SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION RESPONSE VICTIM ADVOCATE (SAPR VA)

THIS IS AN INDIANA NATIONAL GUARD TITLE 5 EXCEPTED SERVICE POSITION This position is in the Excepted Service under the authority of Title V, P.L. 114-328, Sections 932 and 1084 (FY17 NDAA) This position is part of the IN Joint Forces HQ TAG, Indiana National Guard under Position Description Number PD# T5922000. If you would like the complete list of duties, please contact the POC of this announcement.

Perform essential victim service, advocacy, and support duties; provide a non-clinical response that is trauma-informed, gender-responsive, culturally responsive, and recovery-oriented, and without prejudice to adult victims of sexual assault.

Apply basic strategies for skilled communication, including developing rapport and actively listening, to provide initial victim advocacy services and crisis intervention support for adult victims of sexual assault.

Accept official reports of sexual assault by assisting the victim in completing the official Department of Defense (DoD) forms as applicable, taking sensitive care of handling personally identifiable information when it is disclosed.

Demonstrate expertise in offering comprehensive guidance to victims on reporting options, explaining exceptions and limitations for each, and ensuring understanding of the eligibility criteria for Special Victims’ Counsel.

Perform a series of complex assessments using trauma-informed approaches for all reports of adult sexual assault.

Implement mandatory standardized risk screening protocols to address immediate risk and safety concerns and apply strategies to develop tailored interventions that address the needs of individual victims.

Value and prioritize confidentiality and informed consent standards when advising the victim on the purpose of any information shared, ensuring to advise the victim on the protections and exceptions to confidentiality for all covered communications.

Independently prepare and submit to the SARC the “Victim Advocate Recommendations to the Commander” package within 24 hours of all Unrestricted Reports being filed.

Inform victims of the resources available to report instances of sexual assault related retaliation, reprisal, ostracism, maltreatment, sexual harassment, or to request a transfer.

Provide each victim tailored comprehensive referrals to on-installation and off-installation resources to include victim advocacy, legal, and medical/mental healthcare.

Develop and maintain ongoing working relationships with available military and civilian resources to aid with the process of providing a warm hand-off telephonically, virtually, or in-person, with the victim’s consent and preference, as applicable.

Develop detailed case management plans with short and long-term goals and objectives and engage in ongoing support activities tailored to the victim’s needs.

Collaborate closely with victims to develop and adapt safety plans and needs assessments to prioritize and address potential risks and vulnerabilities, applying trauma-informed best practices and understanding the importance of informed consent.

Collaborate and partner, as a member, with the sexual assault CMG members and the High-Risk Response Team to address and mitigate identified risks, safety concerns, and coordinate support services.

Ethically and collaboratively support and assist victims in identifying strategies that promote self-determination while addressing presenting risk factors to support continuous victim care and safety.

Safeguard the interests, rights, and privacy of victims who lack the capacity to make informed decisions independently during and after the course of the professional relationship.

Collaborate with victims to assess their readiness for case closure and develop a comprehensive closure plan, inclusive of completing a final safety assessment, applying transition strategies, and providing resources for continued care or needs.

Assist the SARC in the management and maintenance of case files in Defense Sexual Assault Incident Database, ensuring compliance with legal, privacy, and organizational policies and victim advocacy professional standards within timeframes.

Employ complex trauma-informed practices to provide tailored emotional support, ensuring victims feel respected, heard, and understood.

Provide culturally informed services that empower marginalized individuals and adapt support strategies to align with the cultural, social, and personal contexts of each victim.