Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Tuttle Bell, Cara" <>]

Hello!  My office is hiring a Prevention Educator/Victim Resource Specialist.  Please see below, and please share widely.  I am happy to answer any questions about the position.

 

Kind regards,

 

Cara

Job Description

Reporting to the Director of the Project Safe Center for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response, the Prevention Educator and Victim Resource Specialist provides prevention education programs, as well as resource coordination for victims of sexual misconduct, including sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating and domestic violence, sexual exploitation, stalking, and other forms of sexual misconduct.

This is a full-time position. Shift hours and days may vary; standard business hours of Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, though frequent evening and weekend hours are required, particularly when responsible for on-call victim advocacy services, which include crisis hotline response and accompanying victims to the emergency department for forensic exams.

Multicultural awareness and responsiveness are important components of victim advocacy, violence prevention and community outreach-oriented work, and specific knowledge, experience, and skills working with AAPI, international, African American, Latinx, and/or LGBTQI students are preferred.

The mission of the Project Safe Center is to provide information, support, referrals, and education about sexual and intimate partner violence (including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking), as well as consent, healthy relationships, and healthy sexuality to the Vanderbilt University community. Project Safe serves as a central resource for those impacted by power-based personal violence and can assist with navigating the University’s resource and support network (including, among others, the University Counseling Center, Student Health, the Title IX Office, Equal Opportunity and Access Office, the Employee Assistance Program, and the Vanderbilt University Police Department), as well as external support and law enforcement resources.

Our highly skilled and multidisciplinary staff develop safety and support plans tailored to each individual's unique background and needs by working together with students, campus partners, and community providers. The Project Safe Center emphasizes prevention and education through collaboration and consultation focused on the development of the skills and self-awareness needed to excel in a challenging educational environment. We offer culturally responsive services in a safe and affirming space and are committed to engaging in an ongoing dialogue that provides our team with opportunities to grow in the context of their cultural identity development. The Project Safe Center is committed to understanding the role of diverse experiences and backgrounds in order to promote the best mental health and wellbeing in the lives of individuals and our community.

The Office of the Dean of Students serves a central role in student learning and development at Vanderbilt, advancing the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service by fostering academic and social networks through which students develop as intentional learners and global citizens. The Office of the Dean of Students creates opportunities to involve students, faculty and staff in diverse learning communities and provides a critical support structure for enriching the overall student experience. We achieve these ends through strategic alignment, both internally and in concert with other university departments. We care deeply. We educate completely. We lead with excellence. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and mental health are top priorities for the institution and by extension the offices of the Dean of Students. Our staff are committed to continued growth in knowledge, awareness, skills, and experience engaging with these priorities in a higher education environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

Victim Assistance

• Provide on-call response, crisis intervention, ongoing case management, and resource referral as a confidential (limited) resource to the Vanderbilt community.
• Maintain detail-oriented confidential records of interactions and communications with students, including regularly updating student information and prevention programming data.
• Share responsibility for Project Safe’s 24-hour crisis hotline that provides immediate assistance to Vanderbilt community members in need with other Prevention Educator and Victim Resource Specialists.
• Serve as a first or secondary responder/support resource for incidents related to sexual misconduct, which may involve responding to the Vanderbilt Emergency Department or Student Health Center to support those in need of a Medical Exam.
• Know relevant campus resources, policies and procedures, and serve as a reliable and accurate source of information to the Vanderbilt community.
• Support students in navigating the Title IX process, which regularly includes accompanying students to meetings, answering questions regarding the process, and communicating information to the student regarding their Title IX investigation.
• Aid students in interacting with the criminal justice process, which includes supporting students during their meetings with law enforcement officers, helping students obtain orders of protection or other protective measures, and accompanying students to court, as needed.
• Serve as a victim advocate on hand at various University programs and events.
• Assist victims in ways that are culturally responsive, victim-centered, trauma-informed, evidence- based, and incorporates best practices of victim advocacy.
• Support and train campus partners on appropriate and culturally responsive responses to sexual misconduct.
• Coordinate support services with campus and community partners (including Housing and Residential Education, the University Counseling Center, Center for Student Wellbeing, Vanderbilt University Police Department, Office of LGBTQI Life, Women’s Center, Student Health Center, Student Access Services, Office of Student Accountability, Community Standards, & Academic Integrity, the Title IX Office and others).

Prevention Education

• Help design, implement, and assess a comprehensive package of co-curricular programs that address sexual misconduct prevention, including primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, bystander intervention, and risk reduction.
• Provide awareness and prevention trainings to campus leaders and student employees, including Vanderbilt Student Government, student athletes, members of Greek letter organizations, residential advisers, head residents, first-year experience advisers, etc., in collaboration with campus partners and other professional staff supervising those programs.
• Support and advise leaders of student organizations with concerns regarding member behavior and in addressing sexual misconduct.
• Provide outreach and educational programming to a diverse campus community to support campus and individual mental health, wellness, and skill development. Partner with social equity and diversity-focused campus partners (including the Office of LGBTQI Life, Women’s Center, the Black Cultural Center, Office of the University Chaplain and Religious Life, Office of International Student and Scholar Services, etc.) to design, implement, and assess prevention programming that is intersectional, inclusive, and responsive to diversity. Specific knowledge, experience, and skills in providing outreach and liaison services to a diverse student population, including AAPI, international, transfer, Black/African American, Latinx, and/or LGBTQI students, is preferred.
• Support campus-wide strategic planning for health, safety, and well-being related to interpersonal violence.
• Offer weekly satellite office hours in various locations across campus.
• Assist in the supervision, provision of training, and evaluation of student volunteers, departmental interns, practicum students, and/or graduate students.
• Assist in advising student organizations in the coordination of programs and partnerships toward shared goals.
• Maintain timely and efficient communication in a professional manner (through email, telephone, and other forms of correspondence).

Other Administrative Functions

• Serve on divisional committees and working groups to enrich the experience and resources available to staff across the division.
• Participate in division-wide events (Move-In Day, Rites of Spring, Diverse ‘Dores Day, MLK Day, etc.), as needed, to support colleagues and ensure these events run smoothly.
• Learn and comply with financial policies and procedures related to travel, procurement, and expense reporting in order to be a good steward of University funds.
• Develop/contribute to unit assessment plan and use data to inform work and practices.
• Engage in professional development.
• Perform other duties necessary to enhance the student experience and/or facilitate the success of the University, division, or department.

Supervisory Relationships:

This position does not have supervisory responsibility; this position reports administratively and functionally to the Director of the Project Safe Center.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree is necessary.
• A Master’s Degree in Social Work, Public Health, Women’s, Gender, and/or Sexuality Studies, or related field is preferred.
• One year of experience is necessary.
• At least 2 years of experience in a higher education setting, or in organizations primarily focused on women’s or gender-related issues, violence prevention, and/or advocacy is preferred.
• Experience and knowledge of contemporary best practices for sexual misconduct prevention efforts targeting undergraduate and graduation or professional students is preferred.
• Experience working directly with persons impacted by interpersonal violence in an advocacy, case management, counseling or support-related role is preferred.
• Ability to understand and articulate prevention education and victim services from a perspective that includes the intersections of gender, race, sexual orientation and other significant aspects of individual and cultural identity is preferred.
• Formal victim advocacy training and/or certification, including knowledge of the appropriate role of a victim advocate in legal proceedings and medical examinations is preferred.
• Experience answering calls to a crisis/support hotline is preferred.
• Familiarity with legislation related to sexual harassment and violence, including Title IX, Campus SaVE, the Clery Act, and their application to campus environments is preferred.
• Ability to plan, coordinate, oversee, and assess projects and programs is preferred.
• Comfort and competence with respect to diversity and demonstrated commitment to addressing the intersections of multiple identities is preferred.
• Familiarity with college student development and university systems is preferred.

 

 

Cara Tuttle Bell, J.D., M.A. Director, Project Safe Center for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Senior Lecturer, Gender and Sexuality Studies, College of Arts and Science Vanderbilt University 615-875-0661 | https://www.vanderbilt.edu/projectsafe Alumni Hall, Suite 300 2205 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37240 Pronouns: She, Her, Hers