FRIENDS, Inc. - West Bend, WI
APPLY: https://www.friendswi.org/careers/
Salary $43,000-$45,000 a year/Full-time
Full job description
General Summary:
The Legal Advocate provides trauma-informed, survivor-centered advocacy to individuals impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault, with a primary focus on assisting survivors in navigating legal and judicial systems. Responsibilities include legal systems advocacy, restraining order assistance, court accompaniment, Victim Service Representation when appropriate, charging conference advocacy, legal resource referrals, safety planning, crisis intervention, and general advocacy services. The Legal Advocate works to ensure survivors understand their rights, options, and available resources while supporting client autonomy and informed decision-making. The Legal Advocate is not an attorney and does not provide legal advice or legal representation.
Starting Salary: $43,000 - $45,000
Standard shift coverage is:
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:00AM – 4:30PM
- Wednesday: 12:00PM – 8:30PM
- Saturday and Sunday: Occasional
Essential Functions:
General Duties:
- Provide comprehensive advocacy services to all survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
- Provide trauma-informed, survivor-centered, culturally responsive, and nonjudgmental advocacy that promotes client safety, autonomy, dignity, and informed decision-making.
- Maintain appropriate professional and legal boundaries by providing procedural information, advocacy, and support without providing legal advice, interpreting law for clients, making decisions on behalf of clients, guaranteeing legal outcomes, or acting as legal counsel.
- Maintain working knowledge of the legal system, and explain to clients their options and resources in a trauma informed way. As Advocates, we do not tell clients which direction they should take through the legal system.
- Provide procedural information and advocacy related to criminal, civil, family court, restraining order, custody/placement, divorce, and other legal matters commonly affecting survivors, while remaining within the Legal Advocate's non-attorney scope of practice.
- Assist survivors with restraining order paperwork and filing and provide court accompaniment and/or Victim Service Representative (VSR) support at injunction and other applicable hearings.
- Attend Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault charging conferences at the District Attorney’s office.
- Provide accompaniment and advocacy during law enforcement interviews, attorney meetings, court-related appointments, and other systems-based meetings as appropriate and requested by the survivor.
- Support clients completing Victim Impact Statements.
- Provide up-to-date legal resources and referrals for clients seeking legal representation including maintaining updated agency attorney resource log.
- Provide information about VineLink, SAFE fund, and Crime Victim Compensation to clients as appropriate.
- Responds to requests for the Safe At Home Program.
- Maintain active understanding of Our Family Wizard and assist in completing client fee waivers.
- Develop, maintain, and grow collaborative, professional relationships with the District Attorney's Office, Victim-Witness, Clerk of Courts, judiciary, law enforcement, attorneys, court personnel, and other community partners to strengthen survivors' access to services and legal protections.
- Completes client intakes and maintains accurate program paperwork and documentation in paper files and within Osnium according to agency procedures and timelines.
- Assist with reporting requirements, including tracking and gathering program statistics, providing success stories, and written summaries related to the programs/clients.
- Maintain timely and professional communication with clients, community partners, and agency staff, including responding to client inquiries, referrals, voicemails, emails, and internal service requests in accordance with agency expectations.
- Provides support answering FRIENDS, Inc.’s 24/7 crisis line providing support and resources.
- Attend committee meetings, both internal and external, as requested.
- Attend and participate in all staff meetings, coordinator meetings, shelter meetings, and weekly one-one ones with the Advocacy Manager.
- Supports and attends all FRIENDS, Inc. special events and functions including internal committees.
- Represents FRIENDS, Inc. in a positive manner.
- Other duties as assigned.
Additional Duties Specific to Sexual Violence:
- Participates in a rotation of daytime coverage for the SANE program and forensic interviews for the CAC (Child Advocacy Center), along with the Advocacy Team.
- Participates in a rotation of after-hours coverage for the SANE program, along with other agency staff
Pay: $43,000.00 - $45,000.00 per year
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Application Question(s):
- What interests you in the Legal Advocate position, and what do you believe would make you effective in this role?
- How would you define Domestic Violence? Sexual Violence?
Experience:
- Case management: 1 year (Preferred)
Location:
- West Bend, WI 53095 (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
- West Bend, WI 53095 (Required)
Work Location: In person