What are the responsibilities and job description for the Forensic Interviewer position at Pinal County?
Description
Purpose. Reward. Balance.
Have you ever wondered if you are truly contributing toward something meaningful? If you’re looking for something more rewarding that isn’t based on profits, consider serving the community you live in.
Public service is a fulfilling career choice; not only does it provide an immense sense of purpose it also impacts you financially as well. We may not be the most competitive on salary, but we offer an amazing value to our employees including highly sought after retirement plans and extremely affordable benefit costs. In the long run, Pinal County is an excellent choice to fulfill your heart and soul along with funding your retirement!
Pinal County paves the way to work/life balance. Where else can you find paid sabbaticals every five years plus generous paid time off?
Check out all of our benefit offerings:
Working at Pinal County is an investment in YOU.
Apply today and find out why Pinal County is more than just a job.
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Read more about the position and see if it is a good match for you:
- An Employer that Values Each Employee and Prioritizes a Work Experience that Provides Ample Time for Stress Reduction and Work Life Balance.
- Paid Vacation And Sick Leave
- 15 Vacation Days Accrued Annually Starting Day One
- After Three (3) Years of Service 18 Vacation Days Accrued Annually
- After Five (5) Years of Service 20 Vacation Days Accrued Annually
- Ten Paid Holidays One Paid Floating Holiday to Use as You Wish
- 13 Sick Leave Days Accrued Annually Starting Day One
- Paid Sabbaticals Every Five (5) Years
- Two Week Sabbatical After Five Years of Continuous Service
- Three Week Sabbatical After Ten Years of Continuous Service
- Four Week Sabbatical After Fifteen Years of Continuous Service
- Four Week Sabbaticals Every Five Years After Fifteen Years of Continuous Service
- Comprehensive Wellness Program
- Quarterly Wellness Challenges
- Vision Exams and Optometry Events Onsite
- Vaccination Clinics
- Onsite Mammogram and Prostate Screening Events
- Skin Cancer Screening Events Onsite
- Biometrics and Health Screening Events Onsite
- Financial Health and Retirement Planning Events Onsite & Online
- Fitness Resources and Onsite Sessions Like Yoga and Tai Chi
- Retirement Plans with Generous Employer Contributions - Guaranteed Lifetime Benefit!
- Variety of Top Tier Affordable Medical Plans - Six Different Medical Plans to Choose From
- Some Medical Plans with Zero Employee Premium Cost
- Dental and Vision Plans
- Tuition Reimbursement Program
- Alternative Work Schedules
- Telehealth
- Qualified Employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program through the Dept of Education
- Employee Assistance Program with Ongoing Training & Development Options
- Civil Service Leave
- VanPool Options
- Short-Term Disability – Employer Paid
- Basic Life Insurance - Employer Paid
- Flexible Spending Accounts for Dependent Care and Medical Expenses
- Suite of Voluntary Benefits including additional Life, Accident, Critical Illness & Cancer Insurance
Plus, work with an amazing team of people who are committed to making Pinal County a great place for its citizens and its employees.
JOB SUMMARY
Conduct forensic interviews of children in a timely, neutral and developmentally and culturally appropriate manner for the Pinal County Attorney's Office (PCAO) Family Advocacy Centers and assist investigations with other Federal, state, and regional Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) under basic supervision. .
Example of Duties
Work in this classification requires an individual to be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary classification functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this classification may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in this classification description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this description.
TYPICAL CLASSIFICATION ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
TYPICAL CLASSIFICATION ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
- Perform objective forensic interviews of children who are alleged to have been victims of abuse and neglect, or witnesses to crimes utilizing the Arizona statewide interview protocols of a semi-structured cognitive interview process.
- Work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary partners such as law enforcement, medical personnel, victim advocates, Department of Child Safety, prosecutors, and other partners.
- Develop rapport with caregivers and children when families visit the FAC.
- Conduct a thorough pre-interview with caregivers to obtain background information and information on the child’s communication and developmental functioning.
- Observe and evaluate the child’s emotional and developmental functioning before and during the forensic interview and structure the interview to best meet the needs of the child while obtaining information.
- Operate audio and visual equipment to record interviews.
- Provide weekend and after hours forensic interviews on an on-call basis.
- Participate in forensic interview peer reviews.
- Participate in Multi-Disciplinary Team case review meetings.
- Document activities in the PCAO case management system.
- Provide court testimony as needed regarding interviews conducted.
- Compile and report monthly activities and statistics.
- Develop and present training programs on a variety of specialized topics as needed.
- Maintain the integrity, professionalism, values, and goals of the County Attorney’s Office by assuring that all rules and regulations are followed and that accountability and public trust are preserved.
- Maintain absolute confidentiality of work-related issues, customer records and restricted County information.
- Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum Requirements
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:
- Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Counseling, or related field.
- Three (3) years of case management work experience with children.
- Valid Arizona State Driver’s License.
- Or an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience may substitute for the minimum requirements.
- Successful completion of Arizona Advanced Forensic Investigation Training is strongly preferred.
- Prior experience conducting forensic interviews
Supplemental Information
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Knowledge of County Attorney’s Office policies and procedures.
- Knowledge of state and Federal laws, regulations and statutes, including rules of evidence, and statutory restrictions on interviewing juvenile victims and witnesses.
- Knowledge of principles and techniques for conducting forensic interviews of minor children and special victims.
- Knowledge of Arizona criminal justice and court systems, procedures, and protocols.
- Knowledge of principles of confidential records, case files, and file management.
- Knowledge of the unique roles of law enforcement, advocates, medical providers and Department of Child Safety specialists.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Skill in interpreting and applying state and Federal rules and regulations.
- Skill in compiling and analyzing program data, preparing and maintaining accurate records, and generating reports.
- Skill in interpreting laws and regulations, maintaining composure, and working effectively under stressful conditions.
- Ability to use specialized interview techniques for children and victims of abuse and assault.
- Ability to assess for special needs and utilize a skilled communication approach accordingly.
- Ability to maintain a neutral position and fact-finding role within a legal framework.
- Ability to effectively approach children and families who have experienced significant trauma
- Ability to effectively manage situations requiring diplomacy, understanding, fairness, firmness, and sound judgment.
- Ability to follow and effectively communicate verbal and written instructions.
- Ability to work in a collaborative setting.
The work is light and requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects. The work also requires the ability to crawl, crouch, finger, reach, perform repetitive motion, kneel, hear, speak, stoop, walk, and demonstrate mental and visual acuity.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Work is performed in a dynamic environment that requires the ability to be sensitive to change and responsive to changing goals, priorities, and needs.
Notice to Applicants:
We appreciate your interest in our employment opportunities. At Pinal County, we value professionalism and treating others with respect. If these values are not demonstrated throughout the application and interview process we reserve the right to remove your candidacy from consideration and may impact your future Pinal County applications.
The hiring salary for this position is dependent upon experience, qualifications and position funding; starting salaries above the first quartile require additional approval.
