CASA Staff Advocate - Part-Time

Clark County Government•Jeff, IN

20h

About The Position

The role of the CASA Staff Advocate is separate and distinct from that of a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer. Appointment of a CASA volunteer remains the preferred model of providing an advocate for abused and neglected children and it is the goal that every child in a dependency proceeding be appointed a CASA. When that is not possible, however, appointment of a Staff Advocate to serve as the child's advocate may occur. Staff Advocates serve on multiple cases. The Staff Advocate will ensure that children to whom they are appointed receive sound advocacy and early permanency planning along with supervision of volunteers. This is a part-time (20 hours/week, $17.50/hour) position. Dress code is business/professional.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in social service-related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience; must be at least 21 years of age.
Ability to communicate and work with children and their families, DCS staff, school personnel and service providers.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Professional appearance.
Commitment to CASA-The Voice of Clark County's mission and goals.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge and understanding of issues and dynamics within families in crisis relating to child abuse and neglect given preference.

Responsibilities

Complete program's initial 30 hour training session for advocates and maintain 12 hours of continued training annually (prorated first year of employment).
Upon initial appointment to a case, interview the child, parents, relatives, foster parents, teachers, DCS family case manager, service providers and others who have knowledge of the child.
Make contact with each assigned child at least monthly.
Review all records relevant to the case.
Participate in development of initial case plans.
Communicate with each child's teacher/staff regarding school performance if applicable
Communicate with service providers.
Attend Child and Family Team Meetings (CFTM) on each case if possible.
Monitor implementation of and progress with court-ordered services and plan
Bring unmet needs and/or other concerns to attention of DCS Family Case Manager.
Participate in regular case staffing with Program Director.
Supervise volunteers in report-writing and general case staffing.
Attend all court hearings in person on each case.
Notify office in advance if unable to attend hearings.
Maintain accurate and up-to-date case files in Optima®, the CASA state database system.
Certify and submit electronic timecard biweekly.
Other duties as may be assigned by Program Director