SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Functions:

Coordinates and supervises the County’s Victim Advocate Program; conducts program planning and implementation.
Assists victims as needed; attends court with victims; and assists victims with other agencies.
Supervises victim advocates for the County; interviews potential new employees; conducts or arranges training for employees; and checks on progress and work of advocates.
Attends meetings and trainings.
Enters data (VAMS).
Gathers statistics; talks to victims; and reports on progress.
Reviews inmate files and victim notification forms.
Maintains availability for advocates/victims during the day and after hours.
Stays current on laws concerning victims and task forces.
Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Bachelor’s degree.
Two (2) years of related work experience.
-or-

Any combination of education and experience that meets the requirements for performing the essential functions of this job.

Licenses/Certifications/Other: 

Must possess (or obtain within one year of hire) a victim service certification as a Victim Advocate; attend annual training to remain certified.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS REQUIRED

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

Data Involvement: Requires gathering, organizing, analyzing, examining, or evaluating data or information and may prescribe action based on such data or information.
People Involvement: Requires managing, supervising or leading others by determining work procedures, assigning duties, maintaining harmonious relations and promoting efficiency.
Involvement with Things: Requires handling or using machines, tools, or equipment requiring brief instruction or experience, such as computers for data entry, fax machines, copiers, telephones, or similar equipment.
Reasoning Requirements: Requires performing supervisory work involving policy and guidelines, solving both people- and work-related problems.  
Mathematical Requirements: Requires using addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, and/or calculating ratios, rates and percentages.
Language Requirements: Requires reading journals, manuals, and professional publications; speaking clearly with coworkers or with staff in other organizational agencies, the general public, and writing reports using proper language, punctuation, grammar, and style. 
Mental Requirements: Requires doing professional-level work requiring the application of administrative methods in the solution of administrative or social problems; understanding of operating policies and procedures; and requires continuous, close attention for accurate results and frequent exposure to unusual pressures.
Computer Requirements: Must be proficient in use of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. 
Judgments and Decisions: Responsible for guiding others, requiring frequent decisions affecting co-workers, customers and others who depend on the service or product; works in a somewhat fluid environment with rules and procedures but with many variations from the routine.

Physical Requirements:

The work is sedentary work which requires the person in this position to occasionally exert up to 10 pounds of force to grasp, lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

Balancing:  Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing, or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
Grasping:  Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
Handling:  Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
Manual Dexterity: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
Mental Acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
Repetitive Motion:  Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly. Shouting in order to be heard above ambient noise level.
Visual Acuity Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading. Including color, depth perception, and field vision.  Visual Acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned or to make general observations of facilities or structures. Have visual acuity to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment. Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, operation of machines; using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication parts at distances close to the eyes.
Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

May be required to work hours other than the regular schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays. This position requires regular and reliable attendance and the employee’s physical presence at the workplace. Work is performed dealing with crisis situations that require making decisions involving people, resources, and property.

EEO AND ADA MESSAGE

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions described herein.  Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were written out in this job description. 

Richland County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  ADA requires the County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.  Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

Richland County has the right to revise this job description at any time. This description does not represent in any way a contract of employment.