PARENT ADVOCATE

Responsibilities

• Build relationships and support parents in coping with the trauma of foster care involvement, making decisions for their families, communicating effectively with those involved in their case, and maintaining relationships with their children during foster care placement.
• Prepare parents and participate in Family Team Conferences including but not limited to Transitional, 20 Day, Six Month Service Plan Review, Trial Discharge and Final Discharge conferences.
• Collaborate with Co-Parenting Facilitator and all service providers directly responsible for care outcomes.
• Be trained by Rise as part of a group of parent advocates newly hired to work in foster care agencies, with a focus on healing and self-care; building knowledge of child welfare law, policy and practice; building relationships for support and mentorship with other advocates; and creating an ongoing support and advocacy network.
• Learn to use Rise’s TIPS handouts and resources to inform and support parents.
• Contribute to defining and achieving success for this effort to build effective and meaningful roles for parent advocates in foster care agencies.
• Recognize and celebrate parents’ progress toward reunification.
• Encourage parents to engage in supportive interventions that will strengthen their families.
• Help families navigate resources.
• Coach parents to strengthen problem-solving skills while discovering their strengths, hopes, dreams and priorities.
• Support and supervise family time between parents and children, as well as siblings and other significant resources as needed.
• Provide transportation as needed.
• Complete ongoing documentation in Connections with 7 business days of the event date.
• Work in partnership with the case planning team on completion of Permanency Hearing Reports and court documents as it pertains to the Case Aide’s communication, contact, and collaboration with the family.
• Support families through the Public Assistance process, PATH process, and provide referrals, as needed.
• Attend all interdisciplinary team meetings and actively provide information regarding services being provided to the parent.
• Communicate and work effectively with SCO foster care support staff such as Case Planners, Socio-therapists, Fair Future Coaches and Education Specialists, and medical and mental health staff and with NYC Children’s Services, outside medical and mental health centers, schools, consultants, other SCO programs, and all other relevant parties.
• Adhere to SCO’s personnel policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Previous life experience being impacted by the child welfare system as a parent including 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 child welfare investigations may also qualify.
• Previous child welfare cases must be closed for at least one year.
• A High School Diploma.
• An Associate degree preferred.
• Approved background clearances and fingerprinting are required.
• Excellent oral and written communication.
• Basic computer literacy skills, including Microsoft Office.
• Bilingual abilities are strongly encouraged.
• A valid NYS Driver License required.
• Knowledge of local welfare services a plus.