Job Summary:
Foster Care works in partnership with families to provide trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and inclusive services to promote permanency, safety, and well-being and reduce the length of stay in foster care. The Parent Advocate provides comprehensive support for parents on how to navigate the child welfare system with the goal of reunification. The Parent Advocate provides transparent services and ensures an equitable environment that supports birth parents' rights and goals toward reunification. The Parent Advocate will provide concrete support to parents as they engage with the agency to plan for their children in foster care. The Parent Advocate may participate in Family Team Conferences, Case Planning Meetings, Family Visits and/or accompany parents to appointments.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Maintains a caseload of families with a goal of reunification
- Meet with parents at or near the time of Intake to Foster Care and act as a credible messenger for parents planning for their children
- Participate in case planning meetings or family team conferences to support parents, provide insight, clarification, and emotional regulation to parents to make meetings more effective and planning more successful.
- Meet with families during Family Time (Family Visiting) as a support to encourage visits and to help parent's problem solve obstacles to healthy, effective time with their children
- Accompany parents to service providers such as drug treatment, housing, mental health programs, or court as a source of encouragement and support and helping parents to overcome ambivalence about starting a new programming
- As a key member of the Case Planning Team coordinate activities to assist the family as they move towards achieving permanency
- Make monthly contacts with families on trial discharge
- Facilitate weekly parent support groups
- Performs other duties/responsibilities as assigned within the scope of the position
Qualifications/Requirements:
Seamen's Society is currently looking for talent of all cultures, religions, races, and gender expressions with the following qualifications:
- High School/GED required
- Bi-lingual Spanish preferred
- Computer literate, MS Office; NYS Connections knowledge preferred
- Candidates who have had biological children successfully reunited from foster care preferred and children must be home at least six months
- Must be able to travel within the NYC Metropolitan area.
- Must be able to participate in an on-call rotation
- Detailed-oriented; ability to function as a team player and possesses a demonstrated passion for advancing the work of serving children and families. Ability to work with diverse populations
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, flexibility, professionalism, time management and organizational skills.
Additional Information
Seamen's Society is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all staff members, participants, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors. We respect diversity and accordingly are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, age, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, or expression (sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $21.98 - $22.85 per hour
Expected hours: No less than 35 per week
Benefits:
- 403(b) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Referral program
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
Application Question(s):
- Are you able travel within the NYC Metropolitan area?
- Do you have had biological children successfully reunited from foster care?
- Are you computer literate?
- Are you bi-lingual (English/Spanish)?
Education:
- High school or equivalent (Required)
License/Certification:
- driver's license (Preferred)
Work Location: In person