GAL Supervisor

State of North Carolina•Greensboro, NC

About The Position

The Guardian ad Litem Program Supervisor serves as a manager for cases in abuse, neglect, and dependency (AND) court for child client cases our program is appointed to represent. This includes recruiting, training, and supervising child advocate volunteers in their advocacy for child clients. The supervisor may directly serve child clients in cases without a child advocate volunteer. Work may include travel in the district as well as in other areas where a child may be placed by the county child welfare agency or the court.

Requirements

Knowledge of: office practices and procedures to organize and maintain the office; Microsoft Office platform; Enterprise Justice; accurate data collection and entry practice; the mission and responsibilities of the NC Guardian ad Litem Program; federal child welfare law and practice; NC General Statutes and Chapter 7B (child abuse, neglect and dependency law); court practice, processes and responsibilities; NC Administrative Office of the Courts policies and procedures, NCGAL policies and procedures, and other general governing policies as to how work is to be performed; supervision techniques and practices; adolescent development and behavior; family dynamics; trauma-informed practices; effective public speaking, including testifying in court; excellent verbal and written communication skills; and acknowledge of community resources.
Skills in: leading, coaching, and motivating guardians ad litem or staff; organizing and assigning tasks; analyzing and resolving issues; interviewing; expressing ideas clearly in written and verbal form; managing crisis situations calmly; establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with attorneys, judicial officials, local agencies, media and the general public which will encourage positive outcomes for the child clients the NCGAL Program represents.
Demonstrated success with developing positive and purposeful relationships with agencies, people, and clients for positive outcomes.
Ability to: supervise guardians ad litem and evaluate their performance; provide guidance to guardians ad litem in writing investigation plans, reports to the court, and make recommendations to the court in the best interest of children; provide creative leadership in recruiting, supervising, and maintaining guardians ad litem; speak effectively in public; clearly express ideas orally and in writing, establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
Bachelor's degree in business administration or management, public administration, criminal justice, prelaw, or human services field plus one year of experience in an office or business role in these areas, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Nice To Haves

Management prefers a candidate with strong skills in management, organization, technology, data management and analysis, and case management.

Responsibilities

Plan and facilitate training for prospective child advocate volunteers (GALs).
Review juvenile petitions and assign cases to the guardians ad litem.
Reassign cases, as necessary.
Triage cases without child advocate volunteers by investigating issues, visiting child clients, and interviewing people with relevant information needed to effectively advocate for the children whose cases you may be assigned to manage.
Manage appointment and release orders for child advocate volunteers, staff, and the program.
Track case assignments and develop strategies for case assignment in consultation with the District Administrator.
Support the attorney advocate in his/ her role by conferring on case issues and ensuring necessary documents and court reports are prepared and available for court. This includes entering records in Enterprise Justice.
Supervise child client cases, with or without child advocate volunteers appointed.
Coordinate court docket with the juvenile clerks, guardians ad litem, and attorney advocates.
Notify child advocate volunteers and staff of scheduled and ad hoc reviews, conferences, staffings, and hearings.
Under direction of the District Administrator, visit child clients, prepare court reports, and attend court prepared to testify.
Provide case management for other court proceedings for staff and volunteers.
Enter and review data from court dockets and Enterprise Justice to ensure cases comply with statutory requirements.
Maintain child client files in accordance with state laws, NC State Bar Rules and Advisory Opinions, NCGAL policies and procedures, NCAOC Record Retention Schedule, and requirements of State Archives.
Work with staff and statewide Committees on recruitment and training.
Schedule training and track completions for attendees.
Handle other duties, as assigned by the District Administrator, Regional Administrator, State Office Staff, or district staff.