The Legal Advocacy Coordinator provides support, information, and academic and legal/court advocacy to victim/survivors/concerned persons of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking and harassment for the University of Minnesota, TC and Augsburg College. This includes providing crisis counseling, information, referrals, and support to students, staff, faculty and visitors who walk-in or call The Aurora Center. The Legal Advocacy Coordinator also writes protective orders, assists clients through police, medical, criminal justice, and university systems, facilitates the support groups, and is the primarily point person for many administrative tasks such as ordering supplies and updating office documents.
Detailed job responsibilities (include, but are not limited to, the following): Advocacy: (65%) â— Answer helpline/business line and provide services to walk-in clients during office hours â— Provide advocacy for clients through systems including but not limited to academic, housing, police, hospital/medical, legal, Student Conduct & Academic Integrity, and Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action â— Provide information and referrals about legal, campus, and other community resources â— Assist clients in safety planning, identifying options, and problem-solving â— Provide information about restraining orders, family court, criminal court, and legal procedures â— Assist clients in filling out restraining orders, filing, and attending hearings â— Assist clients in enrolling for the Minnesota Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program â— Co-facilitate support groups with Student Counseling Services – manage intake process, maintain meeting schedule, and coordinate additional needs for the support group â— Provide high level support to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, academic departments, medical staff, and law enforcement regarding trauma-informed practices and policy/legal enforcement of sexual misconduct â— Communicate and assist faculty, staff, university Title IX investigators, university and community attorneys and law enforcement on the needs concerns, questions, and best practices of working with trauma survivors. â— Provide policy and protocol information about legal, university, and community resources â— Provide procedural options and assistance to clients through systems including academic, housing, police, hospital/medical, legal, Office for Community Standards, Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action, and more â— Keep supervisor informed of high-risk clients situations â— Participate as Helpline advocate back-up if needed
Administrative: (20%) â— Assist in client consultation, guidance, office orientation, and training to student staff, office advocates, and volunteer advocates â— Coordinate, schedule, and assist with Helpline call center system and technology and Helpline advocates â— Participate in weekly direct service meetings for client case management â— Consult with supervisor at biweekly one-to-ones about client concerns, workload management, professional development, scheduling, and other areas â— Facilitate monthly volunteer in-service trainings on Saturdays and sessions during 40-hour training for new volunteers held annually in February â— Attend trainings and continuing education activities as assigned â— Attend annual “new laws” training and webinars related to victim advocacy â— Other duties as assigned
Record-Keeping and Data Coordination: (10%) â— Maintain and input client records into departmental database in a timely manner â— Complete all required service documentation in a thorough and timely manner â— Participate in agency grant and data reporting as directed by supervisor â— Provide statistical reports for Clery Act and other departmental purposes â— Other duties as assigned
Outreach and Agency Representation: (5%) â— Speak at various meetings, functions, to explain Aurora’s mission and recruit new volunteers â— Attend partner agency meetings as assigned to address issues of sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking â— Provide professional training to groups such as law enforcement, university hearing panels, and other partner agencies â— Adhere to agency and university policies, including but not limited to confidentiality and the code of conduct/ethics â— Maintain professional boundaries with agency clients and co-workers
Report to: • Director of The Aurora Center for Advocacy & Education
Salary: $46,600-50,000
We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply — we’d love to hear from you.
Minimum Requirements: â— Bachelor’s degree in related field â— At least four years of experience working with victim/survivors of sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking â— Completion of 40 hour State Certified Sexual Assault Counselor Program â— Knowledge of the legal rights of victim/survivors and the civil and criminal legal systems in Minnesota â— Demonstrated ability to work with students, faculty, staff and community people from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds â— Trained by an anti-violence agency to write Order for Protection/Harassment Restraining Order form â— Effective oral and written communication skills to work collaboratively with clients, co-workers, and University and community partners â— Experience working in environments where confidentiality is required â— Excellent organizational skills â— Demonstrated judgment and ability to identify and prioritize high risk situations and inform appropriate channels
Preferred Requirements: â— Understanding of anti-oppression work and its role in addressing gender-based violence â— Experience facilitating support groups â— Experience supervising or mentoring volunteers â— Experience working with college students and faculty/staff â— Understanding of University/college systems and resources â— Knowledge or willingness to learn Titanium database program; computer literacy
The University of Minnesota, founded in the belief that all people are enriched by understanding, is dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth; to the sharing of this knowledge through education for a diverse community; and to the application of this knowledge to benefit the people of the state, the nation, and the world.