Barbie Brewer
Miami
Summary
Results-driven management professional with proven ability to lead teams to success. Strong focus on team collaboration, operational efficiency, and achieving measurable outcomes. Adept at strategic planning, process improvement, and fostering culture of accountability and excellence. Known for adaptability and consistently meeting changing organizational needs.
Experienced with providing critical support to victims of crime during their most vulnerable moments. Utilizes crisis intervention techniques and resource coordination to aid clients effectively. Track record of maintaining confidentiality and offering compassionate guidance throughout legal process.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
Victim Advocate Manager
Miami-Dade Police Department
05.2018 - Current
- Criminal Investigations Division
- Manage the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office (MDSO) Victim Services Program (VSP) and oversee 21 Victim Advocates.
- Facilitated recruitment, hiring and onboarding sessions and on-the-job training for new hires, and continued bolstering employee job position knowledge and skillset by submitting job reclassification when applicable.
- Coordinated ADA reasonable accommodations.
- Coordinated new hire and termination processes to facilitate smooth operations.
- Stayed up-to-date on collective bargaining agreements and contract issues related to VSP staff.
- Coordinated Fitness for Duty documentations within internal compliance to insure fairness and appropriate action.
- Handled escalated FMLA claim issues, working closely with employees and managers to achieve timely resolutions.
- Managed and motivated employees to be productive and engaged in work.
- Resolved conflicts within the team swiftly and professionally, maintaining a harmonious work atmosphere.
- Implemented customized performance management systems, providing ongoing feedback and development opportunities for employees.
- Managed employee relations issues professionally, resolving conflicts efficiently while maintaining confidentiality at all times.
- Maintained accurate HR records in compliance with applicable laws, ensuring efficient data retrieval when required.
- Accomplished multiple tasks within established timeframes.
- Conducted thorough internal investigations, addressing employee concerns with fairness and transparency.
- Maintained payroll and benefits for employees in various locations, minimizing financial discrepancies through detailed program management.
- Maintained departmental compliance with local, state, and federal laws, in addition to established organizational standards.
- Oversee the Victim of Crimes Act (VOCA) grant
- Establish, develop, and build Victim Services Program to include job reclassification, new position creation and job descriptions.
- Collaborate with community-based organization
- Designated commander for MDSO Victim Services for all related Mass Casualty events within Miami-Dade County
- On call afterhours and representative for MDSO at community meetings, non-profit organization meetings, and crime prevention forums
- Assist in grant writing, research, and monthly stats to ensure all monthly grant requirements are meet.
- Coordinate Outreach events and Training for staff.
- Served as a liaison between crime victims and relevant legal professionals, ensuring clear communication and understanding of the victim''s needs throughout the process.
- Responsible in monitoring and writing Departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on MDPD Victim Services Program
- Advocated for victims'' rights during court proceedings, ensuring that their voices were heard throughout the legal process.
- Manage U-Visa/T-Visa public records system to insure completion for Miami-Dade Police Department
- Responsible for procurement for the VSP
MDPD Victim Advocate-Lead Worker
Miami-Dade Police Department
02.2007 - 05.2018
- Homicide Bureau & Special Victim’s Bureau
- Lead Worker-Victim Advocate in the Homicide Bureau & Special Victims Bureau: Domestic Crimes/Human Trafficking Section
- Review and assign case files to advocates within the unit
- Provide assistance to detectives and advocate regarding essential services available and knowledge through the criminal justice system
- Assist victims and/or families of Homicide, Traffic Homicide, Suicides, Unclassified, Accidental, Industrial deaths, Domestic Violence, Elder Abuse, Child Abuse, Human Trafficking and Missing Persons with needed services
- Respond to crime scenes and provide direct crisis counseling as well as emergency service, i.e
- Shelter, placement, counseling and relocation
- Providing transportation and support to victims during court proceedings and criminal justice process
- Provide training in advocacy and domestic violence education
- On-call along with Detectives for victim services assistance
- Designated department representative to the Attend community and partner meetings for continuous professional relationships
- Project DoVE founder which provides public speaking at forums in reference to Domestic Violence Education and Children Safety/Take 25 and women’s fund granted girl empowerment program, i.e., radio broadcast, television broadcast, colleges outreach, community open houses and professional training conferences
- Manage VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) Grant funded program and Women’s Fund Girl Empowerment Grant
- Assist in grant writing, research and monthly stats to ensure all grant requirements are meet to date
Paralegal III Counselor
Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
03.1998 - 03.2007
- Domestic Crimes Bureau
- Conducting Pre-file conference (sworn testimony) on Domestic Violence Felony Cases and Felony Abuse cases
- Handling Pre-file Calendars
- Determining correct charges on current cases before arraignment date as well as entering correct charges in hydra
- Assisting with filing decisions
- Assisting Victims of Domestic Violence and Elderly Abuse with agency referrals and resource information (Victims crime compensation, shelter, relocation, etc.)
- Public speaking at forums in reference to Domestic Violence and Elderly Abuse issues
- Training over 800 officers within Miami Dade County on domestic violence, State Attorneys office and the MOVES program
Paralegal-Lead Worker
Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
09.1998 - 06.2006
- M.O.V.E.S
- One of 5 original program founding members and organizer
- On call after-hours paralegal for South district police stations (City of Miami, Hialeah, Miami Beach, South Miami, Homestead, Kendall, Hammocks, South Miami, Coral Gables and Cutler Ridge)
- Assigning and coordinated staff response to Felony and Misdemeanor Domestic Violence incidents.
- Established a strong rapport with team members, fostering a positive work environment conducive to high performance.
- Increased team productivity by effectively assigning tasks and setting clear expectations.
- Supporting law enforcement officers with Domestic Violence charges and court proceedings.
- Helping victims in getting emergency injunctions, referring them to safe space and other victims advocate programs
- Trained over 300 officers within the Miami Dade area on domestic violence, State Attorney’s Office procedures and the MOVES program
- Facilitated open lines of communication between team members, promoting transparency and collaboration in decision-making processes.
Victim Witness Counselor
Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
03.1997 - 02.1998
- Felony Division
- Coordinate, prepare and have available victims, witnesses and officers for courtroom testimony
- Assisting victims with victim crime compensation, emergency counseling services and other victim advocate programs
- Translating for victims and witnesses in attorney’s conferences (pre-trial, pre-file, etc.)
- Coordinate travel arrangement and accommodation for out-of-town witnesses
Education
ELEVATE certification -
University of Virginia
01.2019
Victim Advocacy Certification -
Center for Legal Studies
01.2018
Certified - Crisis Response Team Certification
National Office of Victim Assistance (NOVA)
Miami Dade Police Training Bureau 08-2017
Victim Practitioner Designation Certification -
Office of The Attorney General of Florida
09-2007
Master’s - Social Work
Barry University
Miami Shores, Florida01.2007
Bachelors of Arts Degree - Psychology, Criminal Justice
Florida University
Miami, Florida01.2003
Associates of Arts Degree - Psychology
Miami Dade Community College
Miami, Florida01.2000
High School Diploma -
Miami Coral Park Senior High School
Miami, Florida01.1994
Skills
- Human Resources Systems Management
- Microsoft Proficient
- GovQA Expert
- Experience with SharePoint Case Systems
- Knowledge of CIJS Framework
- Odyssey and CAS Experience
- Excel Spreadsheet Management
- County Records Management
- Forum Speaker
- Documentation and reporting
- Victim advocacy and criminal law
- Referral services and case management
- Multicultural sensitivity
- Legal system navigation
- Client confidentiality and professional boundaries
- Mental health awareness
- Self-care strategies
- Emergency housing services
- Trauma informed care framework
- Group facilitation
- Emergency response training
- Referral coordination
- Human resources compliance
- Recruitment
Accomplishments
- Successfully secured $1.4 million in annual grant funding, growing the VSP from 3 to 21 employee-making it the largest program of its kind in the southern United States.
Neighborhood And Community Safety
I believe safety should be a basic human right. Safety in a community brings peace to those living within and fosters collaboration amongst its constituents. A safe neighborhood promotes prosperity amongst its businesses and residents, which enriches the community. Safe communities help develop programs for children and elderly which provide positive enrichments to individuals that are most vulnerable. I believe that implementing social service programs help residents within the communities receive services that will empower and provide self-sufficiency. Collaboration amongst businesses, residents and law enforcement is a key element to Neighborhood and Community Safety.
Introduction
Professional Victim Advocate Manager with 25 years’ experience in victim services, violence prevention, administration, outreach, training, and education. Trauma informed trained and with the ability to build rapport with clients. Passionate Leader with a positive attitude that enjoys working with others. Great written, oral skills, who is enthusiastic, flexible and detailed oriented. A hard worker that is compassionate, reliable, dependable, and committed in empowering those I serve.
Training
- NOVA- Florida Crisis Response Certification
- US Department of Justice Office of Victims of Crime-Human trafficking forum conference
- Freedom without Violence/National Domestic Violence Conference
- Florida Department of education- Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery
- Miami-Dade Public Safety Training Institute-Managing Encounters with the Mentally Ill/Legal Issues & Updates
- University of Miami-School of Nursing & Health Studies-Dangerous Assessment Training
- Office of the Attorney General-Florida Crime Prevention Training- social media and Advocacy
- Survivors Pathway Center, Inc.-Sensitivity training with victims of the LGBTQ Community
- Saint Thomas University-School of Law- Human Trafficking Advocacy Training
- Miami Dade Public Safety Training Institute- Managing Encounters with the Mentally Ill
- Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council of Greater Miami-Open Dialog
- United Way of Miami-Elderly Summit
- Miami Dade Criminal Justice Council-Confronting Violence through Community Collaboration
- Saint Thomas University-International Child Trafficking and Sexually Exploited Children
- Attorney General Office-Enhancing assistance through victim’s compensation
- Nova Southeastern University-Victim Center Approach on investigating Sexual Crimes
- Florida Office of the Attorney General-Children Expose to Violence
- Advocate Program-Bridging Families and Communities
- Latino Alliance of Miami-Domestic Violence within the Latin Community
- Advocacy Center of Florida-Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault among the Elderly
- Baptist Hospital-Domestic Violence among teenagers
- Florida Office of the Attorney General-Victim Designation Certification Training
- Kristi House-Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) Training
- Barry University-Crisis Intervention Counseling
- Kristi House-Working with Commercially & Sexually Exploited Children
- Florida International University-Customer Service Training
- Victim Services Center-Trauma Reduction Training
- Florida Office of the Attorney General-Victim Compensation Training
- Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office-Mental Health Disease among offenders within the Criminal Justice System
- University of Miami-Center of Aging and Disabilities-Taking a closer look on crimes against the Aging, Elderly and Vulnerable adults
- Advocate Center of Training and Treatment-Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in Later Life
- South Miami Hospital and Baptist Health Systems-A closer view on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Miami Dade Mayor’s Office-Children Summit and Workshops
- State Attorney’s Office-M.O.V.E.S. Paralegal Training
Affiliations
- Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners Domestic Violence Oversight Board
- Member of the Miami-Dade County Fatality Review Team
- (FBI) ELEVATE Leadership and Mentor Graduate
- Women’s Fund Freedom from Violence Coalition
- Board member of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council
- Miami-Dade County Human Trafficking Coalition
- Member of CSEC (Commercially Sexually Exploited Children)
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Victim Advocate Manager
Miami-Dade Police Department
05.2018 - Current
MDPD Victim Advocate-Lead Worker
Miami-Dade Police Department
02.2007 - 05.2018
Paralegal-Lead Worker
Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
09.1998 - 06.2006
Paralegal III Counselor
Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
03.1998 - 03.2007
Victim Witness Counselor
Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
03.1997 - 02.1998
Victim Advocacy Certification -
Center for Legal Studies
Master’s - Social Work
Barry University
Bachelors of Arts Degree - Psychology, Criminal Justice
Florida University
Associates of Arts Degree - Psychology
Miami Dade Community College
High School Diploma -
Miami Coral Park Senior High School
ELEVATE certification -
University of Virginia
Certified - Crisis Response Team Certification
National Office of Victim Assistance (NOVA)
Victim Practitioner Designation Certification -
Office of The Attorney General of Florida
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