Court Advocacy Specialist
The Court Advocacy Specialist is responsible for supervising and evaluating advocates appointed to serve children in foster care. The goal is to provide advocates with supervision and monitoring to ensure children’s best interest are being met while involved in the legal system. In addition, this position assists with advocate recruitment, screening, and training of advocates as well as program development, tracking and evaluation.
PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
Advocates and Casework
- Supervise and monitor up to 30 advocates and up to 45 cases. Provide consultation, problem solving, troubleshooting, feedback, guidance, evaluation, motivation, training, monitoring and preparation for court appearances. Demonstrate knowledge of each case’s history and pertinent advocacy issues.
- Monitor CASA’s involvement in these cases and case activity, while assuring that Child Advocates of Fort Bend’s policy and practice standards and sound case management practices are followed.
- Attend court hearings as necessary
- Attend emergency hearings as necessary
- Consult with appropriate DFPS staff regarding client needs and advocate assignments
- Act as primary liaison with advocates. Release and reassign advocates whose advocacy is inappropriate or detrimental.
- Provide assistance and consultation to advocates as needed and when requested. Contact volunteers a minimum of once per month
- Notify advocates well in advance of hearing dates
- Review court reports prior the hearing date
- Assess and record advocate performance
- Maintain compliance with Texas CASA and National CASA standards
- Maintain orderly CASA case file
Volunteer Training
- Assist with the design and implementation of volunteer pre-service and in-service trainings
- Participate in quarterly training sessions
- Provide training to other CASA Programs as needed
Collaboration and Outreach
- Participate in public awareness and community outreach
- Coordinate assigned activities with key stakeholders in the community
Financial and Records
- Assist in preparing outcome reports for grants
- Collect and tabulate program effectiveness measures
Program Activities
- Attend all available conferences and workshops for the development of programs for advocates
- Participate in program implementation, evaluation and planning
- Attend monthly staff meetings
- Serve on appropriate community committees and task forces
- Participate in planning for all CASA programs
Strategic and Operational Plan
- Assist in the development of a CASA long-range plan and annual operational plans
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in social services or related field with at least 3 years’ experience working with services for children and adolescents. Strong project management skills and ability to work independently with a wide variety of people of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Highly organized and detail oriented. Use computers and program related softwar5e proficiently, ability to develop and design a program for advocates and children/youth and evaluate the effectiveness of the program.
Other Requirements
- Pass a child abuse and criminal background check
- Complete 40+ hour pre-service training
- Must maintain 12 hours of continuing education annually
- Bending, stooping, reaching and other movement required
- Ability to lift 20 pounds
- Valid driver’s license
- Must comply with all city, state and federal laws
- Perform other duties as assigned
Interested individuals should complete a CAFB employment application and send it, along with a cover letter and resume to HRRM@cafb.org.
Child Advocates of Fort Bend is an equal opportunity employer.
CAFB adheres to a strict Zero Tolerance for Child Abuse Policy in our practices and operations.
