Commitment required: 1-year commitment, 9 hours per month
Typical Shift: Falls within business hours (Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm); Court Accompaniment shifts require flexible
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Child/Youth/Family Intake and Initial Support
•Provide a warm and welcoming environment for children, youth, and families attending Luna for a forensic interview and/or appointments with Luna partner agencies. Offer an orientation to the centre, ensuring families feel comfortable, supported, and informed about the services available through Luna and Victim Services.
•Assess and respond to the family’s immediate safety, emotional, practical, and informational needs.
•Provide emotional support to the family during their stay, by introducing Luna’s services and supports, answering questions, and discussing available resources, including community-based supports, mental health services, victim assistance programs, and other relevant referrals.
•Develop an initial support plan in collaboration with the family and facilitate connections to appropriate internal and external resources to address identified needs and promote ongoing support.
•Conduct follow-up calls/appointments, and complete surveys.
•Document all contacts, activities, and professional contacts made while supporting child/youth files.
Continuity of File Support
•Maintain responsibility for assigned files from initial contact through relevant stages of the investigative and court processes.
•Build and maintain a supportive relationship with children, youth, and families.
•Monitor changing family needs and coordinate appropriate services.
•Conduct care-calls and complete program surveys with families.
•Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential documentation.
•Perform administrative tasks as required, such as email management, data entry, and file review.
•Coordinate with specialized staff when a file requires additional expertise.
Court Support
•Provide orientation and preparation for court-related processes. This includes sharing child friendly court preparation to help children and youth prepare to provide their testimony (i.e., information on process, roles and rules of the courtroom, relaxation techniques, etc.)
•Assist children, youth, and families in understanding court procedures and available child-specific supports.
•Provide families with significant court updates after charges are laid.
•Provide emotional and practical support before, during, and after court proceedings.
•Coordinate with specialized court support staff where specific expertise is required.
•Support clients with remote testimony* and other specialized court processes when appropriately trained.
•Provide in-court accompaniment* for families and liaise with multidisciplinary partners such as Crown prosecutors, Calgary Police Service, and RCMP, on the day of court.
*Specialized responsibilities will be assigned based on employee expertise, organizational needs, workload, and training.
Team Collaboration
•Participate in support meetings with direct report and reflective activities to enhance service delivery and professional growth.
•Support team members through knowledge sharing, consultation, and collaborative problem solving.
•Engage in assigned training opportunities and ongoing professional development to maintain and enhance knowledge, skills, and best practices.
•Foster and maintain strong collaborative relationships with fellow volunteers, staff, Luna partner agencies, and community organizations to support coordinated and effective service provision.
•Volunteers, where identified, could work with other departments within Luna, such as Research or Prevention, on projects to increase their understanding and learning of Luna’s collaborative model.
*Volunteer Victim Services Advocates do not provide counseling, specific legal advice, investigation, or medical intervention.
Required Skills and Qualifications
•Due to the complexity and specialized nature of our work, candidates are selected for interviews based on a combination of their educational, work, volunteer, and lived experience.
•Completed or enrolled in a post-secondary program, and/or experience within, social services, justice, human services, or related fields.
•Experience supporting individuals experiencing trauma, crisis, or other challenging situations.
•Interest in supporting children, youth, and families affected by sexual abuse or serious physical harm.
•Strong verbal and interpersonal communication skills.
•Demonstrated maturity, reliability, professionalism, and dependability.
•Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.
•Respect for diverse backgrounds, experiences, and cultures.
•Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
•Knowledge of the criminal justice system is considered an asset.
•Completion of Enhanced Security Clearance and Child Intervention Check
Behavioural Competencies (Skills)
•Independence
•Problem Solving
•Integrity
•Resourcefulness/Initiative
•Time Management
•Communication
•Self-awareness
•Adaptability
•Team Player
•Self-Care
