Victim Advocate Volunteer at City of Fort Collins in Fort Collins, Colorado

Job Description:

POSITION TITLE: Victim Advocate Volunteer (Volunteer Position)
REQUISITION #: req5291
DEPARTMENT: Police Administration
LOCATION: POLICE BUILDING
BENEFIT CATEGORY: No Benefits View Classifications & Benefits
EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Volunteer
SELECTION PROCESS: Open until filled.

Applications being accepted now are for a selection process that will begin on June 1, 2023. An applicant should receive an e-mailed confirmation that their application was received, but should not anticipate any further correspondence prior to the first week of June, 2023.

You will receive an email acknowledgment when you have successfully submitted an application. Your completed application will be forwarded to the hiring manager. You will be notified if you are selected for further testing or interviews. Please keep your contact information up-to-date. The status of your application will be updated in your applicant profile. Background check and MVR required. Post-offer drug test required within four calendar days (96 hours) of offer.

The Community: The City of Fort Collins sits nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains alongside the banks of the Cache La Poudre River. At 5,000 feet in elevation, residents enjoy a moderate, four-season climate, with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year. With 174,800 residents, Fort Collins is Colorado's fourth-largest city and spans 57 square miles. With the 20 year growth projection, the City of Fort Collins is expected to reach 255,000 residents.

The first people who hunted in this region arrived approximately 11,000 years ago, and Northern Colorado remains an integral part of the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations. European-American trappers and traders arrived by the early 1800s but rarely established permanent settlements. Gold and silver discoveries in the Colorado mountains in the mid-1800s and the prospect of land for farming and ranching attracted people from eastern cities and across the globe to the Colorado Territory, including what would become the town of Fort Collins; an agricultural colony that emerged from its founding days as a military fort. The expansion included the sugar beet industry's growth, which brought new residents whose descendants still live here today, including Mexican-American families from southern Colorado, New Mexico, and northern Mexico, as well as Germans from Russia. Since 1879, Fort Collins has been the home of the state's land grant institution, Colorado State University, which currently enrolls 34,000 students. Along with the university, the city's major high-tech and manufacturing companies and breweries attract new residents from all over the country and world. The community's overall social diversity continues to grow.

There are abundant outdoor recreation opportunities available to the many residents who enjoy healthy lifestyles. The nearby Horsetooth Reservoir is a key attraction, as is the Cache La Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway. The Downtown district provides many venues for live music, shopping, dining, and nightlife within the city. Fort Collins is widely considered the Craft Beer Capital of Colorado. The City has a strong appreciation for arts, culture, and entertainment. Various national organizations and magazines recognize Fort Collins as one of the best places to live in the nation.

The City's long list of acknowledgements includes:

• No. 5 Best Remote-Ready Cities: Livability.com Jan 2021
• Top 30 Creative Small Cities: CVSuite - May 2020
• No. 18 Safest Cities in America: SafeWise - April 2020
• No. 1 Best Place to Live: Livability.com March 2020
• No. 9 Most Fitness Friendly Places: SmartAsset - Dec 2019
• No. 7 Safest Driving Cities: Allstate - June 2019
• No. 4 Best U.S. Cities to Raise a Family: MarketWatch - April 2019
• No. 9 Best Performing Cities: Milken Institute - Jan 2019
• No. 3 U.S. Cities with Highest Economic Confidence: Yahoo - Nov 2018
• No. 2 Brain Concentration Index: Bloomberg - Nov 2018
• No. 1 City in America for Cycling: PeopleForBikes-May 2018
• Outstanding Achievement in Local Government Innovation Award: Alliance for Innovation-April 2018
• The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award-Nov 2017
• 18th Best City for Career Opportunities: SmartAsset - Sep 2017
• 3rd Best College Town to Live in Forever: College Ranker - July 2017
• 25 Best Towns Ever: Where to Live Now: Outside Magazine - June 2017


• No. 1 Stable and Growing Housing Market: Realtor.com-June 2017
• 11th Happiest City in America: Yahoo! Finance - March 2017
• No. 9 Top 150 Cities for Millennials Report: Millennial Personal Finance - Feb 2017
• No. 2 Best Cities for Small Business Owners: ValuePenguin - Feb 2017

Why Work For the City of Fort Collins?

- Potential for paid personal leave and paid holidays days

- Employee Assistance Program: counselling, legal, and financial assistance

- Wellness program, workout facilities

- Personal & professional learning opportunities plus potential for career mobility

- Collaborative work environment

VICTIM SERVICES TEAM

JOB TITLE: Victim Services Volunteer

PURPOSE: Members of the Victim Services Team will be trained to offer emotional support and crisis intervention to individuals who have become a victim of crime within the Fort Collins city limits. They will also provide information on the criminal justice system, support agency referral, aid in acquiring emergency shelter, and facilitate other immediate needs. The Victim Services Volunteer will conduct follow-up assistance in providing information on victim compensation benefits and status and progression of their case through preliminary stages of the judicial system until the time of arrest. Victim Services Volunteers will report to the Victim Services Supervisor.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide advocacy and immediate crisis intervention for victims of crime;

• Assess immediate victim needs and provide referrals and follow-up services;

• Act as a liaison between victims and the criminal justice system;

• Provide victims with information on other proceedings;

• Ensure that victims are aware of their rights under the Colorado Crime Compensation Act and the Colorado Law and provide them with name of contact person if applicable;

• Complete necessary reports and documenting services rendered and activities performed;

• Represent Fort Collins Police Services in a positive and professional manner when contacting victims or citizens in general;

• Attend bi-monthly support and training meetings;

• Make a one-year commitment to the program;

• Complete a mandatory 8-hour ride-along with an officer as part of initial training, as well as a ride-along once every six months.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must be at least 21 years of age;
• Must live in close proximity to the city limits of Fort Collins in order to respond to calls in a timely manner;
• Must have a valid driver's license;
• Ability to provide his/her own transportation and have appropriate vehicle insurance;
• Ability to complete the application and background investigation process successfully;
• Ability to attend 45 hours of initial training (involves evenings and weekends);
• Ability to cope with emotional and stressful situations;
• Ability to be empathetic and non-judgmental with victims of crime;
• Ability to maintain confidentiality;
• Possess strong interpersonal skills;
• Be self-motivated;
• Ability to be on call by pager when assigned (involves evenings/weekends/holidays);
• Ability to communicate well, think well, and respond quickly, often in crisis situations, are essential qualifications.

BENEFITS: Victim Services Volunteers will be provided in-depth and ongoing training in dynamics of victimization in victim assistance and will gain direct experience in providing support to people in need. They will also gain knowledge about law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Participation will enhance the community responsiveness to rights of victims and survivors of crime.

Victim Services Volunteer Basic Training Course

The following are some of the basic classes held during the initial Victim Assistance Academy. Other training topics are offered to advocates throughout the year, or during monthly victim advocate meetings. The list does not include all training offered.

• Crisis Intervention
• Medical Examiner's/Coroner's Office - How advocates work with them
• Death investigations - Includes homicide, unattended death, suicide, accidental. What advocates need to know
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
• Sexual Assault - adults and children
• Robbery
• Kidnapping
• Working with other Larimer County based victim service providers

If you are interested in the Victim Services program and becoming a Victim Services Volunteer, please submit your application. If you have any additional questions or concerns about this program and would like further clarification, please email Melissa Funk, Victim Services Supervisor, mfunk@fcgov.com.
The City of Fort Collins will make reasonable accommodations for access to City services, programs and activities and will make special communication arrangements for persons with disabilities. Please call (970) 221-6535 for assistance.

Notice Regarding Medical and/or Recreational Marijuana Use
Because the possession and use of marijuana, whether for medical use or otherwise, constitutes a federal offense and because the City is a drug free workplace, the City will not accommodate the medical use of marijuana and enforces written policy prohibiting working for the City while marijuana is in the body. The fact that state law recognizes medical marijuana as a prescribed, or otherwise permitted, medication does not alter or otherwise change this policy.

The City of Fort Collins is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered for positions for which they have applied without regard to gender (regardless of gender identity or gender expression), race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age 40 years or older, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy or other characteristics protected by law. For the purpose of this City policy "sexual orientation" means a person's actual or perceived orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality.

BACKGROUND CHECK & MVR REQUIRED. DRUG TEST REQUIRED WITHIN FOUR CALENDAR DAYS/96 HOURS OF OFFER.

Note: Some information in your application may be public information under the Colorado Open Records Act.VICTIM SERVICES TEAM

JOB TITLE: Victim Services Volunteer

PURPOSE: Members of the Victim Services Team will be trained to offer emotional support and crisis intervention to individuals who have become a victim of crime within the Fort Collins city limits. They will also provide information on the criminal justice system, support agency referral, aid in acquiring emergency shelter, and facilitate other immediate needs. The Victim Services Volunteer will conduct follow-up assistance in providing information on victim compensation benefits and status and progression of their case through preliminary stages of the judicial system until the time of arrest. Victim Services Volunteers will report to the Victim Services Supervisor.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide advocacy and immediate crisis intervention for victims of crime;

• Assess immediate victim needs and provide referrals and follow-up services;

• Act as a liaison between victims and the criminal justice system;

• Provide victims with information on other proceedings;

• Ensure that victims are aware of their rights under the Colorado Crime Compensation Act and the Colorado Law and provide them with name of contact person if applicable;

• Complete necessary reports and documenting services rendered and activities performed;

• Represent Fort Collins Police Services in a positive and professional manner when contacting victims or citizens in general;

• Attend bi-monthly support and training meetings;

• Make a one-year commitment to the program;

• Complete a mandatory 8-hour ride-along with an officer as part of initial training, as well as a ride-along once every six months.

Apply Now