As a Victim Specialist, you will assist victims of crime by providing a full range of services including assistance with compensation claims, crisis intervention, court support, case status updates, and community referrals.

Duties

Assists with applications for victims' assistance, protection orders, impact statements, restitution claims, and other documentation Supports victims through the investigative, prosecutorial and judicial processes Assists law enforcement and victim advocates in park units working with victims of crime Maintains logs of casework and compiles reports and assists with data collection and annual reporting of the program Trains law enforcement officers on statutory obligations of victim services and rights, victim-centered best practices, and trauma-informed victim support Promotes the goals of the victim assistance program through direct connection to park units across the service

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• May be subject to a one-year probationary period.
• All requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
• You will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
• Occasional overtime may be required.
• A valid state driver's license is required.

Qualifications

In order to be qualified for the GS-7, you must possess one of the following: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal service working with vulnerable populations and/or victims of crime in an assistance or support capacity; and maintaining written records of casework - OR - B. A Bachelor's degree - AND - meet one of the following provisions of Superior Academic Achievement: be in the upper third of your graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR have a GPA 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum, or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in your major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum (Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.); OR be a member in one of the national scholastic honor societies - OR - C. One year of graduate education in social work, psychology, criminal justice, law, or another closely related field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position - OR - D. A combination of specialized experience as described in A and graduate education as described in C that, when combined, equals 100% of the total requirement In order to be qualified for the GS-9, you must possess one of the following: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the Federal service providing services to victims of crime such as crisis intervention, emergency assistance, needs assessment, and referrals to other support agencies and organizations; preparing applications for victims' compensation, protection orders, and other documents in support of the needs and rights of victims; and providing guidance and support to victims in their interactions with investigators and prosecutors - OR - B. Two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Master's degree in social work, psychology, criminal justice, law, or another closely related field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position; or possess a J.D or LLB - OR - C. A combination of specialized experience as described in A and graduate level as described in B that, when combined, equals 100% of the total requirement. (Please note: Only graduate level education in excess of the first year (normally 18 semester hours) may be used in this calculation.) In order to be qualified for the GS-11, you must possess one of the following: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service providing services to victims of crime such as crisis intervention, emergency assistance, needs assessment, and referrals to other support agencies and organizations; preparing applications for victims' compensation, protection orders, and other documents in support of the needs and rights of victims; providing guidance and support to victims in their interactions with investigators and prosecutors; and explaining statutory requirements regarding victim assistance to law enforcement and victim advocacy staff - OR - B. Three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a PhD in social work, psychology, criminal justice, law, or another closely related field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position; or possess an LLM - OR - C. A combination of specialized experience as described in A and graduate level as described in B that, when combined, equals 100% of the total requirement. (Please note: Only graduate level education in excess of two first years (normally 36 semester hours) may be used in this calculation.) Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the 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. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Contacts

• Address Visitor and Resource Protection 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240 US
• Name: Philadelphia Services Branch
• Email: [email protected]