Victim Services Specialist

Office of the District Attorney – Victim Services Specialist

The Office of the District Attorney has opportunities for Victim Services Specialists throughout Riverside County. Under general supervision, they provide a wide variety of trauma‑informed supportive services to victims, derivative victims, and witnesses of serious violent crimes; coordinate the role of victims and witnesses through client advocacy with respect to the courts, law enforcement, and related agencies; and perform other related duties as required pursuant to PC13835 and Marsy’s Law.

Applicants will be reviewed only at the department's request for certain regions as positions become available.

The District Attorney of Riverside County, as the public prosecutor acting on behalf of the People, vigorously enforces the law, pursues the truth, protects those victimized by crime, exonerates the innocent, and safeguards the rights of all to ensure that justice is done on behalf of our community. The office’s staff of over 700 consists of prosecuting attorneys, sworn investigators, victim‑witness advocates, paralegals, investigative technicians, forensic analysts, and a wide range of information technology and supporting staff—all committed to excellence and integrity in public service.

We are, and we seek to maintain, a diverse workforce to match a diverse county.

• Deliver crisis intervention services for crime victims and witnesses, employing robust de‑escalation techniques, integrating suicide awareness and prevention strategies, empath skills, and trauma‑informed practices to effectively support individuals in distress.
• Demonstrate strong ethical standards and integrity in all interactions and decision‑making processes, ensuring confidentiality, fairness, and respect for the rights and dignity of victims and witnesses.
• Assist and collaborate with collateral agencies such as law enforcement, courts, social services, and community‑based organizations to deliver essential services that support victims in their recovery and address the impact of crime; participate in and effectively contribute to multi‑disciplinary committees, meetings and community outreach activities.
• Provide essential direct services as mandated by California Penal Code 13835.5 to initiate safety planning, identify and mitigate physical and psychological barriers to safety, explore options, develop and assist with action plans, and manage a complex caseload ensuring all victim needs are met; facilitate crime scene cleanups, protective relocation or shelter, document replacement, property return, funeral and burial arrangements, intervention with creditors, landlords, schools, and employers, application assistance for the California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) program, and restitution;
  
  respond to victims’ needs with resource and referral assistance to ensure immediate and long‑term service needs are met.
• Identify victims with a history of trauma or poly‑victimization and conduct comprehensive assessments to identify both risk and protective factors, which involves a thorough evaluation of their histories to understand the multifaceted impacts of past traumas, enabling tailored interventions aimed at fostering resilience and reducing risks.
• Develop and implement complex service and referral plans, monitor victim progress and conduct case evaluations to assess danger and risk of lethality; determine the appropriate types of services needed throughout the life of a case, leveraging safety resources from law enforcement and statewide victim programs.
• Navigate community‑led services and state victim service programs to ensure comprehensive knowledge and maximize resource referral support for victims.
• Establish and cultivate rapport with victims and witnesses of crime; provide counseling, crisis intervention and case management services to support victim healing, which may include advocacy, education, referral, counseling, mediation, crisis intervention, and stabilization.
• Provide victims with detailed information about the CalVCB program, including program services available, eligibility criteria, required documentation, and covered…