Court Services Officer 2- Pretrial Services

• Sep 2021 - Present

Victim Advocate

• May 2018 - Oct 2021

• Daily case management of 150 + active cases, i.e. tracking status of investigation/case, providing timely notification correspondence, monitoring court calendars• Make initial contact with victims following detection of a crime to explain their rights and court procedures• Communicate with victims regarding current case status, future court proceedings, defendants’ release from custody, and/or any applicable pretrial release conditions• Conduct needs assessment with all victims to determine appropriate action plan that will address their emotional, physical, financial and psychological needs• Facilitate appropriate referrals and resources for counseling, compensation, social service programs, OPRA requests, U-Visa, etc.• Provide continuing direct assistance services to clients in-person or by phone, mail and e-mail• Document all client-advocate interactions into case files via an online database• Organize conference calls, in-person meetings, and trial prep sessions with Assistant Prosecutors, Detectives, support staff and victims/witnesses • Collaborate and regularly interact with Assistant Prosecutors, law enforcement, healthcare professionals and judiciary staff to address the concerns and needs of clients throughout the criminal justice process• Analyze files to ensure all proper documents are in order prior to court hearings to mitigate any delays• Accompany victims to court appearances and provide support during the presentation of the Victim Impact Statement and/or testimony during trial• Review Prosecutor’s Office official news releases with victim prior to general publication• Attend frequent trainings to provide clients with the best possible advocacy services• Educate the general public and partnering organizations to bring community awareness to available resources

Family Service Worker

• Sep 2017 - May 2018

• Interacted with perspective clients in person and over the phone regarding potential County Welfare Assistance• Conducted initial case screening and interview with clients in order to determine eligibility for County/State social service programs, i.e. NJ Family Care, Cash Assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) • Obtained and organized required documents to process welfare benefit applications• Daily management of Medicaid caseload in order to provide clients with healthcare coverage• Assisted clients in completing yearly case redeterminations• Made recommendations for further client services