Victim Advocate Bilingual Counselor
Salary
$52,769.60 Annually
Location
218 SE 24th Street, Gainesville, FL
Job Type
Full-Time
Job Number
FY26-17367
Department
Community Support Services
Division
Victims Services & Rape Crisis Center
Opening Date
09/04/2026
Closing Date
9/11/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelors degree in counseling, social work, sociology, psychology, womens/gender studies or a related field; or any equivalent combination of related training and experience. Applicants within six months of meeting the minimum education/experience requirement may be considered for trainee status.
Must be bilingual in English and Spanish. Required to read, write and speak English and Spanish fluently.
A Valid Florida Driver License is required and a Motor Vehicle Record that meets the requirements of Alachua County policy #6-7; Motor Vehicle Records will be reviewed prior to employment. If, in the past 24-month period, the applicants Motor Vehicle Record has more than three (3) moving traffic infractions or three (3) or more at fault motor vehicle accidents (or combination of both and /or a conviction/pending charge for driving under the influence) or is in violation of any standard mandated by Federal or State Law or Regulation, the minimum qualifications are not met for the position.
Successful completion of all applicable background checks pre-hire and ongoing are required.
This is a grant funded position. Employees are eligible for benefits but have no guarantee of permanent employment.
Position Summary
This is responsible counseling work assisting rape, sexual violence/assault and crime victims for the Department of Community Support Services, Victim Services & Rape Crisis Center.
An employee assigned to this classification contacts and assists victims of rape, sexual violence/assault and violent crimes through police interviews, medical examinations and criminal justice proceedings while utilizing bilingual skills in English and Spanish.
Work is performed under the direction of a higher-level supervisor and is reviewed through conferences, reports and observation of the results obtained.
Examples of Duties
This is an emergency essential classification. Upon declaration of a disaster and/or emergency, all employees in this classification are required to work.
Exudes a positive customer service focus.
Advocates building organizational culture through aligning decisions with the Countys core values.
Expedites victims claims through public assistance programs, criminal justice activities and emergency intervention services.
Coordinates necessary emergency services such as, food, clothing, shelter, transportation and medical needs, to eligible victims of rape, sexual violence/assault and crime.
Provides support to rape, sexual violence/assault and crime victims by physically accompanying them through the judicial process.
Informs victims of F.S.960, Victim Assistance.
Assists rape, sexual violence/assault and crime victims with preparing victim impact statements.
Provides follow-up assistance, like information and referral to clients.
Provides short-term counseling sessions with clients face to face and by telephone.
Develops community education and media presentations to increase the public understanding and awareness of the problems and needs of rape, sexual violence/assault and crime victims.
Documents data on rape, sexual violence/assault and crime victims for statistical purposes.
Encourages the reporting of crimes by the promotion of services available to rape, sexual violence/assault and crime victims.
Provides information about rape, sexual violence/assault and crime victims programs to law enforcement officers.
Attends training to remain current of trends and skills required for effective job performance.
Responsible for case status updates, opening and maintaining files, documenting statistics, planning program events for the public, answering telephone calls, acting as liaison with local agencies and assisting clients as much as possible.
Transports clients to related engagements on an as-needed basis.
Drives a County and/or personal vehicle regularly to respond to crisis calls 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week; drives to offsite locations to conduct training and/or participate in outreach events.
Provides outreach to rape, sexual violence/assault and crime victims on a 24-hour, on- call basis, at crime scenes, hospitals or wherever needed.
Performs the duties listed, as well as those assigned, with professionalism and a sense of urgency.
NOTE: The examples listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various kinds of work performed in positions allocated to this class. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Considerable knowledge of the policies and procedures of victimology counseling and
assistance programs.
Considerable knowledge of community assistance programs and agencies for rape, sexual violence/assault and crime victims.
Knowledge of the criminal justice system especially as it relates to rape, sexual violence/assault and crime victims.
Ability to counsel rape, sexual violence/assault and crime victims effectively and determine routes for referral and assistance.
Ability to read, write, and speak effectively and fluently in both English and Spanish languages.
Ability to relate and to react to the needs of clients.
Ability to facilitate support groups for adults and child victims.
Ability to maintain effective working relationships with clients and community organizations.
Ability to make public presentations before community organizations about the program.
Ability to respond to various clients and agencies with little advanced warning.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach and to be mobile.
Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision, and distance vision.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are
representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential
functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outdoor weather conditions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
An organization is only as good as the people it employs. To attract and retain the best team possible, the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners offers a competitive benefit program. We believe that if we expect our employees to support the County, we must first support the health and financial well-being of our employees and their families, now and as they plan for their future. BoCC-Contributed Benefits
Optional Benefits
NOTE: For detailed information regarding available benefits click here.
You may also view Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding benefits.
Vacation Leave - Generous vacation accrual rates with payout of unused accrued leave, with some restrictions. For more detailed information regarding vacation leave refer to Employee Policy Manual, Section 7-2.
Sick leave is earned at a rate of 4 hours per pay period by all permanent, full-time employees. At the end of each fiscal year, eligible employees can convert up to 10 days of accrued sick leave to vacation leave on a 2:1 basis. For more detailed information regarding sick leave refer to Employee Policy Manual, Section 7-3 Accruals slightly different for IAFF employee.
01
If an applicant meets all minimum qualifications as posted he/she is referred to the appropriate hiring manager. The following Supplemental Questions are specific to the position for which you have applied to assist the hiring manager in screening applications for the ones with the specific experience he/she is seeking. Please be specific in answering these questions as they will be used to evaluate which applications will be given further consideration in the process. I understand and will answer the following supplemental questions completely and thoroughly.
02
Do you have work/volunteer experience providing counseling or emotional support to clients?
03
If yes to question 2, how many years of experience do you possess?
04
If yes to question 2, please describe your experience and where you were working/volunteering.
05
Do you have work/volunteer experience advocating on behalf of clients to secure needed services?
06
If yes to question 5, how many years of experience do you possess?
07
If yes to question 5, please describe your experience and where you were working/volunteering.
08
This position requires the ability to communicate fluently in both English and Spanish. Do you meet this requirement?
09
This position requires participation in a 24-hour on-call rotation with other advocates. Are you able to participate in an on-call rotation?
10
This position is funded by a grant that must be renewed each year. Do you understand that continued employment at the Center will depend on the grant getting renewed annually?
11
I understand a Valid Florida Driver License is required and a Motor Vehicle Record that meets the requirements of Alachua County policy #6-7; Motor Vehicle Records will be reviewed prior to employment. If, in the past 24-month period, the applicants Motor Vehicle Record has more than three (3) moving traffic infractions or three (3) or more at fault motor vehicle accidents (or combination of both and /or a conviction/pending charge for driving under the influence) or is in violation of any standard mandated by Federal or State Law or Regulation, the minimum qualifications are not met for the position.
12
I understand that once my application has been submitted for this specific position that I will NOT be able to make any changes to it. Any changes to my master application will only be reflected in any future positions for which I may apply.
13
Do you possess a Valid State of Florida drivers license?
Required Question
Employer Alachua County
Address 12 S.E. 1st Street, 1st Floor
Gainesville, Florida, 32602-2877
Phone (352) 374-5219
Website https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/HR/Pages/HumanResources.aspx
| Location | Gainesville, FL |
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