POSITION DESCRIPTION Position Title: Parent Advocate Classification: Regular, Full-Time, Salaried Exempt Reports To: Director of Education and Clinical Services Supervises: N/A Essential Staff? No POSITION SUMMARY The Parent Advocate serves a critical role in ensuring the well-being and rights of both the child and the family within various systems, such as social services, court orders, and family support. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES Liaison for Family Members Acts as a bridge between the family, the child, and the system, ensuring effective communication and understanding. Coordinating Visits Facilitates and organizes visitation schedules, which are crucial for maintaining family connections and support. Supervising Court-Ordered Visits Ensures compliance with court orders and guarantees the safety and well-being of the child during supervised visits. Handling Investigations and Complaints Addresses concerns and complaints from families regarding the services provided to their child, advocating for improvements and resolutions. Transportation Assistance Helps overcome logistical challenges by assisting with transportation, enabling families to participate in visits. Court Attendance and Support Provides support to families during court appearances, ensuring their voices are heard and understood. Connecting Families to Resources Helps families access essential community resources, empowering them to provide better support to their child. Participation in Treatment Team Meetings Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to ensure holistic and comprehensive support for the child and family. Support for Reunification Goals Works towards the family service goal of reunification, supporting the process and ensuring the best interests of the child. Support and Documentation Provides ongoing support and documents progress or obstacles encountered during visits, contributing to informed decision-making. Importance and Meaningfulness Empowerment: Enables families to navigate complex systems and ensures their involvement in decision-making processes. Advocacy: Acts as a strong advocate for both the child and the family, ensuring their needs are met. Preservation of Family Bonds: Facilitates and preserves crucial family relationships and support systems, which are vital for a child's well-being. Compliance and Accountability: Ensures compliance with legal requirements and holds responsible parties accountable for providing appropriate services. REQUIRED COMPETENCIES Has a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school. Has a minimum of 2 years of experience working with at risk youth and family systems. When not traveling, performs primarily sedentary work in a climate-controlled office environment. Must be able to perform the physical requirements of the position: o Remain in a stationary, seated position more than 50% of the time. o Occasionally perform light work by lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling up to 20 pounds without assistance. o Move about on foot to complete tasks and move from one location to another. o Stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, climb stairs, and stand regularly. o Have close visual acuity to prepare and analyze figures and data, to view a computer monitor and operate typical office equipment. o Have manual dexterity to grasp and manipulate objects. o Be subjected to occasional noise that would cause one to shout in order to be heard above ambient noise level. Demonstrates a commitment to achieving a standard of excellence with procedures and outcomes. Communicates effectively by balancing listening and talking, speaking and writing clearly and influencing others. Demonstrates excellent teamwork skills by being helpful, accountable, respectful and approachable. Demonstrates a deep commitment to Bethany Children’s Home mission and values.
Salary:
Employment Type: Full-time
Qualifications
Benefits