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County of Alpine Adopted 2/6/2018 VICTIM WITNESS COORDINATOR/OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR DEFINITION Under direction of the District Attorney, to plan, organize, coordinate and administer the Victim Witness Assistance Program Grant and to perform a variety of difficult and complex secretarial and administrative support tasks for various functions of the department and perform other related duties as assigned. CLASS CHARACTERISTICS The Victim Witness Coordinator/Office Administrator is a single-position classification responsible for coordinating and providing services through the victim/witness assistance program; and performs clerical, technical and administrative support work requiring specialized program knowledge and skills and the use of a high degree of independent judgement. EXAMPLES OF DUTIES – Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following: Administers grant funds for the Victim/Witness Assistance Program Grant; prepares budgets; provides fiscal accounting; ensures compliance with grant requirements, and prepares related reports. Contacts complainants, witnesses and other involved parties to coordinate court appearances and/or to assist with restitution and provide other services such as resource and referral counseling, follow-up counseling for witness and victims of crimes and domestic violence situations in accordance with the program and County policy. Assists with the development of community resources for victim witness assistance and represents the program with community organizations and agencies. Without providing legal advice, provides general information about crime victims’ rights and explains the court process to complainants and others involved in cases. Provides emotional and moral support to victims and witnesses of crimes; refers victims and witnesses to other agencies for additional assistance. Serves as liaison between the victim/witness, law enforcement officers, investigators, court personnel and community organizations. Keeps victims and witnesses informed of bail hearings, jail releases, court hearings, etc.; provides courtroom orientation and accompanies victims and witnesses in court as requested. Assists victims with preparing/submitting Victim Impact Statements to court. ---PAGE BREAK--- Victim Witness Coordinator Page 2 Promotes awareness and support of the Victim / Witness Assistance Program to law enforcement departments and throughout the community through public speaking engagements and distribution of written materials. Assists with the preparation of the department’s annual budget; monitors expenditures and receipts. Prepares and/or assists in the preparation of various financial and statistical reports and may perform various bookkeeping tasks which may include but are not limited to calculating monies due, preparing billing invoices, collecting and receipting monies, processing claims for payment, preparing bank deposits and processing department payroll etc. Performs a variety of administrative support duties for the District Attorney’s office, including but not limited to establishing and maintaining filing systems, making travel arrangements, ordering supplies and maintaining supply inventory, processing mail, copying and filing documents, sending and receiving faxes, scheduling appointments and meetings as required. Greets and assists office visitors, answers the telephone; provides information and assistance, or screens and forwards calls. Prepares and processes various forms, records, applications, claims, permits, or other documents; creates forms to facilitate work as needed. Types various documents from drafts, notes, dictated tapes or brief instructions, which may include correspondence, reports, records, forms, notices, meeting minutes, manuals, contracts, specifications, proposals, official documents, legal documents etc,: may compose routine correspondence and other documents as required. Establishes organizes and maintains complex department filing and retrieval systems; adheres to established records retention schedules. Attends various meetings and training as required or appropriate. Operates a variety of standard office equipment, which may include computers, printers, typewriter, copier, adding machine, postage machine, fax machine, and telephone. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Knowledge of: Pertinent federal, state and County laws, regulations, codes, policies and procedures governing operations of the department. . ---PAGE BREAK--- Victim Witness Coordinator Page 3 Basic functional responsibilities of the District Attorney’s office and the court system. Standard secretarial / clerical practices and procedures. Legal terminology and formats for preparing legal documents. Legal filing techniques and procedures. Grant administration methods and reporting requirements. Policies, practices and procedures of victim / witness advocacy. Interviewing techniques for gathering factual information from victims and witnesses. Principles and practices of caseload management. Record-keeping, report preparation and indexing / filing systems and methods. Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary. Budget development, budget accounting and fiscal reporting procedures. Basic business arithmetic and business letter writing techniques. Modern office technology, including the use of computers for word and data processing. Complex indexing, filing and record-keeping methods. Ability to: Understand, explain and apply federal, state and County laws, codes, rules, policies and procedures. Provide responsible support to professional staff regarding victim-witness matters. Process a variety of legal forms and documents in accordance with strict requirements. Compose routine correspondence and documents independently. Prepare clear, concise, and competent reports, correspondence and other written materials. Research, compile, analyze, organize and present legal, financial and statistical information. ---PAGE BREAK--- Victim Witness Coordinator Page 4 Establish effective rapport with complainants, victims and witnesses to obtain confidential and personal information and elicit cooperation. Administer grant funds for Victim-Witness program. Understand and follow complex oral and written instructions. Use initiative and independent judgment within established guidelines. Organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines and follow up on tasks with minimal direction. Maintain accurate financial and statistical records and reports. Assist with budget preparation and expenditure control. Perform required mathematical computations accurately. Use computers effectively for word and data processing. Maintain a high degree of confidentiality. Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work. Organize and conduct various presentations before official and public bodies. Safely operate basic office equipment. Education: High school diploma or GED equivalent; specialized training in the legal secretarial field preferred. Experience: Previous legal secretarial experience or experience working with victims and witnesses desirable but not required. Other Requirements: Possession of a valid driver’s license. Successful candidate will be required to complete Victim-Witness certification (entry-level and advanced advocate) and ongoing training, as required by the Grant. ---PAGE BREAK--- Victim Witness Coordinator Page 5 TYPICAL PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS 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. Requires the ability to sit at desk for long periods of time and intermittently walk, stand, stoop, kneel, crouch and reach while performing office duties; lift and/or move objects weighing up to 25 pounds; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. Must be able to maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations, communicating with others, reading and writing, and operating office equipment. Must be able to use a telephone to communicate verbally and a keyboard to communicate through written means, to review information and enter/retrieve data, to see and read characters on a computer screen. Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or workstation and/or sitting in court.