Associate Director, Sexual Violence Response

Department: Office of the Provost & VP Academic 

Job Type: Continuing

Full-time/Part-time: Full Time (>=1249 hrs/year) 

Campus: All locations 

Reports to: Senior Advisor, Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management

Employee Group: Management 

Application Deadline: 09/20/2024 

Requisition ID: 8607 

Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact. With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier’s thriving community has a place for everyone.

Laurier has more than 21,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well locations in Kitchener and Milton. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace, a flexible work policy and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Laurier's Waterloo, Kitchener, and Brantford campuses are located on the shared traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. This land is part of the Dish with One Spoon Treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabe peoples and symbolizes the agreement to share, protect our resources, and not to engage in conflict.  Laurier's Milton campus is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and part of the Nanfan Treaty of 1701 between the British Crown and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Sexual Violence Response is a central resource for members of the university community including complainants, respondents, witnesses, friends and roommates, front-line service providers, externally contracted providers, staff, faculty, and leaders. The AD SVR, in consultation with the Senior Advisor of Human Rights and Conflict Management, provides strategic direction, staff oversite, internal and external stakeholder liaison, develops and implements an institutional GBV prevention and education plan, as well as provide case management support and assistance for those directly impacted by GBV, either by way of direct experience, witnessing acts or receiving disclosures. The AD, SVR creates and implements inclusive response strategies, and guides and oversees the creation and distribution of all marketing and awareness plans. Additionally, the AD SVR is responsible for identifying and reporting on campus gendered violence trends, and will initiate meaningful programming, support and services to address and eradicate gendered and sexual violence. The position serves to promote equity, diversity and inclusion by working with those most often impacted by sexual violence; marginalized and racialized persons.

This position has a university-wide mandate and is based at the Waterloo Campus. The incumbent provides leadership in a multi-campus environment, requiring regular interaction, communication and collaboration with staff and stakeholders at the Waterloo Campus, Brantford Campus and Kitchener office and external partners. The AD, SVR will ensure the Sexual Violence Response programs and services are delivered equitably across all campuses and reflect the needs of local stakeholders.

Accountabilities

Works with campus stakeholders and serves as a community resource to ensure appropriate response to sexual violence.

• Acts as the institutional expert on issues related to Sexual Violence

• Prepares reports as required to the University and to external funders

• Oversees external contracts related to counselling services for those impacted by GBV

• Coordinates all external contracts and services that are entered into by the university to address SV

• Oversees practicum placement opportunities for students across campus to support SV work and initiatives

• When required represents the university at the provincial and federal level when speaking to SV on campus

• When required responds to media requests in consultation with other campus partners

• Liaise and consults with other SV office across the province and Canada to explore partnerships and opportunities for joint training, and learning

• Makes recommendations for change and participates in review of protocols as appropriate

• Facilitates policy review ensuring adequate student input and feedback opportunities

• Acts as an internal consultant to the university community, its’ leaders, employees and students, providing facilitation, advice, support and direction on cases related to GBV

• Advises members of the campus community of their rights and responsibilities under the university’s Gendered and Sexual Violence Policy and relevant legislation

• Serves as a subject matter expert and advisor to departments and groups in the university community who would like to consult on the issue of sexual violence and related topics

• Assists in sexual violence risk assessment and safety planning for all persons impacted by sexual violence, including witnesses and respondents

• Co-leads, supports and responds to staff impacted by SV and Intimate Partner Violence

• Co-leads, supports and responds to the institutional restorative justice community of practice

• Collaborates with various academic and other units to ensure optimal safety coordination

• Following assessment, escalates high risk situations to appropriate police services as required and liaises with local and provincial police as necessary

• Provides input and recommends interim measures on a case-by-case basis to ensure survivor needs and safety is considered and prioritized

• Works collaboratively with key university and community partners to develop tools for program assessment

• Implements measures to facilitate the on-going assessment of the supports and services program

• Works closely with on-campus departments (for e.g. Dean of Students, Residential Services) to ensure coordination of optimal supports

• Identifies and recognizes emergent needs and creates collaborative plans for safety and wellness for students

• Advocates for appropriate consideration related to academic and non-academic accommodations

• Maintains collegial and collaborative relationships with academic leaders, and prioritizes on-going coordination for student requiring accommodations

• Liaises with community justice partners including police, Victims Services, Victim Witness Assistance Programs,

• Represents the university on local committees designed to address SV in the broader community context.

• Coordinates and oversees all working groups related to GBV response, supports and education

• Supervises the sexual violence staff, and students responsible for enacting programming or supports related to gendered and sexual violence

Provides support for victims and develops sustainable support strategies.

• Provides case management, support, safety planning, and advocacy for all students and student/staff impacted by gendered and sexual violence

• Receives disclosures of gendered violence

• Conducts needs assessments and provides crisis response, support and referrals based on the individual needs

• Provides options for reporting and resolution of complaints, and offers navigational support related to any/all internal processes and systems, including Non-Academic Code of Conduct processes, and other relevant university policies and procedures

• Provides information about and facilitates referrals to available support resources on and off campus.

• Oversees the delivery of trauma informed individual and group programming for those impacted by gendered violence

• Provides support in the following areas based on individual needs, including but not limited to: accessing counselling support, requesting academic, residence or workplace accommodations or changes, referral to and personal support in accessing health care and supports from other community agencies, facilitating drafting of complaint documents, safety planning, support and assistance in reviewing reporting options, potential outcomes of reporting options and decision making related to next steps,

• Involves parents, guardians, friends, partners and other care givers as identified by the student survivor, if desired or necessary, within the scope of privacy legislation and consent laws

Assists in establishing and maintaining data, record keeping, and reporting systems (Note: the protocol document outlines this is Equity Office’s responsibility)

• Acts as a central data collection hub for gathering and reporting statistical information on the incidence of sexual violence on campus, and on institutional initiatives related to sexual violence, as required for institutional reporting

• Compiles information from those reporting to the SVRC and other community partners regarding the provision of relevant services

• Reports on trends and highlights areas of potential risk for the university as a whole

• Reviews emerging research regarding best practices and evidence-based models of prevention, awareness, and intervention

• Maintains an understanding of the legislative reporting requirements and advises members on policy and protocol compliance

• Oversees and reports on the use of Campus Safety Grant funding

• Participates in all internal and external campus audits as required

• Creates and maintains of all forms and record keeping systems to ensure compliance with confidentiality guidelines governing the maintenance, release and sharing of data collected related to gendered and sexual violence

• Supports campus-wide education of gendered violence

• Assists with coordination of policy-related communication and education, including proactive and sustained prevention focused education on sexual violence

• Provides training on responding to incidents of sexual violence.

• Assists with the customization of education and training content to address individual roles and responsibilities

• Assists with the development and dissemination of resources for student survivors of gendered and sexual violence

• Stays current on information related to trends, and provides broad recommendation to university stakeholders regarding appropriate training and education in response to sexual violence

• Assists in the development and implementation of appropriate supports and/or programming for members of the community who have caused harm

Reporting Relationships

The incumbent will have direct supervision of: 

• All Sexual Violence Response Staff 

• MSW Students (1-2 a year)

Qualifications

• Feminist Research, Counselling, Public Policy & Administration, with minimum of 5 years related work experience.

• Demonstrated understanding of how to support diverse survivors of gendered and sexual violence from a trauma-informed and intersectional lens perspective

• Significant experience providing mental health supports to survivors of trauma

• Relevant experience providing advocacy and support to survivors of sexual, intimate relationship and/or family violence, and other forms of gender-based violence

• Significant experience with crisis intervention and case management

• Experience with risk assessment tools and interventions

• Demonstrated ability to deal effectively and efficiently with stressful and emergency situations

• Experience navigating police and judicial processes

• Experience coordinating and facilitating gender-based violence training and educational campaigns

• Proven experience in inter-agency liaison/case management on behalf of clients

• Experience in advocacy at a systems level to ensure appropriate services and supports for the portfolio

• A demonstrated commitment to working within an anti-oppressive and anti-racist framework

• The ability to communicate and sustain a gender-based analysis in an academic setting; familiarity with university and/or higher education systems an asset

• Good judgement, sensitivity, flexibility and resourcefulness

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Standard keyboarding skills required.

• The ability to respond to multi-faceted demands, to rely upon own initiative and to work with minimum supervision in a crisis-driven environment

• Must pass a criminal reference check.

Hours of work The normal hours of work are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday. Flexibility in hours will be required, including evening and/or weekend work due to the need to facilitate events outside of regular school hours to accommodate students. The AD, SVR may also be required to respond to and consult on crisis situations that may have significant impact on university community members or institutional reputation.

Compensation

Level: MG-2C

Hiring salary range posted: $92,734 to $104,326. Broad salary ranges include a hiring range (80%- 90% of range midpoint), a target range (91% - 110% of range midpoint), and a premium range (111% -120% of range midpoint). When new employees are hired the appropriate base salary is determined using these sub-ranges as a guide while adhering to rules on hiring as defined in our compensation policy. Considerations for new hire salaries include, qualifications and length/depth of required experience, relevant market rates for similar jobs, internal equity, and estimated learning curve in starting the job.

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-apply/

Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit www.wlu.ca/careers for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a resume and cover letter will be required in electronic form.