Victim Advocate - Bilingual Spanish - CGC / Stamford, CT - Full Time
Community Health Center

Job Info

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Job Description Summary:

Job Description:

The Victim Advocate performs family advocacy and consultation/outreach, including providing informational and supportive services to child victims and their family/caregivers and assisting with referrals to ongoing community supports. This position plays a key role in the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) and is a key member of the CAC's Multidisciplinary Team.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a victim advocate for alleged child victims of abuse and their families and a liaison between the CAC and other social service, mental health and advocacy partners in the community
• Collaborate with Department of Children and Families (DCF), law enforcement officers, medical specialists, other community and court based victim advocates and mental health professionals, throughout the entire investigation process
• Provide families with information about: The forensic interview, CAC model, criminal justice process, victims' rights, victim compensation program, stress management techniques, self-care and children's anticipated emotions/reactions to trauma
• Initiate and maintain contact with children and families following a forensic interview and until the family's needs are met
• Utilize assessment methods to develop a plan of care and link families to resources to provide for the child and family's victim advocacy, medical, mental health treatment and basic needs
• Coordinate and assist with linkage to court related services with Victim Advocates from the Prosecutor's Office and the Juvenile Court
• Provide crisis counseling to non-offending family members, whose child has been the victim of sexual or physical abuse, or neglect.
• Attend and participate in Multidisciplinary Team Case Review Meetings
• Maintain regular communication with the CAC Director, the CAC's Multidisciplinary Team and work closely with CGC's Therapists to ensure the family's identified needs are communicated and family is notified of victim services at CGC
• Actively participate in CGC's interdisciplinary treatment planning team meetings, supervision and other staff development activities
• Utilize the agency's electronic health record (EHR) system and other data tracking systems to ensure proper and timely completion of all required clinical documentation, program statistics, and outcome data
• Other related activities as needed

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Skills and Education

• Bachelor's degree required
• Master's degree in clinical social work or community counseling, such as MSW or MFT, preferred
• Verbal and written fluency in English and bi-lingual fluency in Spanish required
• Knowledge and basic skills in counseling practices and methods
• Proficient in planning, implementing, evaluating, and reporting activities conducted
• Communicates effectively in writing and verbally to prepare written and electronic documents
• Open to receiving and utilizing constructive feedback regarding performance, presentation and relationships with others
• Ability to conduct oneself in a professional manner adhering to all NASW Code of Ethics standards
• High degree of self-awareness to effectively weigh and evaluate personal needs, client needs, and the aims and policies of the agency, and to respond and negotiate these competing needs as appropriate
• The ability to establish rapport and work well with victims of abuse while always advocating in the best interest of the child
• Cross-cultural competence and sensitivity required to succeed in agency committed to working with a diverse population and to continuing to build staff diversity (EOE)

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Hours will vary; our schedules range Monday-Friday from 7am-7pm and Saturdays.
• Minimal physical effort. Must be able to operate computer and telephone continuously. Regular regional travel as necessary.

Organization Information:

Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) with offices in Connecticut, Colorado and California, is one of the country's most creative and dynamic providers of primary medical, dental, and behavioral health services, and a leader in practice-based research, health professionals training, and use of innovative technologies to advance health and healthcare. CHC is designated as a federally qualified health center and a patient-centered medical home by HRSA, the Joint Commission, and NCQA, respectively. We deliver more than 500,000 patient visits per year from primary care hubs and community clinics across the state of CT, all connected by technology and common standards for quality. We employ several hundred medical, dental, and behavioral health providers who are engaged in practice, teaching, and research. Our Weitzman Institute is devoted to research and practice transformation and is recognized around the country as one of the premier research institutes focused on improving health care and health outcomes for special and vulnerable populations. In addition, the organization has developed three wholly owned subsidiaries from the original pilot developments within the Weitzman Institute: the National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training Consortium (NNPRFTC), the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement (NIMAA), and ConferMed.

Location:
CGC - Child Guidance Center of Southern CT - Shippan Ave
City:
Stamford
State:
Connecticut

Time Type:
Full time

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