Legal Support Navigator

**External Employment Opportunity**:Legal Support Navigator (Designated, Full time, Permanent)

**Designation Status  **

Avalon is committed to building a diverse team. This opportunity is designated to applicants that identify as Indigenous, African Nova Scotian/Black, or People of Colour.  

**About Avalon**

Avalon Sexual Assault Centre provides a continuum of supports and services to individuals of all genders affected by sexualized violence in Halifax and across Nova Scotia. Since 1983, we have advocated for survivors and worked to provide a safe space through a variety of services. We are deeply committed to trauma-informed, feminist, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive practices that centre equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation. We are a proudly unionized workplace that is dedicated to fostering a collaborative, supportive, and trauma-informed staff environment.

**About the Role  **

We are seeking an enthusiastic Legal Support Navigator to join our team. Working closely with and reporting to the Navigation Lead, the Legal Support Navigator will support people who have experienced sexualized violence navigate the criminal legal system. They will provide information, assist in filling out forms, provide a confidential space to discuss the legal process, and accompany survivors to court proceedings in a supportive role.

**Responsibilities**

Client Support
- Maintain a case load supporting survivors in navigating the criminal legal system.  
- Establish relationships of trust with survivors by providing emotional and practical support, situating the survivor at the center of decision-making processes.
- Provide practical and preparatory information regarding the reporting process for sexual assault, court and trial processes, and other criminal legal system processes.
- Provide court preparation around client rights, testimony strategies, and emotional preparation strategies.
- Accompany clients to legal appointments, police interviews, court proceedings, and other related legal proceedings.
- Provide a confidential space to discuss client experiences and emotional impacts around the legal process.
- Provide referrals to legal advice and other appropriate community supports.
- Monitor and remain current on victim services policies and services as well as new trends and legislation regarding reporting and the criminal system.

Community Partnerships
- Actively build and maintain relationships with criminal justice system partners.
- Collaborate with partner community organizations to facilitate access to support and appropriate community and systems-based resources.
- Work with partners to reduce barriers to service access

Additional Duties
- Contribute to organizational culture by attending team meetings, serving on committees or working groups, providing input and feedback on new policies and procedures, and/or participating in community events as appropriate.
- Other duties as required.

**Qualifications**

Education and Experience Requirement
- University degree in social work, psychology, or a related field an asset. Relevant professional experience or lived experience will also be considered.   
- Minimum one year experience working with clients in a frontline support capacity, preferably emphasizing legal education and navigation. Experience working with survivors of sexualized violence an asset.
- Minimum one year experience developing, implementing, and facilitating projects and community-based programming.
- Experience in networking and collaborating to improve access to appropriate services and systems.
- Experience establishing and maintaining strong community partnerships.
- Excellent communication skills.  
- Strong interpersonal skills.  
- Ability to work independently and in a self-directing manner.  
- Ability to maintain necessary records and documentation and to engage in evaluation of programs and services. 
- Knowledge of feminist and trauma-informed practice.  
- Understanding of community models of care, with commitment to anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and inclusive values.  
- Knowledge of the intersectional dimension of systemic inequalities and oppression, including but not limited to racism, colonialism, sexism/misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, classism/poverty, ableism, ageism, etc.  

Additional Competency Requirements
- Understanding of sexualized violence and sexual assault trauma.  
- Knowledge of the cultural and social contexts that contribute to sexualized violence and its impacts on individuals and communities and experience working with diverse populations.  

**Why Work for Avalon?**

Avalon recognizes and values the complexity and skill required in providing support to historical and acute traumas. As a proudly unionized and anti-oppressive workplace we are committed to fostering an organizational culture that actively promotes healthy work-life balance and invests in the support and growth of staff. This includes:

- 20 paid vacation days
- 18 paid w