Family Advocate - Enhanced Family Engagement

CJR•Waterbury, CT

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Family Advocate is responsible for providing case management to youth and families by working to mitigate barriers and increase the likelihood of success. The Advocate supports family well-being by providing resource information and incorporating goal-setting with families. This position is responsible for engaging families as full partners in their child’s development and addresses challenges by building their self-esteem using cultural strengths.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Sociology, or Human Services or minimum of 3 years’ experience working with justice/system/agency involved youth
Strong case management skills
Effective engagement skills
Strong community connections and knowledge base
Demonstrated understanding of risk-needs-responsivity principles, and risk reduction initiatives

Nice To Haves

Being fluent in Spanish would be a plus, but not required

Responsibilities

Point of contact for youth and families
Assigned to the youth and family through all 3 phases of the LYNC program (from referral to discharge)
Identifies basic needs of the youth and family and advocates for services to meet those needs
Focus on understanding the youth and family needs in the context of strengths, and connecting them with appropriate services, ensure multidisciplinary coordination and planning, with inclusion of community and natural supports
Works closely with the Service Specialist to connect youth and families to community services and/or group interventions
Work with youth and families to mitigate barriers and increase the likelihood of youth and family success
Provide structured case management, work on goals developed, address barriers, develop and build skill acquisition
Use Motivational Interviewing and client engagement strategies within each case management session
Organizes resources to get things done, orchestrates multiple activities at once to accomplish a goal, and arranges information in a useful manner
Maintains effective relationships with client, families and community resources
Facilitating and empowering youth and families to access support and resources within the community
Exploring and enrolling youth in prosocial communities and connections
Reinforcing and transferring skills learned in other program interventions
Regular and consistent attendance

Benefits

Low-cost Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Plan Options
Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance offered after 30 days of employment
Company Paid Life and Long-Term Disability Insurance
Generous Paid Vacation Package (unused time eligible for carry over)
Paid Holiday Time (separate from vacation time)
Floating Holidays (separate from paid vacation time and holiday time off)
Annual Monetary Incentives
Tuition Assistance
401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with Company Match
Company Celebrations & Employee Recognition Program
Employee Discounts (Cell Phone, Computer)
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Qualified Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Employer Federal Student Aid
10%-20% tuition discount at many local educational institutions, including those listed by the CT Nonprofit Alliance