Supervisory Victim Advocate Counselor

Summary

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia's mission is to enforce the criminal laws of the United States and the District of Columbia, represent the interests of the United States in civil litigation, and respond to the public safety needs of the community by leading an effective, well-coordinated law enforcement effort that contributes to the overall goal of improving the quality of life in the District of Columbia.

Duties

• This Supervisory Victim Advocate Counselor provides professional services to victims and witnesses of crime within the criminal justice system in the fields of sociology, psychology, and criminology. If selected for this position, you will serve as a Supervisory Victim Advocate Counselor in the Victim Witness Division (VWD) of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (USAODC). Typical work assignments will include: Plans and assigns work accomplished by subordinates based on priorities; sets and adjusts short-term priorities; and prepares schedules for completion of work. Provides professional services and relevant information to victims and witnesses regarding dynamics of victimization, social services resources, and the criminal justice process. Directs or performs victim-witness program operations regarding Superior Court and District Court general crime, domestic violence, or special victims activities. Serves as lead Forensic Interviewer (FI) and assign advocacy/forensic interview cases to advocates within the unit; maintain FI policies, procedures, and practice flow; manage FI tracking logs and annual end-of-year reports. Enhances program visibility and growth through planning and coordination; work directly with community outreach to foster community engagement; organizes awards ceremonies and delegate responsibilities as needed. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying: To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must possess: Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal Service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing at least (3) out of (4) of the following duties: Providing victim-advocacy services, including social-service referrals, court accompaniment, safety planning, victim-compensation assistance, or information about victims' rights and the criminal justice process; Interviewing victims or witnesses, assessing needs, providing crisis intervention, or developing service plans; Coordinating with legal, law enforcement, social-service, or advocacy organizations to address victim needs; Directing victim-services operations and supervising staff by assigning work, evaluating performance, or providing guidance and training. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-12 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level. You must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted; recommended SF-50s include promotions and step increases (within grade increases). All applicants will be reviewed to ensure they meet minimum qualification and eligibility requirements before carrying out the rating and ranking process. Applicants will not be further considered who will not meet within 30 days after the closing date of the vacancy announcement all qualification and eligibility requirements.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Staff Acquisition Applicant Support at [email protected] or to obtain an alternative application.