Survivor Advocate

Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Survivor Services, the Survivor Advocate will provide confidential, trauma-informed advocacy, accompaniments, and consultation to UW-Madison student survivors of sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, and stalking. The Survivor Advocate will also support the planning and implementation of outreach and technical assistance to campus and community partners. This position is housed within Mental Health Services, part of the UHS Survivor Services Team, comprised of advocacy, mental health, and medical services. These services are delivered through our values of empowerment, support, inclusion, collaboration, and hope.

On a day-to-day basis Survivor Advocates provide trauma-informed survivor/victim advocacy services and timely completion of the necessary, related administrative tasks (documentation, case management, coordination of care). These services are delivered through drop-in services and scheduled appointments. This requires strong knowledge of best practices and ethics in the victim advocacy field.

The Survivor Advocate often serves as a critical entry point to Survivor Services, where their role is to create a warm/supportive environment, provide relevant psychoeducation about trauma responses, and connect students to available resources.

In order to provide timely access to care, well-qualified candidates will demonstrate skills in effective prioritization, adaptability to evolving campus needs, and adherence to the highest ethical standards.

The Survivor Advocate will support outreach and community engagement, including - contribution to the planning and implementation of awareness month events (Domestic Violence Awareness Month; Sexual Assault Awareness Month); campus trainings relevant to sexual violence response (i.e. House Fellows on-boarding); tabling presence at partners' events; and responding to inquiries from campus/community partners.

In addition to direct services, the Survivor Advocate will build and maintain effective relationships with UHS colleagues, campus partners, and community agencies. These partner relationships are an integral part of coordinating care for students - as well as improving the systems that student survivors commonly navigate. As assigned, the Survivor Advocate will participate in regular consultation, time-limited work groups, and ongoing committees to inform systems-level advocacy and advance the priorities of Survivor Services and University Health Services.

The Survivor Advocate will be afforded the flexibility to work from home up to one day per week, with additional flexibility offered during academic breaks (i.e. winter break, summer).

• Provides victim advocacy, accompaniments, and/or case management to survivors of sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and/or stalking

• Provides crisis intervention as needed

• Maintains knowledge of best practices and ethics in the victim advocacy field

• Provides referrals to establish coordinated treatment with community and state agencies

• Evaluates and assesses difficulties in psychosocial functioning in clients

• Develops and implements specialized intervention plans to support the needs of clients

• Performs social, emotional, and environmental evaluations

• Provides psychotherapy services to clients under general supervision

• Participates in treatment programs alongside an interdisciplinary team to diagnose or enhance social functioning of clients

• May provide expertise, training, and guidance to the community, peers, and/or students

• Recommends appropriate individual and family treatment plans according to departmental guidelines and standards

• Updates case records in accordance with agency and departmental guidelines and policies

• Facilitates interventions according to treatment plans and organizational policies

• Facilitates individual and group counseling resources and programs

University Health Services, Mental Health Services, Survivor Services

At UHS our mission is to promote, protect, and improve student health and wellbeing. UHS employees are dedicated to providing high-quality medical, mental health, prevention and wellness services for UW-Madison students. These efforts contribute to students learning, leading and thriving in a healthy community. Learn more about us at uhs.wisc.edu

UHS Mental Health Services provides flexible, short-term mental health care in supportive and responsive ways to meet students' individual needs. UHS offers counseling as well as psychiatry, survivor support, and assessments for specialized concerns. Through a blend of clinical services and proactive outreach programs, we aim to meet students where they are emotionally and where students live, learn, and gather.

UHS Survivor Services provides free, confidential support services to UW-Madison student survivors of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, and/or stalking.

The starting salary is $62,000, and is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

An employee in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurance and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Information can be found at https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/

• 1 year of experience working in victim advocacy, violence prevention, case management in higher education, or related field

• 2-3 years of experience working in victim advocacy, violence prevention, case management in higher education, or related field

• Mental health licensure in the state of Wisconsin

• 40-hour victim advocacy school/certification (or must be completed in the probationary period of one year)

Strongly Preferred

• Knowledge of best practices in sexual violence response, both at the individual and systems level

• Experience in an interdisciplinary/multi-sector setting and strong ability to consult and collaborate with external partners, including health care providers, academic faculty/staff, and law enforcement/conduct offices.

• Demonstrated understanding of disproportionate impacts of sexual and relationship violence

• Knowledge of legal guidance and regulations (i.e. Title IX, Clery, VAWA), specifically as they pertain to victim rights and prevention efforts

• Experience providing training and/or outreach programming to campus and community partners on issues related to sexual and relationship violence

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  Ideal candidates will demonstrate the following approach to their work:

  
  
  
  

  • Responsiveness to evolving student needs through adaptability and commitment to delivering the Survivor Services mission

  • Self-reflection about individual impact/contributions to team climate and culture

  • Strong sense of accountability and integrity to self, student survivors, the Survivor Services team, and University Health Services

  
  
  
  

Master's degree required

Master's degree or terminal degree in social work, counseling, psychology, public health, gender and women's studies, or other related degree - or commensurate work experience in the field of victim advocacy or sexual violence

Licensure

Licensure as an LCSW, LPC, or psychologist in the state of Wisconsin preferred. If you hold an advanced practice or in-training licensure or similar, hours worked in this role may not qualify for the patient contact hours need for permanent licensure.

If a licensed mental health provider licensed outside outside of Wisconsin, you are responsible for transferring or establishing a Wisconsin license within one year of their start date.

Please click the appropriate option in the Apply Now box to start the application process. You will be required to log in or create an account to continue.

Please upload a cover letter and resume to apply that details your training and experience relating to the required and preferred qualifications referenced above. The application reviewers will be relying on written application materials to determine which qualified applicants will advance in the recruitment process.

If you hold licensure as an LCSW and LPC please include your status in your application.

Finalists will be asked to provide a list of at least three (3) professional references with titles, emails, phone numbers, including at least one supervisory reference.

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.

Amy John, amy.john@wisc.edu, 608-890-3592

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.