GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Parent Advocates support parents with children in foster care. They help parents understand and navigate the foster care system, remain hopeful, and address family challenges so that they can accomplish their goal of reunification. Parent Advocates work with the Case Planning Unit, Treatment Team, and other stakeholders to help empower parents in the case planning process, promote safety and expedite successful and sustainable reunification.

MAJOR RESPONSIBLITIES:

• Approach work with a positive attitude, with an ethic of service and integrity rooted in the values, mission, vision, and philosophy of Lutheran Social Services of NY (LSSNY).
• Understand that the focus of all LSSNY’s work is for the betterment of those LSSNY serves.
• Comply willingly with all organizational policies and procedures and support all functions that attain and maintain accreditation and compliance with regulatory agencies.
• Contribute to organizational excellence at the individual, team, department, divisional, and agency wide levels.
• Exhibit integrity, professionalism, and respect both in the workplace and in the communities we serve.

SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Ability to navigate complex issues, be resourceful, and work independently.
• Ability to organize time and prioritize responsibilities to plan and carry out all duties.
• Ability to effectively collaborate in team settings and build relationships with external partners.
• Ability to effectively communicate and engage parents and with sensitivity towards culture, trauma, stress, and healing.

DITIES:

• Build relationships and support parents—in making decisions for their own families, coping with the trauma of foster care involvement, communicating effectively with those involved in their case, and maintaining relationships with their children during foster care placement.
• Prepare parents and participate alongside them in all Family Team Conferences.
• Share insights and observations to inform decision-making.
• Implement the Parents Empowering Parents (PEP) model including key practices in the first 90 days of a case to orient parents to the service planning process; share Rise TIPS and other resources to support parents.
• Conduct visits to parents’ homes and accompany parents to appointments at various service providers as appropriate.
• Offer emotional support for parents attending court dates; for example, offer encouragement, travel to court with parents as needed.
• Orient parents to Family Time, offer ideas for making the most of family visits.
• Supervise visits.
• Recognize and celebrate parents’ progress toward reunification.
• Inform parents about supportive interventions that will strengthen their families.
• Support parents in navigating resources and using negotiation skills.
• Coach parents to strengthen problem-solving skills while discovering their strengths and priorities.
• Document work in Connections and/or other formats as appropriate.
• Attend all program and department meetings as appropriate.
• Participate in professional development, including those mandated by the program/funders/agency.
• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal rules and regulations, including HIPPA.
• Other duties as required by direct supervisor or needs of the program/agency.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Previous life experience in the child welfare system as a parent having had a child placed in foster care or having had a court-ordered supervision case. Other prior child welfare involvement such as having personally experienced a child welfare investigation may also qualify. Previous child welfare cases must be closed for at least one year.
• High School diploma or equivalent.
• Proficiency in English and Spanish preferred
• Must be willing to travel to various NYC (New York City) boroughs.
• Flexibility to work with clients who need to be seen after 5PM and\or weekends.
• Basic competency in Microsoft Office for Windows applications is required.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Ability to commute/relocate:

• New York, NY 10027: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Experience:

• Child welfare: 1 year (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Please Note :
www.bankofmontserrat.ms is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, www.bankofmontserrat.ms provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, Site.com is the ideal place to find your next job.