Family Advocate

Overview

Title: Family Advocate

Reports to: Program Director

Status: Full-time

Work Schedule: M-F, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, some evenings and weekends may be required

Salary: $45,000-$50,000/yr.

Job Summary

The family advocate will provide support to the families and children of justice involved women who are detained at Rose M. Singer Center and serve as a bridge between the families and the various systems involved, offering advocacy, education, and support under the supervision of the Director of the Visiting and Family Assistance Program.

• Complete Family Intake Forms with all families that would like assistance and assess their needs
• Coordinate assistance to the families and children which may include provision of basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, crisis intervention, information and/or referrals
• Provide emotional and practical support to the caregivers in the communities, including navigating community supports, public assistance appointments, and other social services as needed
• Accompany caregivers to family court appearances and child welfare meetings
• Establish collaborative working relationships with referring agencies and other community based organizations
• In collaboration with the social workers, assist with the development of family service plans and identification in gap of services
• Maintain appropriate client information and documentation in electronic databases and hard files, and submit accurate data on regular basis
• Attend internal staff meetings, trainings, and supervision, as well as related external meetings and trainings with resource partners
• Perform additional department or agency related duties or special projects as directed by supervisor

• Ability to travel across the five boroughs and to the Rose M. Singer Center on Rikers Island

• Associate's Degree with 1-3 years relevant work experience OR
• High School Diploma/GED with 3+ years relevant work experience AND
• Lived experience with criminal justice, child welfare and/or family court systems
• Have successfully reunified with child or youth for at least one year or exited the child welfare system for at least one year
• Successful completion of background investigation by DOC as part of volunteer application process
• Knowledge of court system and process
• A demonstrated commitment to parents' rights and social justice
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Must have the ability to provide effective services and produce accurate written documents in a timely fashion
• Must be able to work with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally- inclusive manner
• Must be able to work independently and as part of team
• Must be able to have solid, productive boundaries
• Computer and technical skills, specifically Microsoft Office programs
• Spanish language fluency is preferred
• We are an organization that is choosing to require all our employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19