ADAPT Domestic Violence Counselor
Location: Alexandria, VA
Job Number: 24-01999
Salary: $70,711.26 - $117,851.76
Closing Date: August 30, 2024
This position provides a full range of assessment and intervention services in an innovative, competency based domestic violence intervention program for adults. Responsible for intake, referral, comprehensive behavioral health assessment (including mental health and substance abuse clinical assessment) and referral, collaboration with the criminal justice system and social services referral agents, psych educational skills-based group preparation and leadership, volunteer and intern supervision, and strong team-based collaboration skills. Requires strong communication, teaching, and counseling skills to be able to provide compassionate, competency based, motivation enhancing intervention with typically court mandated clients in a context of safety and accountability. Position requires travel across multiple work sites in Fairfax County and regular schedule will include work up to three evenings per week with semi-annual training events on weekend days. Position also requires participation with the agency domestic violence and sexual assault hotline to include several monthly shifts on the hotline on both direct and on-call (24-hour) status.
Desired competencies:
- Knowledge of and ability to assess and provide treatment for clients with mental health and substance use disorders and or to support such intervention when needed with other agencies and personnel.
- Knowledge of how trauma impacts and relates to domestic violence problems (as a victim, a person who causes harm and/or witness).
- Knowledge about current practices and controversies in domestic violence intervention, particularly with those who cause harm.
- Ability to establish rapport with mandated clients and other concerned persons.
- Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with subordinates, co-workers, county officials, public and private sector organizations, community groups and the general public.
- Public speaking competency. Position requires frequent participation in panel discussions, work groups and workshops. Ability to prepare and deliver effective presentations.
- Competency based counseling and motivational interviewing skills. Required to intervene with clients who may at times challenge program limits and expectations.
- Risk and lethality assessment skills as well as the ability to intervene when risk (harm to self/others) is high to ameliorate risk. This may include crisis intervention skills.
- Ability to teach group and individual participants specific emotional regulation techniques, monitor progress, and address needs for remediation when progress is hampered by motivational, language, cognitive or other barriers.
- Ability to provide telephone emergency counseling, support, lethality assessment, safety planning over 24-hour on call shifts and to provide face-to-face accompaniment support to sexual assault and domestic violence victims in a hospital setting.
