guidelines and establishment and adoption of best practices for victim assistance.
• Maintains involvement either through outreach or membership on multidisciplinary teams, with local agencies that provide services to federal crime victims.
• Develops and implements trainings and presentations related to victim concerns and coordination with other federal, state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement agencies, health, social services, schools, and advocacy organizations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be able to obtain an SCI clearance.
• Must have (or be able to obtain) a valid driver's license.
• Selectee will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 annually.
• Selectee will be required to complete form FD-887, Request for Access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
• Travel will be required for victim assistance, special deployment, and/or conferences/training.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is partially office-based, but also requires being present at the scene of crimes, and/or at agencies providing assistance to victims, long hours, and long-term, repeated exposure to the injury and psychological trauma of victims of crime. May be required to be on call 24/7, responding afterhours and on weekends.

Qualifications

GS 11: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level. SE is:

• Collaborated within a law enforcement, prosecutorial, or victim services agency to provide crisis intervention resources to victims who have suffered direct physical, emotional, or financial harm as a result of a violent crime.

GS 12 : Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. SE is:

• Collaborated within a law enforcement, prosecutorial, or victim services agency to provide crisis intervention resources to victims who have suffered direct physical, emotional, or financial harm as a result of a violent crime.
• Maintained relationships with local, state, and federal agencies and victim assistance organizations to ensure adequate emergency resources and partner engagement.
• Assisted with the development and implementation of educational or training activities to speak with groups about issues related to victims of crime.

Education

All degrees must be from an accredited college or university. Education may be substituted for specialized experience as follows:

Degree must be in behavioral or social science, or a discipline related to the victim assistance field.

GS 11 : Education may be substituted for Specialized Experience if Applicant has a Ph.D. OR equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.

GS 12: Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at these grade levels.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements provided you can show foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.

Additional information

To attract and retain highly qualified candidates, selectees may be eligible for a recruitment incentive of up to 20% or, for eligible current federal employees, a relocation incentive of up to 20% may be granted for candidates , based on candidate eligibility, a Continuing Service agreement, and Appropriation of Funds. Eligibility for a relocation incentive requires proof of a change in residence and an assignment at a worksite in a different geographic area greater than or equal to 50 miles from the prior worksite. Employees must sign a written service agreement completing a specified period of employment with the FBI at the new duty station. Recruitment and relocation incentives cannot be combined.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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