Family Advocate, Children's Advocacy Center

Klingberg Comprehensive Program Services Inc•Hartford, CT

About The Position

Klingberg is a private non-profit multi service agency who provides help to thousands of people across Connecticut each year. Our goal is to extend hope and healing to children and families whose lives have been traumatized by abuse and/or neglect in its various forms, sever family problems and mental health issues. We are looking to hire a full time Family Advocate in our Children's Advocacy Center. The Klingberg Children’s Advocacy Center (“KCAC”) is the hub of a multidisciplinary partnership between professionals that investigates allegations of child abuse and exploitation in a child-friendly, developmentally and clinically appropriate, and culturally sensitive manner. Our multidisciplinary team (“MDT”) approach reduces the number of investigative interviews for the victim, allows for medical and mental health services to be more quickly and effectively coordinated for the victim and non-offending family members, and ensures that the team has the appropriate information to reach a result in each case that is in the best interest of the child. Our services include a forensic interview, a coordinated MDT response, specialized mental health services and referrals for specialized medical exams. All KCAC services are tailored to each child and family’s clinical, financial, linguistic, and cultural needs. Full time employees are eligible for our attractive benefits that include but are not limited to: Health, dental, and vision insurance, Life insurance, 401k plus a match, 13 Paid Holidays, 3 Weeks’ Vacation, Parental Leave, Employee Assistance Program, and a Referral Program. We are also currently offering a $1,000 sign on bonus. Under the direction of the Klingberg Children’s Advocacy Center (KCAC) Director, and in coordination with the Multidisciplinary Team, the Family Advocate is responsible for providing support services to the child victims and their non-offending family members. Provides information, advocacy, referrals and case management services to children and their non-offending care givers referred to the Multi-Interdisciplinary Team (MDT).

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree, required
Must have valid driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree preferred from an accredited program in Social Work, Psychology, Family Studies Child Development or other relevant course of study.
Bilingual Spanish preferred.

Responsibilities

Assists MDT Coordinator with referrals for forensic interviews and completes all necessary paperwork to ensure the interview takes place and that all members of the MIT Team are informed.
Assists MDT Coordinator with following client’s case from intake to conclusion and monitors cases through prosecution.
Informs MDT Team of the victim and non-offending parent/guardian’s concerns.
Provides referrals for victims and non-offending family members to appropriate social services, specialized, trauma focused, evidence-supported mental health and medical treatment.
Provides court education, courthouse/courtroom tours, support, and accompaniment to court to support child and non-offending parents(s)/caregiver(s) and/or to monitor cases as needed.
Provides follow-up to MDT Coordinator and/or non-offending parent(s)/caregiver(s) including information about civil and criminal legal proceedings.
Works closely with civil court advocate by providing information and assisting families in filing a restraining order through the civil/family court system.
Co-facilitates a non-offending support group for non-offending parents, as needed.
Engages and establish a trusting relationship with the assigned parent(s) and child(ren), beginning at the first introduction phone call before the forensic interview.
Assessment of individual needs and cultural and linguistic considerations for the child and family.
Provide crisis assessment and intervention, risk assessment, and safety planning and support for children and family members at all stages of involvement with CAC.
Meets and assists families during the forensic interviewing process.
Provision of education and access to victim’s rights and crime victim’s compensation benefits as needed.
Assistance in procuring concrete services (housing, protective orders, domestic violence intervention, food, transportation, public assistance etc.
Assist with access to transportation for interviews, court, treatment and other case-related meetings and tasks.
Assist with engagement of child and family response regarding participation in the investigation and/or prosecution.
Provision of updates to the family on case status, continuances, dispositions, sentencing, and inmate status notification (including offender release from custody).
Attend or coordinate case management meetings with all individuals providing victim advocacy services.