Crime Victim Liaison

Primary Objective

• Models and contributes to a positive work environment, culture of communication, engagement and safety
• Communicates effectively and respectfully with employees and the general public, including but not limited to those of diverse racial, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Works cooperatively as a member of a team; develops and maintains effective working relationships with diverse coworkers and community members; consistently brings a high level of self-awareness and empathy to all personal interactions
• Embraces the City's shared values and contributes towards accomplishing the City's vision and goals by being creative, innovative, continuously learning, and communicating clearly

Examples of Duties

• Help crime victims (individuals and corporations) understand and navigate the criminal justice process, including the investigatory stage, charging procedure, prosecution process and post-conviction process. Assist victims with hearing/trial preparation and accompany them to court
• Answer questions about the statutory rights afforded to crime victims and provide statutorily required notices
• Answer questions about the availability of monetary compensation for actual losses incurred through restitution, crime victim reparations, and emergency funds
• Connect victims to community organizations and resources that provide emergency assistance such as transportation, shelter, food, and other basic necessities
• Develop and maintain formal and informal working relationships as a liaison between crime victims, law enforcement, prosecutors, court administration, criminal justice partners, and judges to ensure the meaningful participation of victims in the resolution of the criminal case
• Work effectively in a variety of settings, including ongoing and in-person court hearings, a dedicated office space within City Hall, and remotely, upon approval
• Maintain contact with victims regarding their availability and obligation to testify at trial throughout a criminal case
• Act as a liaison and maintain productive working relationships with other criminal justice system partners, such as probation officers, to ensure crime victims have the information needed at various stages of the criminal justice process
• Act as a point of contact for victims in expungement cases, including the provision of notices and copies of expungement documents to victims
• Assist in developing department policies and procedures related to crime victim rights
• Establish and carry-out end-of-case processes that ensures complete information is provided to victims about post-conviction issues, rights, resources, and information
• Establish and maintain productive working relationships and regular communication with community resources and partners, and neighboring or overlapping law enforcement and criminal justice agencies
• Provide training and updates on crime victimization and rights issues
• Promote, collaborate on, and assist with local community education efforts aimed at enhancing community and public safety
• Maintain accurate records and assist in grant reporting
• Perform other duties as apparent or assigned

• Ability to establish and maintain positive, professional working relationships with the public, City staff, and partner agencies
• Ability to pass a comprehensive background check which will be run periodically to comply with grant requirements
• Ability to adapt communication style to multiple cultural environments
• Ability to travel to downtown Minneapolis three or more days a week to assist victims who attend court hearings
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Proven ability to work with minimal oversight and direction

Minimum/Desirable Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Criminal Justice, or closely related field, and two years of work experience in victim advocacy, criminal justice or a closely related field resulting in knowledge of the criminal justice system and victim resources

  OR

  Associate’s degree in Social Work, Criminal Justice, or closely related field, and four years of work experience in victim advocacy, criminal justice, or a closely related field resulting in knowledge of the criminal justice system and victim resources

• Valid driver’s license
• Can be available some evenings, as needed to meet the needs of victims

• Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Experience working with communities of low-income, new immigrant, and non-English speaking residents
• Experience developing and implementing service programs
• Experience with eFiling
• Experience working in a paperless environment
• Experience with trauma-informed care
• Experience with grant reporting, tracking, and administration
• Certification of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Advocacy Training (40 or more hours)
• Ability to speak a second language, in addition to English that has a recognized presence in the community. (Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Chinese Mandarin, Cambodian, etc.)

Supplemental Information

Benefits for regular, full-time employees of the City of Bloomington (with the exception of 24 hour firefighters and 24 hour fire fighter/paramedics) include the following:

• 10 days paid vacation per year
• 13 days paid personal leave per year
• 13 paid holidays per year
• 12 weeks paid parental leave
• Employee health and dental insurance
• Paid employee life insurance
• Paid employee disability insurance
• Employer/employee paid pension
• Deferred compensation
• Tuition assistance program
• Health club membership reimbursement
• Flexible spending account
• Employee Assistance Program
• Other optional benefits
• Great suburban location, on bus line
• Free employee parking

• (Union contracts may vary from the above list.)