Family Advocate (FRS)

FAMILY ADVOCATE

FAMILY RECLAIM SERVICES (FRS)

HAYWARD OFFICE

Family Reclaim Services (FRS) encompass specialized case management services for families where children are living at home with their parent or guardian and whose families are under supervision of the Juvenile Courts

through the Children and Family Services (CFS) department of the Alameda County Social Services Agency. The case management services are designed to help families reduce the risk of entry into foster care due to child abuse or neglect after the close of their dependency case. The strength of the FRS program is our staff. Our Family Advocates have personal experience successfully navigating the Alameda County Child Welfare system with their own families. Family Advocates utilize their lived experiences to engage and motivate families while using a family-centered approach.

Job Summary

The Family Advocate will provide hands-on in person case management to families with an open child welfare case where the children are residing with their parent or guardians, or for families where the child has recently returned to the custody of a parent or guardian. The Family Advocate will provide coaching and encouragement to families while utilizing their lived experience navigating multi systems or the child welfare system to support the family in meeting their goals. The Family Advocate helps to ensure that the integrity of the individual family's culture is fully integrated into every aspect of the care and support offered to the child and family. The Family Advocate ensures that culturally sensitive and family friendly engagement practices permeate throughout all of our program offerings. The Family Advocate will collaborate with Alameda County Child Welfare Workers to support parents in engaging in their case plan activities and/or transition after case closure to ensure parents have a clear understanding of the issues that brought their family to the attention of Alameda County Department of Children and Family Services. As a Family Advocate , you will receive support from the Family Reclaim Services program management team in the form of training, professional development, reflective clinical supervision, and administrative support.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications for Family Advocate: A parent who has successfully navigated the Alameda County Child Welfare System as a client, who has exhibited exceptional qualities in their own efforts to reunify and carried out viable permanency plans for their children while maintaining child safety past case closure. Or a peer professional with some personal experience successfully navigating multi-systems within the Alameda County, with 2 years previous case management experience working in the field relevant to client population.
• Ability to work directly with parents and to collaborate with Alameda County staff in order to deliver appropriate and supportive services to families.
• Ability to engage cross-culturally with diverse clientele and community partners, providing culturally relevant and sensitive support.
• Personal experience connecting with community resources and ability to support families in accessing all needed community resources.
• Must have an understanding of child/adolescent development
• Experience in Motivational Interviewing and/or commitment to receive training in this area.
• Ability to engage professionally with parents, supervisors, peers, community partners and County staff.
• Willingness to engage in personal and professional development in order to develop new skills and meet the challenges of the position.
• Willingness to engage in reflective practices and utilize other clinical approaches in identifying and addressing personal issues which may affect or be affected by working with families involved with the Child welfare system
• Demonstrate good verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrate good organizational skills
• Experience in computer skills and/or commitment to receive training in this area
• Ability to pass a background clearance and TB test
• Valid California driver’s license, a clear driving record, availability of personal vehicle, and personal vehicle insurance coverage.
• Willingness to work overtime as needed, including some evening and weekend events.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual/Bicultural (Spanish) preferred
  
  

Duties And Responsibilities

• Provide weekly face to face visits (in home and community) and phone calls with parents in order to provide them with emotional and practical support as they navigate the Child Welfare system
• Work with parents to address child welfare case plan requirements and/or reduce the risk of entry into foster care due to child abuse or neglect.
• Clarify and demystify Child Welfare and Juvenile Court systems and jargon for families.
• Advocate on behalf of families with schools, health care, and other community services or providers, etc.
• Provide one to one support to the parent, i.e., role modeling advocacy for the parent: acting as a sounding board, motivator and a coach for the parent.
• Support families with linkages to community resources that address basic needs and stabilization concerns, such as parent training, housing navigation, childcare, navigating legal system, escaping intimate partner violence, emergency food, supportive counseling and crisis intervention, finance management, nutritional guidance, parent support groups, etc.
• Assist families with increasing their support network on behalf of the needs of their child(ren)
• Conduct screenings to identify family concerns and improvement in family functioning
• Attend any Case Planning and Review Child and Family Team (CFTs) meetings to help ensure that families’ concerns are heard and addressed
• Demonstrate sensitivity and competence in dealing with ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomically diverse client population spanning over a large geographic area.
• Increase awareness about the importance of parent/professional partnerships
• Assist in the ongoing development and evaluation of the child’s treatment plan, including educational, mental health, and substance treatment plans
• Participate in Inter-Disciplinary Team meetings and represent the parent’s perspective
• Engage in personal and professional development in order to develop new skills and meet the challenges of the position.
• Participate in related parent education trainings and workshops
• Participate in weekly individual and group supervision
• Participate in required agency and county in-service training program
• Co-facilitate Parent Support Groups and other parent training development events
• Maintain accurate case documentation, assessments, and complete all paperwork by deadlines
• Communicate daily schedules and plans clearly to supervisor and other relevant parties.
• Maintain close contact with supervisor through email and cell phone contact (equipment provided).
• The ability to relate effectively and professionally with parents, supervisor, co-workers and staff in support of families.
• Meet and maintain all contract deliverables by deadlines
• Perform all other duties as necessary for the good of the agency and program
  
  

Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in an office setting and in the community.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or operate objects, tools or controls, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to stand, talk and hear.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time non-exempt position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Some evenings and weekends are required.

Travel

Travel to various worksites is required

Work Authorization/Security Clearance

Employees must pass a background check and receive TB and health clearances prior to employment. Compliance with organizational vaccination policy.

A Better Way is committed to workforce diversity. Qualified applicants will receive full consideration without regard to age, race, color, ethnic background, religion, gender, sexual orientation, HIV-status, national origin or disability. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.