Family Advocate I

POSITION TITLE:  Family Advocate I

SALARY:  $45,760.00-$48,000.00

REPORTS TO:  Director of Family Services

FLSA STATUS:  Full time (40 hours), Non-exempt

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: 

The Family Advocate provides direct advocacy support services to child victims and non-offending family members. The Family Advocate monitors case progress, maintains client files and documents services provided accordingly. The Family Advocate performs the job duties according to professional ethics, maintaining a high standard of confidentiality and in line with the National Children’s Alliance program standards.

The Family Advocate position is full-time at 40 hours per week typically during standard office hours, and reports to the Director of Family Services.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

· During appointments at the child advocacy center, engage and establish rapport with child victims and non-offending family members.

· Provide advocacy services according to the National Children’s Alliance (NCA) standards and as delineated in the CACGROC Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Child Abuse Guidelines.

· Coordinate, schedule and/or make referrals for services to be provided by team members and other providers as warranted.

· Assist families in understanding the legal system in relation to the prosecution of child abuse cases and provide proactive outreach, follow-up and accompaniment services to victims and non-offending family members throughout the investigative and judicial process.

· Administer screenings to assess the needs of the victim and non-offending family members including but not limited to a mental health screening.

· Develop comprehensive safety plans with the non-offending caregivers as needed.

· Provide proactive outreach and follow-up to ensure victims and non-offending family members are engaged in mental health services, if necessary.

· Assist non-offending caregivers/guardians with completing and filing NYS Office of Victim Services (OVS) compensation claim applications.

· Responsible for the documentation and data collection of cases in the Collaborate system, coordinating with the Data Program Manager.

· Answer calls on the triage phone, assess client needs, coordinate services, and provide appropriate referrals as needed.

· Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) providing support at the child advocacy center or by responding in the field as appropriate.

· Communicate effectively with child victims, witnesses, and others regardless of age, sex, social, economic, cultural, or ethnic backgrounds, maintaining a strict standard of confidentiality.

· Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to demonstrate proficiency in meeting competencies required for position; able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s degree in social work, counseling, criminal justice, psychology or related field with three or more years’ experience working with victims and/or vulnerable children/families.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

· Outstanding customer service, interpersonal communication, and listening skills

· Prior experience providing crisis counseling or problem solving with at-risk children and families

· Knowledge of advocacy standards and skills relating to victims of crime

· Knowledge of child abuse dynamics, child protective and law enforcement investigation procedures, and the legal reporting mandates for professionals

· Ability to engage and build rapport with all children and family members

· Familiarity with the legal, social service, medical and mental health systems responsible for protecting children

· Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships with multiple agencies

· Ability to effectively prioritize and organize assignments in a fast-paced work environment

· Respect for diversity and a commitment to providing culturally competent and inclusive services

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

· Prolonged periods of working on a computer

· Ability to communicate, both verbally and in written form

· Ability to bend, squat, and climb stairs, as well as lift 25 pounds

· Must be able to work a flexible schedule and have reliable transportation to travel to multiple sites when needed

A review of this position has excluded the marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of fundamental job duties. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities.