Sojourner Advocate - Restraining Order

Sojourner Advocate - Restraining Order

Full Time (40 hours), Shift: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm with one day 10am-6pm per week

Pay: $20.00, $21.50 for bilingual employees (Spanish/English)

Sojourner Family Peace Center employs dedicated, hardworking professionals who want to be of service to others and make a difference in Milwaukee and surrounding communities. If you have a desire to help support survivors and work with passionate colleagues, whose personal and professional experience is as diverse as the clients we serve, this may be the position for you.

Overview

This position will work within the Milwaukee County Restraining Order Office to support and assist victims from diverse backgrounds. The Advocate will work to help clients understand and navigate the civil and criminal court system processes, explore their options and rights when utilizing these systems, develop safety plans and access needed community resources. This position must maintain collaborative relationships with, but not limited to Court Commissioners, Clerical staff, Milwaukee County Sheriff Department and other advocacy staff.    

Total Rewards Program We Provide

-Competitive Salary, $20.00 per hour or $21.50 bilingual rate for Spanish and English

-Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

-Short-Term Disability Insurance

-Group Life Insurance

-Generous 403B Retirement Plan with Match

-Comprehensive Wellness Program

-Flexible Spending Accounts

-5 Wellness Days per year

-10 Paid Holidays

-Generous PTO Policy 

-Employee Assistance Program

-Voluntary Benefits through Colonial Life Insurance

-Professional Development Opportunities

What are the Job Responsibilities?

  -Collaborate with all Sojourner Family Peace Center staff to assist clients and ensure all safety planning, community resource and legal assistance needs are met, among others. Make client referrals to agency and community resources as needed.

 -Inform, educate, and prepare victims regarding offender’s status – in-custody, out-of-custody, bail, warrant status, etc.   Register victims for VINE if offender is in custody and/or connect them with Probation & Parole, if necessary.   Will work with clients to develop a personal safety plan while the offender is incarcerated or out-of-custody.

 -Provide legal advocacy to victims of domestic abuse, harassment, juvenile harassment, individuals at risk and child abuse seeking temporary restraining orders and injunctions.

 -Accompany clients to legal proceedings as requested or necessary; become knowledgeable about basic proceedings in criminal, civil and family law in order to assist and support clients understanding and navigation of these systems.

 -Provide services including follow-up telephone calls, information and referral to other services, preparation for the final injunction hearing, and accompanying victims to court.  Document all contacts.

 -Complete intakes with clients to help identify individual needs and assist with the development of a personal action plan built on formal/informal supports and community resources outlining goals and expectations. Utilize independent critical skills to identify additional challenges such as AODA and mental health issues that can present at varying levels of severity.

 -Work with external partners such as the police, district attorney’s office and school systems among others, to maximize the effectiveness of restraining orders and injunctions for clients.

 -Maintain a full understanding of onsite FPC partners including what services are provided and how to make appropriate referrals. Know community resources and maintain active connections to them. 

 -Assess clients for emergency legal needs and refer them to the staff paralegal and attorneys at Legal Action Wisconsin or other legal resources.

 -Assist with gathering and compiling advocacy statistics and assist with reports to funding sources.

 -Assist with training volunteers and interns.

 -Attend internal staff meetings and team meetings.

 -Provide community outreach and education as applicable.

 -Ability to work a regular schedule and have regular attendance at the workplace.

 -Practice agency policies and safety in the workplace.

 -Participate in all mandatory meetings and trainings. 

 -Uphold and exhibit the agency’s Core Values.

 -All other work-related duties and projects as assigned.

Education, Experience, and Skills

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in criminal justice, social work, human services, or relevant field. Preferred one-two years of professional experience in advocacy, case management, or related field. Must possess basic knowledge of de-escalation techniques and utilize when necessary. Working knowledge and ability to perform Danger Assessment, LAP and other relevant screening tools preferred or ability to learn. Experience with the issue of family violence preferred. Fluent in Spanish and English is highly preferred. 

Apply

Apply using our online application system at https://www.familypeacecenter.org/careers. The review process will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. We do not access resumes posted in Indeed. Please apply and upload your resume directly to our web site. 

Sojourner complies with all federal, state, and local employment laws, providing equal employment opportunities without discrimination. In accordance with federal requirements, we will ensure that hiring, promotion, and workplace practices remain aligned with applicable laws and regulations.

Visit our Website at http://familypeacecenter.org