SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION RESPONSE VICTIM ADVOCATE - TITLE 5

About the role

THIS IS A NATIONAL GUARD TITLE 5 EXCEPTED SERVICE POSITION.

This National Guard position is for a Sexual Assault Prevention Response Victim Advocate (SAPR VA), Position Description Number T5922000 and is part of the 165th Airlift Wing, Garden City, Georgia. This is a full-time, Excepted Permanent, position which does not require Georgia Air National Guard Membership. Area of Consideration: All United States Citizens.

What you will do

• Perform essential victim service, advocacy, and support duties; provide a non-clinical response that is trauma-informed, gender-responsive, culturally responsive, and recovery-oriented, and without prejudice to adult victims of sexual assault.
• Demonstrate understanding of trauma related to sexual violence and related complexities.
• This work involves Privacy Act and Controlled Unclassified Information and is therefore highly sensitive in nature.
• Apply basic strategies for skilled communication, including developing rapport and actively listening, to provide initial victim advocacy services and crisis intervention support for adult victims of sexual assault and comply with mandated timeframes for responding to requests and completing required documents within those timeframes.
• Conduct mandated initial risk screening; non-clinical safety assessment and planning; and coordinate medical, legal, and civilian and military law enforcement resources to address immediate risk, safety, and supportive service needs in accordance with applicable policy, prioritizing confidentiality and informed consent.
• Coordinate which cases can be managed independently with the SARC, employing judgement and problem-solving skills to identify a victim's specific needs and service delivery.
• Accept official reports of sexual assault by assisting the victim in completing the Defense Department (DD) Form 2910 and other official Department of Defense (DoD) forms as applicable, taking sensitive care of handling personally identifiable information when it is disclosed, as well as covered communications.
• Ensure to communicate with the victim an understanding of the SAPR VA role in the reporting process, subsequent processes associated with their election to file a report in accordance with DoD and Service level policies and regulations and provide tailored referrals and resources as applicable.
• Assist the victim in prioritizing actions and identifying short and long-term options to support needs and recovery.
• Demonstrate expertise in offering comprehensive guidance to victims on reporting options (Restricted and Unrestricted), to include options for those not ready to report, explaining exceptions and limitations for each, and ensuring understanding of the eligibility criteria for Special Victims' Counsel (SVC).
• Uphold the rights and confidentiality preferences of victims consistently throughout the reporting process.
• Support victims when contacting appropriate offices and facilitate warm hand-offs as requested.
• Ensure victims of sexual assault receive information and support during administrative, medical, investigative, and legal procedures to support victim self-determination and informed decision making.
• Perform a series of complex assessments using trauma-informed approaches for all reports of adult sexual assault.
• Apply research informed practices associated with victim advocacy, social service principles, and behavioral theories to include mandatory administration of standardized risk screenings and non-clinical safety assessment(s), thoroughly addressing all presenting safety concerns through use of risk mitigation strategies and techniques, developing an individualized safety plan with each victim, and conducting ongoing needs assessments and planning to address victim safety and support needs.
• Demonstrate highly adaptive application of strategies and skilled advocacy practices in identifying, establishing, and modifying victim advocacy support and assistance.
• Implement mandatory standardized risk screening protocols to address immediate risk and safety concerns and apply strategies to develop tailored interventions that address the needs of individual victims.
• Provide assistance to victims in securing medical treatment for physical and psychological injuries; safe shelter; protective orders; support before, during, and after trials; educational services; transportation; financial services; and any other services identified and requested by the victim.
• Value and prioritize confidentiality and informed consent standards when advising the victim on the purpose of any information shared during each interaction, ensuring to advise the victim on the protections and exceptions to confidentiality for all covered communications, to include Restricted and Unrestricted Reporting, per Military Rules of Evidence 514 "Victim Advocate - Victim Privilege" and DoD Sexual Assault Advocate Certification Program (D-SAACP) Professional Code of Ethics, and applicable guidance.
• Collaborate closely with victims to develop and adapt safety plans and needs assessments to prioritize and address potential risks and vulnerabilities, applying trauma-informed best practices and understanding the importance of informed consent throughout the process.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking.

Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

How you will be evaluated

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience.

If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Decisiveness

Documents you must provide

• You are required to provide documentation that supports the eligibility and qualification claims made in your resume and assessment questionnaire.
• You must submit the applicable documents listed here and those listed with the eligibilities you select in the announcement questionnaire with your application package.
• Applicants who do not provide supporting documentation that fully support their claims will not be referred to the hiring manager.
• Cover letter is optional.
• A complete resume is required.
• Your resume must show relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments.
• Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications.
• The following information should be provided in your resume, but it is acceptable to provide elsewhere in your application package: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr.), hours per week, and pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience.
• TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume.
• A Department of Defense Sexual Assault Advocate Certification (D-SAACP) is required.
• Are you applying for a promotion?
• If you are a current GS employee applying for a higher grade than the grade that you currently hold you must provide an SF-50 that shows that you have held the next lower grade for at least one year.
• Some SF-50s effective within the last 52 weeks will not demonstrate you have held the next lower grade for at least one year (e.g. General Adjustment SF-50 from this year).
• In many cases, we need to see two (2) SF-50s to determine time-in-grade and eligibility for promotion.
• If you are a DoD employee, you can obtain a copy of your SF- 50(s) from MyBiz.
• Are you claiming membership in any professional organizations, or possession of a license, certificate or credentials?
• Check the Conditions of Employment section above to see if any are required.
• If you claim membership, license, certification, or credentials, you must submit a copy of said document in your application package.
• Are you using education as a substitute for some or all of the experience requirement?
• Is there a basic education requirement for this position?
• Check the Education section above to see what is allowed and what is required.
• Any claims you make in your resume or assessment questionnaire regarding education or degrees MUST be supported by official or unofficial transcripts or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned issued from your school.
• While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, an official transcript will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position.
• You may submit a copy your degree(s) if specific coursework does not have to be verified.
• Claims for approved "grandfather" clauses must be fully supported with documentation.
• Are you a veteran claiming 5-point veterans' preference or claiming sole survivorship preference?
• You must submit a copy of your latest DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (any copy that shows all dates of service, as well as character of service [Honorable, General, etc.] is acceptable) OR a VA letter that shows dates of service or service connected disability AND character of service.
• If you have more than one DD-214 for multiple periods of active duty service, submit a copy for each period of service.
• If you were issued a DD-215 to amend aforementioned information on the DD-214 you must submit that too.
• If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit the Department of Labor's website: Veterans' Preference Advisor Are you a disabled veteran or claiming 10-point veterans' preference?
• If you are eligible to claim 10 point veterans preference you must submit a DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty as described above for 5-point preference.
• You must also provide the applicable supporting documentation of your disability (e.g. disability letter from the VA) as described on Standard Form-15 (SF-15). ***
• Are you an active duty service member?
• Active Duty Service Members are required to submit a statement of service printed on command letterhead and signed by the command.
• The statement of service must provide the branch of service, rate/rank, all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc.).

What to expect next

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

Additional information

If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency (***).

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest. Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office.

Some supplemental documents contain personal information such as SSN and DOB and some documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove said personal information before you submit your application.

You must provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected.

This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). The employee is subject to random drug testing. Pre-employment drug testing and participation in random drug testing is a condition of employment.

Note: The caveat is that the states, territories, and the district cannot drug test until a drug free workplace policy has been established and approved by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.