Legal Intern

About Safe Place Olympia

Safe Place is anon profit organization providing crisis intervention, advocacy, and support services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. We are committed to anti-oppression work, social justice, and trauma-informed care in all aspects of our services.

The Legal Services Intern is responsible for providing confidential, survivor-centered support and advocacy to individuals who have experienced domestic and sexual violence who are seeking support with domestic violence or sexual assault protection orders or anti-harassment order. This includes crisis intervention, safety planning, emotional support, and information regarding community and legal resources. The Legal Services Intern also works collaboratively with Safe Place Legal Program staff to ensure that they are providing best-practice advocacy to survivors and receiving required training, debriefing, and support for their role.

This position may provide services in-person at the Safe Place business office in downtown Olympia, over the phone, or provide emotional support during court proceedings at the court or during virtual hearings.

• Provide trauma-informed, culturally responsive support to domestic and sexual assault survivors of all genders and backgrounds.
• Be consistent, dependable, and reliable in attendance, according to the agreed schedule.
• Assist with safety planning, crisis intervention, and emotional support to callers and in-person clients.
• Maintain accurate and confidential communication and documentation in accordance with organizational policies and state/federal guidelines.
• Collaborate with staff to ensure up-to-date knowledge of best practices for legal advocacy and community resource knowledge and information.
• Participate in regular supervision and required training.

• Provide trauma-informed, culturally responsive support to clients.
• Conduct crisis intervention, emotional support, safety planning, and provide resource referrals.
• Implement legal program protocols in screening, intake, and civil legal advocacy services.
• Maintain survivor-centered, confidential, and non-judgmental advocacy.

• Complete accurate, confidential documentation according to organizational policy.
• Record call data, amount and type of service, referrals, and other required statistics.
• Ensure data entry follows state and federal confidentiality guidelines.

• Consult with Safe Place supervisor regarding best practices and updates to community resources.
• Communicate shift issues, crises, or concerns to supervisors in real time.
• Participate in legal team communication, debriefs, and check-ins.

• Complete required Advocacy Core Training and agency-specific training.
• Participate in ongoing training (20 hours annually if volunteering over one year).
• Attend supervision meetings and engage in debriefing for emotional resilience.

• Maintain healthy boundaries and adhere to ethical and confidentiality standards.
• Remain reliable for scheduled shifts and provide timely communication if unavailable.
• Uphold Safe Place values: quality, respect, self-care, diversity, integrity, and confidentiality.
• Review policies, procedures, and resource updates as needed.

• Background in social work, social services, criminal justice, or related field. One year’s experience working with survivors of trauma, sexual violence, or marginalized communities, or any equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Commitment to social justice, anti-oppression, and survivor-centered practices.
• Strong communication and emotional resilience skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and clear boundaries.
• Completion of 30+ hours of domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy training is required prior to working directly with survivors.

• Fluency in a second language (especially Spanish, ASL, or other commonly spoken languages in Thurston County).
• Familiarity with local resources and systems (legal,…