Join the Fight Against Child Abuse Become a Victim Advocate at the Children's Justice Center
The Arthur D. Curtis Children's Justice Center (CJC) is more than a workplaceit's a nationally accredited center for child victims of felony-level abuse. We are seeking a compassionate, trauma-informed Victim Advocate to join our multidisciplinary team of professionals who are fiercely committed to protecting children, supporting families, and holding offenders accountable through a unified and child-focused response. This posting will be used to establish an eligibility list. This list will remain active for 6 months, and candidates may be selected from it to fill vacancies as they become available. This recruitment may be used to fill both 1.0 FTE and .75 FTE positions. The top candidates will be subject to fingerprinting and a criminal history check before an official offer of employment.
What You'll Do
- Provide trauma-informed support and information to children and families from the point of forensic interview through case closure.
- Help families understand complex investigative and court processes using clear, compassionate, and accessible language.
- Participate in multidisciplinary case reviews alongside detectives, prosecutors, DCYF social workers, and medical/mental health providers.
- Accompany children to medical appointments and court proceedings to ensure emotional safety and continuity of support.
- Connect families with vital resources such as mental health care, financial aid, and community services.
- Advocate for victims' rights, including crime victim compensation and restitution, while maintaining neutrality and role clarity.
- Maintain detailed, confidential case documentation to support data collection, outcome tracking, and impact reporting.
What You Bring
The ideal candidate will have:
- A bachelor's degree in criminal justice, psychology, social work, counseling, or a related field.
- At least 1 year of direct victim advocacy experiencepreferably within a Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) or multidisciplinary setting.
- Solid understanding of child abuse dynamics, trauma-informed care, and the multidisciplinary team (MDT) model.
- Demonstrated success working with diverse and vulnerable populations.
- The ability to remain calm, neutral, and grounded in emotionally intense or high-stakes situations.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills across different agency disciplines.
- Bilingual Spanish/English skills are highly valued.
- A dependable and professional work ethic aligned with the expectations of an essential public servant.
Our Shared Mission
You'll join a dedicated team where every member plays a vital role in protecting children and supporting families. Our multidisciplinary model includes law enforcement from multiple jurisdictions, prosecutors focused on legal precision, DCYF professionals committed to family safety, forensic interviewers carrying out emotionally intensive work, and fellow victim advocates delivering direct services.
Each professional brings dedicated expertise within the collaborative model, contributing a distinct perspective and function. The right candidate will excel at navigating these intersecting roles, fostering trust, and promoting shared accountability. Your success in this position depends on your ability to communicate across disciplines, balance differing priorities, and lead with empathy and clarity.
Position Details
- Full-time (40 hours/week) or Part-time (30 hours/week) with benefits (medical, dental, vision, retirement, and paid leave).
- Union Represented (Local 11).
- Application Deadline: Open until filled. First review begins 07/01/2025.
Selection Process
Application Review Submit a complete online application. Incomplete applications will not pass the review. Attaching a resume does not substitute for completing the application.
Cover Letter (Required) In your cover letter, please articulate your understanding of CJC's mission and explain why this specific role aligns with your skills and values.
Oral Interview Top candidates will be invited to interview, where evaluation will be based on qualifications, situational judgment, and alignment with CAC values.
References & Background Final candidates will be subject to employment reference checks (including former supervisors), verification of education, criminal background check, and driver's license review.
Examples of Duties
KEY OR TYPICAL TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Provide victim advocacy services, working with other members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to provide services and support for suspected child abuse and exploitation victims and witnesses.
- Assess individual needs and cultural considerations of victims/witnesses and their families, and coordinate referrals to community resources such as counseling, health and support groups and other appropriate services as needed.
- Conduct crisis assessment and intervention, risk assessment and safety planning and support for victims/witnesses and family members at all stages of involvement with CJC.
- Inform victims and families about CJC services, the investigative process, justice system and court proceedings; escort victims to court and explain procedures and forms; inform victims/witnesses about victims' rights.
- Engage victim/witness and non-offending family members regarding participation in the investigation and/or prosecution processes; consult with and provides suggestions and information to assigned attorneys regarding the status of witnesses and expectations for court testimony.
- Accompany suspected victim at medical examinations and provide information and support to victim and family members.
- Advocate for restitution for the victim; refer any restitution information to the CJC Prosecuting Attorney Unit regarding victim's needs that become known.
- Assist victim and/or family with applications for crime victim compensation.
- Assist victims of violent crimes in the preparation and presentation of their claims to the Washington Department of Labor and Industries.
- Establish and maintain working relationships with community, human and social service agencies to which victims may be referred, and with other agencies in the criminal justice and child welfare systems.
- Review completed cases by examining case records and reports; provide feedback and suggestions to other team members regarding case methodologies and procedures as they relate to victim services.
- Participate in MDT case review to discuss the unique needs of the victim/witness and family and plan associated support services; ensure the seamless coordination of services; ensure the victim/witness and family's concerns are heard and addressed.
- Make presentations to community groups to educate and inform the public about CJC's services to and rights of victims.
- Recommend modifications to program objectives, policies, procedures and strategies to improve service quality.
- Maintain case notes, files and case tracking program; work as a team with other advocates to prepare the annual report and other reports and statistics as may be needed.
- Perform related duties as assigned.
Salary Grade
Local 11.8
Salary Range
$29.69 - $40.08 per hour
Close Date
Open Until Filled
Recruiter
Keely Warren
Email: ...@clark.wa.gov
Equal Opportunity Employer
Clark County is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, access, and delivery of all county services. Clark County's Equal Employment Opportunity Plan is available at
Employee Benefits and Additional Compensation
Clark County provides regular full-time and part-time employees with a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, vision and dental insurance, paid leave, flexible spending accounts, life insurance and long-term disability, retirement, and deferred compensation. Some types of employees in some positions and bargaining units might have different benefits and additional compensation. More specific benefit information for the different bargaining units can be found at Also please refer to the specific bargaining unit contract for additional compensation at
Retirement Information
All Clark County employees must participate in a WASHINGTON STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM PLAN (PERS, PSERS or LEOFF). Employee contributions begin the first day of work. Current contribution rates vary by plan but could range from 5% to 15% of gross pay, depending on the plan choice.
For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site here: http://