CHILD ADVOCATE MANAGER
This is a highly independent, responsible position focused on achieving the GAL Program’s primary mission: advocating for the best interests of children involved in the dependency court system. In this position, you may work directly with children, as a Staff Advocate, or work with children though assigned volunteers, as a Volunteer Supervisor, or by a combination of the two roles. Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Program Management:
- If appointed to a child’s case as a Volunteer Supervisor will achieve each of the following duties through the work of volunteers. If appointed to a child’s case as a Staff Advocate will achieve the following duties by direct involvement with the children and families served.
- Ensures compliance with all Circuit and Statewide administrative and operational standards, policies, procedures, and initiatives in order to achieve consistent, effective best interest advocacy for children assigned to the Program.
- On each assigned case, visits each child monthly (unless an approved, child specific exception is granted by your Circuit Director), gathers information, gives recommendations and provides written reports in order to advocate for and achieve best interest outcomes for each child, with particular emphasis given to safety, permanency, and normalcy for all children assigned.
- Attends and meaningfully participates in court hearings, depositions, case plan conferences, dependency mediations, staffings, and meetings relating to cases assigned.
- Maintains complete and accurate case file records relating to all activities, recommendations and results relating to all children served.
- Ensures highly assertive advocacy through a collaborative, team based decision making culture, utilizing all members of the advocacy team: attorneys, case coordinators, volunteers and when appropriate, management.
- Completes other Duties as assigned by Management
- Volunteer Management
- Implements and adheres to all Circuit and Statewide volunteer management procedures and practices. Effectively trains, evaluates, provides feedback, coaches, supervises and retains assigned volunteers, when assigned, to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of child advocacy, with strong emphasis on securing permanency and safety for all children served.
- Inter-Agency Collaboration and Government Relations
- Develops effective working relationships with all local agencies, primarily the Department of Children and Families and its contracted agencies, as well as service providers involved in Community Based Care and the child welfare system.
BACHELORS DEGREE REQUIRED-
Guardian Ad Litem Program seeks Child Advocate, social work-trained, for abused children in dependency proceedings; 40 hours; 50%> field work Dade County; BA/BS, strong writing, verbal, computer, org skills. Bilingual preferred $36,441.60+ benefits. Mileage reimbursed. Send resume to jackie.echagarrua@gal.fl.gov