Peer Support Advocate - CAFL Transition Age Youth Office

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Framingham, MA

2d•Remote

About The Position

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is establishing a new Transition Age Youth (TAY) Office within the Children and Family Law Division. This office aims to improve representation and advocacy for young adults and transition-age youth navigating the family regulation system. The Peer Support Advocate will be a crucial member of the legal team, utilizing their personal experience within the system to support youth "aging out" of foster care. This role involves collaborating with attorneys and social workers to prepare cases, connect youth with community resources, support them in critical meetings, and assist with skill-building. The TAY Office will initially operate as a fully remote unit, with a future office location anticipated in the Framingham or broader Metro West/Greater Boston area. CPCS is dedicated to equal justice and human dignity, fighting for the rights of individuals and promoting just public policy.

Requirements

Personal, lived experience as a child/youth in the child welfare system
At least one year of full-time work experience, or equivalent part-time experience, or an equivalent combination of education, experience, and skills
Access to reliable transportation in order to travel to courts, clients, and other locations that are not easily accessible by public transportation
Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely
Candidates will only be considered if they have been separated from DCF for at least 1-year by the time of their start date

Nice To Haves

Foreign language skills are preferred

Responsibilities

Meeting with Trial Attorneys and Social Workers as a three-person team to discuss case assignments and develop plans to engage youth
Interacting frequently and consistently with youth through face-to-face meetings, home visits, phone calls, text messages, and emails depending on client availability and preference
Effectively sharing their personal story to connect, engage, and motivate youth
Researching, sharing, and helping access community resources for youth
Supporting youth at critical meetings and appointments
Working with youth on skill building, such as communication, scheduling, and advocating with service providers
Collaborating with other professionals serving the youth such as caseworkers and treatment providers while maintaining the appropriate level of confidentiality for a legal team
Updating information on any interactions with the client through the case management program, Zelly on a regular basis
Other duties as assigned