Client Advocate

ABOUT US

Resolving to make the world better for children is at the heart of Safe Shores
-The DC Children’s Advocacy Center’s mission to provide survivor-centered intervention, hope, and healing for children and families affected by abuse, trauma, and violence in the District of Columbia. Our efforts are focused on working to prevent and end child abuse and neglect through promising practices, policies, and partnerships. Working side-by-side with passion-driven multidisciplinary teams, we aim to:

• Minimize the trauma experienced by children and adolescents who have been identified as victims of sexual or physical abuse.
• Improve the investigation and prosecution of sexual and physical abuse cases from the point of intervention through to treatment and healing.
• Promote inter-agency collaboration for effective decision-making and management of sexual and physical abuse cases.
• Prevent further or future abuse of child victims.
• Provide training professionals in the field of investigation, prosecution, and provision of services for sexually and physically abused children, adolescents, and their non-offending caretakers.

As a Client Advocate, you would provide advocacy, crisis intervention, systems navigation, emotional support, and referrals to families impacted by sexual abuse, physical abuse, and other forms of violence. You would also work directly with non-offending caregivers to support the caregiver in providing support to child victims, their siblings, and any other secondary victims. The focus of advocacy is to help reduce trauma for the child and family members and to support cases in achieving best outcomes.

This position helps caregivers identify and access services the family may need and acts as a liaison with the Multidisciplinary Team, supporting the child and family throughout the investigative process. This in-person position is subject to modification or hybrid work based on programmatic needs. The incumbent must participate in an on-call rotation for after-hours and weekend forensic interviewing and advocacy.

This position is a mandated reporter for child abuse and neglect under District of Columbia Statute §4-1321.02.

• Provide support, education, and crisis intervention to non-offending caregivers, secondary victims/survivors, and children during the forensic interview process and, as needed, assist caregivers in identifying options that are available to them and empowering them.
• Meet with non-offending caregivers to assess social service and crime victims’ compensation needs, connect them with child‑serving community‑based agencies, and follow up to ensure services are obtained.
• Provide information to the non-offending caregivers regarding trauma and the impact of trauma on children, adolescents, and families.
• Provide caregivers with educational information about available support and service resources, crime victim rights, and the multidisciplinary team (MDT) investigation process.
• Participate in the MDT process by coordinating client services, as needed, with clinical staff and MDT members (attorneys, law enforcement, social workers, and medical personnel)
• Provide accompaniment to clients as needed for housing referrals, school support, or court accompaniment.
• Troubleshoot barriers to accessing services with clients and community service agencies.
• Assist the family in accessing services the team recommends and provide immediate and ongoing follow-up as needed.
• Steward children and non-offending caregivers throughout the investigative process.
• Partnering with Advocates on the Youth Advocacy Team to support adolescent victims/survivors.
• Act as an advocate/liaison between families and law enforcement, child protective services, medical and mental health service providers, and the prosecutor’s office.
• Assist in developing information and resources to support children and caregivers.
• Perform a safety assessment of the family and develop and recommend a safety plan in cases when appropriate.
• Participate in regular individual supervision, staff meetings, multidisciplinary (MDT) meetings, in‑service training, professional development, and other meetings as required.
• Provide 24‑hour…