Job Announcement

The Fairfax County Police Departments Victim Services Division is seeking to fill the position of a bi-lingual Victim Services Specialist to join our Spanish Speaking Unit. This position will provide direct services, support, and provision of crime victim services to Spanish speaking victims of violent crimes. Provides crisis counseling, safety planning and advocacy within a law enforcement environment to Spanish speaking victims of domestic and sexual violence, child abuse, robbery, homicide and other violent crimes by administering and providing services designed to do the following: provide emotional, physical, financial and practical support; provide access to the criminal justice system and support agencies; respond to call-outs including on weekends and holidays to crime scenes or other locations to provide crisis intervention for follow-up resources and provide information and support regarding the criminal justice system. Provides general victim advocacy/counseling; court accompaniment and filing victim compensation claims, including documentation, data collection and reporting; ensuring community awareness of and access to services and comprehensive care of victim-survivors.

Position may be underfilled as a Victim Services Specialist I (Probation Counselor I) (S20); the Underfill Requirements are stated below in the Employment Standards section.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position description.)

Victims Services

• Provides supportive services to victims and witnesses of crime involved in the criminal justice system including emotional support, financial assistance, counseling, and victim agency referrals;
• Maintains on-going contact/communication with victims and witnesses during investigation and judicial proceedings, and provides notifications of investigative activity or case developments as needed;
• Provides court accompaniment to crime victim and witnesses for all court proceedings in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations, General District and Circuit Courts;
• Reduces delays in bringing cases to court by assisting in determining availability of victims and witnesses;
• Responds to callouts to crime scenes and other locations to provide immediate crisis intervention and support, refers clients to related supportive services and agencies;
• Operates a county vehicle to provide the effective delivery of services to victims and witnesses including transporting victims and witnesses to court hearings, commonwealth's attorneys meetings and other court related appointments;
• Provides assistance by administering and providing services designed to enhance coordination among agencies operating within the criminal justice system;
• Works with and assists the officers and detectives within their district station assignment or the criminal investigations bureau with the proper victim services and referrals;
• Encourage citizen awareness and participation through public information and education.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all- inclusive list.)

• Knowledge of casework supervision practices and procedures;
• Knowledge of the principles of psychology and sociology;
• Knowledge of current social and economic conditions;
• Ability to use technology to enter and retrieve information;
• Ability to interpret laws, rules, and regulations related to probation work and victim services;
• Ability to interview and counsel clients;
• Ability to prepare complete case records and reports;
• Ability to develop effective working relationships with a variety of individuals.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for “Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to”)
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in social/behavioral sciences, criminal justice, or education plus two years of professional experience in probation work, social work, criminal justice, juvenile justice, education, or counseling. A master's degree in the disciplines above may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

UNDERFILL REQUIREMENTS:
This position may be underfilled as a Probation Counselor I (Grade S20; $51,873.74 - $86,455.41). The employment standards for the Probation Counselor I are: Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for “Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to”) Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in social/behavioral sciences, law enforcement, or education.

Applicants hired at the Probation Counselor I will be non-competitively promoted to the Probation Counselor II level upon successful completion of an underfill agreement.

Note: Underfill candidates must be able to meet the minimum qualifications of the Probation Counselor II within two years of the job announcement's closing date.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Fluency in both spoken and written Spanish and English required. Minimum of three years’ experience providing services to victims of crime. Strongly prefer experience in working in system- based victim advocacy field.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Driver's license (required)

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, child protective services registry check, credit check, driving record check, and polygraph exam to the satisfaction of the employer.

All newly hired employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (two weeks after the last required dose) as a condition of employment or obtain approval of a medical or religious exemption prior to their start date. Proof of an exemption or vaccination status will be required during the pre-employment onboarding process. New employees who obtain an exemption from the vaccine mandate for medical or sincerely held religious beliefs may be subject to a weekly testing requirement. Vaccinated employees and employees with a medical or religious exemption will complete the attestation online on their first day of employment or shortly thereafter.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Ability to drive an automobile; ability to operate keyboard-driven equipment and to sit for long periods. All duties may be performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview; may include exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 39.8% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov . EEO/AA/TTY.