Legal Advocate

Description

Title: Legal Advocate
Hours: Full time-40 hours per week, Monday through Friday. Can occasionally include evenings and weekends
Status: Non-Exempt
Reports to : Legal Advocacy Supervisor

At KCSARC, we not only value diversity - we celebrate it. We are committed to creating a team as diverse as the communities we live in, and we believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our team will be. We are rooted in a foundation of anti-racism and equity, which must be demonstrated in word and action. As a proud equal opportunity employer, we welcome all races, ethnicities, genders, abilities, identities, religions, and ages, candidates who are veterans, LGBTQ+, and multilingual, candidates with diverse viewpoints and experiences, and candidates who have an EAD (Employment Authorization Document), regardless of immigration status.

Essential Functions:

• Provide support and information to victims of sexual assault who are involved in the Criminal Justice Process
• Assess the needs of the client and provide appropriate referrals and other collateral services
• Assist the client in making informed decisions about police reporting
• Provide ongoing emotional support to clients
• Inform the client of Crime Victims Compensation benefits
• Attend and provide support at interviews/hearings/trials/sentencing that the victim participates in
• Actively monitor the status of the criminal case and keep clients informed of the status of their case
• Communicate effectively with Detectives, Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys and others in the legal system
• Establish an effective and supportive working relationship with a diverse population
• Work with independent initiative and assertiveness
• Provide information and support to victims and parents at Kid's/Teen Court
• Assist clients with protective orders
• Give information about civil remedies
• Attend Agency meetings and events
• Duties as assigned by Legal Advocacy Manager and/or Legal Advocacy Supervisor

Internal Relationships

• Actively participate in individual supervision
• Attend internal case staffings
• Attend agency meetings
• Assist in training new staff
• Teach sessions to new staff in CORE training as requested
• Provide cross-departmental training as requested
• Work collaboratively across departments
• Consult and interface with other client services staff on specific cases as appropriate
• Other duties as assigned

External Relationships

• Interface with community professionals for the benefit of KCSARC (DCYF, KCPAO, DOC, LE)
• Participate in professional community groups as needed
• Create and provide training to community groups as prioritized
• Participate in outreach activities as needed.

Personal Competencies

• Work as an effective team member within the client services department
• Ability to build rapport quickly with a diverse population
• Ability to multi-task
• Ability to prioritize and organize a caseload
• Communicate emotionally difficult information
• Skillfully empathetic
• Ability to work with independence
• Skillfully assertive
• Ability to work with flexibility
• Ability to work with initiative and assertiveness
• Ability to read, write and speak English
• Accept and practice the established Guiding Principles of KCSARC as a personal work guide
• Accept and practice all established policies and procedures
• Knowledge of sexual assault victimization and the healing process
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent decision making skills
• Excellent professional judgement
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent active listening skills
• Excellent problem solving skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and a strong work initiative
• Ability to organize and prioritize competing work demands

Physical-mental-psychological skills

• Ability to interface with the impact of secondary trauma
• Ability to work with individuals in a high stress situation
• Ability to uphold confidentiality
• Ability to work in an environment where schedules and appointments vary and change quickly
• Ability to efficiently travel between Renton and the three different courthouses in Kent and Seattle

Technical Functions

• Ability to use Word, Access based database system, Outlook
• Proficiency in working with multiple video platforms such as zoom, teams, etc.
• Keyboarding skills
• Ability to use a standard telephone and VOIP phone applications

Requirements

Minimum Experience Required:

• 4 year college degree plus 1 year directly related work experience OR
• 2 years college/vocational training plus 3 years related work experience OR
• 6 years directly related work experience

Position Requirements:

• Some Travel Required (travel, workspace etc.)
• Must have current car insurance
• Must have a valid driver's license

Preferred Experience :

• Experience in providing assistance to victims of sexual assault
• Demonstrated knowledge of the criminal justice system
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Strong cross-cultural communication skills.