Position title: Family Advocate

Family Advocates provide services to support families in maintaining stability through addressing adjustment issues and family conflicts, assisting with accessing services within the community, and advocating on behalf of families within the social service, educational and health system of services. The Family Advocate safeguards the dignity and protects the rights and individuality of each caregiver under his/her care. The Family Advocate promotes client participation in all program services to assist clients in achieving self sufficiency, emotional well­being and family preservation. The Family Advocate may also provide training and/or support to program participants. Family Advocates also model the Agency values of customer focus, life- long learning, decision making by fact and knowledge, systems perspective and continual improvement in all job duties and interactions internally/externally. ****

There are two positions available. One position will serve the Davidson County area. One position will serve the Mid-Cumberland area.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Receive referrals and complete assessments to determine family needs and assess the safety and well-being of the children and the caregivers.
• Verify eligibility and re-determination of eligibility, complete required documentation, and assist family in completing forms.
• Formulate action plans based on completed assessments with the family and work towards goal attainment of action plan developed.
• Engage Birth Parents as much as possible.
• Assist families in accessing public and private community resources.
• Assist caregivers in obtaining services from and navigating systems of agencies such as DCS, DHS, Juvenile Court, schools, health services, etc.
• Maintain contact with caregivers and children.
• Complete monthly and quarterly data as required by federal, state, and relative caregiver guidelines and submit in a timely manner.
• Document in TFACTS.
• Plan, coordinate and co-facilitate support groups.
• Assess, analyze, and identify solution strategies to assist families in achieving family preservation, stability and self-sufficiency.
• Provide emotional support to the caregiver and children and assist families with reunification efforts when appropriate.
• May coordinate storage facility and donated items.
• Attend court dates, Child & Family Team meetings (CFTM), Individualized Education Planning meetings (IEP), or other meetings pursuant to the needs of the caregiver and the child(ren).
• Assist teens who are transitioning to young adulthood by supporting them with educational and career opportunities.
• Assist in gathering documents and provide support around home studies and adoption processes.
• Plan and facilitate educational workshops around financial stability, educational success, permanency and others.
• Facilitate/Co-facilitate Teen and Youth Activity Groups and Enrichment Activities schedule.
• Attend scheduled staff meetings, trainings, and other agency/program meetings.
• Any other duties deemed appropriate by the Supervisor and/or Program Director.
• Regular attendance during office hours and reliable transportation required.

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Requirements: This position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or a related discipline, or three to four years of related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

EOE M/F/D/V