Victim Advocate

The Victim Advocate acts as a professional liaison between the police department and the prosecutor’s office, delivering dedicated support and advocacy for domestic violence survivors. This role focuses on addressing safety concerns, providing critical services throughout the prosecution process, connecting survivors with appropriate community resources, and works to ensure their rights are upheld within the criminal justice system.

All employees of the Police Department are expected to uphold and exhibit the Department’s employee values of Respect, Accountability, Integrity and Service. Take a look at what our department is about at: https://joinbellevuepd.com/. 

The following is a list of essential duties and responsibilities assigned to the Victim Advocate. While this list represents a good sampling of the duties of this position; it is not an exhaustive list.

• Provide domestic violence advocacy services throughout the prosecution process, including crisis intervention and safety planning.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with law enforcement, prosecutors, legal professionals, and community organizations.
• Serve as a liaison between victims, law enforcement, prosecution, other agencies, and community resources, facilitating clear communication and support.
• Educate and assist domestic violence survivors and their families through the criminal justice process.
• Regularly reviews police reports on domestic violence to evaluate advocacy needs.
• Work with prosecutors to prepare cases, track case status, and maintain case records.
• Gather, compile, and report statistical information.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervision Received and Exercised:

• Works under the supervision of the Police Investigations Division.
• Position requires the ability to assist and directs clients through the criminal justice process, including performing advocacy functions.
• No formal supervisory responsibilities but may coordinate and lead volunteers who provide advocacy services to crime victims.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Capable of building and maintaining strong working relationships with clients, law enforcement and prosecution personnel, city department staff, other agencies or jurisdictions, public officials, and the general public.
• Proven ability to assist individuals in crisis, including developing safety plans for domestic violence survivors and their families.
• Skilled in interviewing survivors of domestic violence using appropriate methods, procedures, and techniques.
• Experience working with diverse populations.
• Extensive knowledge of the criminal justice system, with a comprehensive understanding of the court system, including its rules and procedures.
• Familiarity with civil and criminal law, along with legal terminology. 
• Knowledge of available community resources.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Thorough understanding of confidentiality issues regarding victims' rights, defendants, and service providers, with the ability to appropriately maintain confidential materials and information.
• Proficient in gathering data and compiling accurate records and reports.
• Ability to work independently and effectively perform tasks with minimal supervision.
• Knowledge of Windows computer operating system, Microsoft Suite products (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, etc.)
• Knowledge of how to utilize office equipment (such as printers, scanners, telephones, and fax machines)

Education, Experience, and Other Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in social services, human services, criminal justice or related field.  
• Two (2) years’ work experience in victim advocacy or crisis/abuse treatment.
• Or any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Must obtain ACCESS Certification within six months of hire and maintain certification throughout the course of this assignment with the department.
• Valid Washington State driver’s license at the time of appointment.
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation required to compose and proofread written documents and correspondence.
• Applicants must be able to read and speak fluent English and either: 
  1. US citizen, or
  2. A lawful permanent resident, or
  3. A Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient with employment authorization from USCIS

Physical Demands: The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with a disability to perform the essential functions.

• Work involves moving, communicating, operating objects, tools, or controls and reaching.
• Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• The employee may be required to transport, position, install and/or move objects up to 10 pounds.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet while in the office or moderately loud when in the field.

Additional Requirements:

Due to the critical and high-security nature of police work, top candidates must pass a thorough criminal and background check, polygraph, and drug test.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

The following drug use (or distribution of) will be disqualifying:

• Any use of heroin,
• Any possession or use of GHB or any other "date rape" drug, including giving it to others,
• Any use of any illegal drug within three years of application (Excludes marijuana which is addressed below),
• Misuse of Prescription drugs will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
• Any use of marijuana, including legal marijuana derivatives, bi-products or concentrates, within 12 months of application. Please note that while some states have decriminalized marijuana, it is still federally illegal and police employees are expected to adhere to all laws and regulations, on and off duty,
• Any use of illegal drugs or marijuana since applying to, or while employed by, any law enforcement agency (including military police agencies),
• Any prescription forgery, prosecuted, undetected or otherwise, within five years of application
• Any participation in, or allowing of, the manufacture, selling, offering to sell, cultivation, warehousing, distribution, holding or transporting for another, transporting for sale, or financing of any illegal drugs/narcotics within five years of application, including extraction and concentration of THC oils from marijuana for the production of "honey", "wax", "dabs" or any other THC concentrate,
• Any distribution of illegal drugs or illegal distribution of marijuana since applying to, or while employed by, any law enforcement agency (including military police agencies)

The following Criminal Violations will be disqualifying:

• Any adult felony conviction. 
• Any juvenile felony conviction within the past five years. 
• Any misdemeanor conviction for a crime involving moral turpitude. 

• Commission of any crime of violence, including domestic violence.
• Commission of any sexual offense within the past five years.
• Any conviction of a felony crime at any time while employed in any capacity with a Law Enforcement Agency (including volunteer, intern, and reserve positions).
• Any single theft of property or money in excess of $100 value within the past five years.

This is a non-exempt regular, full-time position represented by a collective bargaining unit. 

This position is open until filled.

Salary : $78,584 - $100,281