Job Summary:
The Family Advocate recruits and supports identified at-risk children in Middle Schools who are in sixth grade and provides a focus on services to the families until the student moves on to High School. In collaboration with agency partners, Family Advocates will develop a plan for success with the family and help to keep the family focused on the goals set together. The Family Advocate will help the family with any unforeseen circumstances that affect the student and family's ability to focus on the student's academic success and work to strengthen the family.
Minimum Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Counseling, Social Work, or related field from an accredited college or university, Masters degree preferred.
Experience: Minimum of one year experience in case management or social work practice with children and families preferred
Essential Job Functions:
- All Family Advocates are expected to recruit a minimum of 50, 6th and 7th grade families at their assigned school and provide case management services to a caseload of100 families assigned to the advocate.
- Complete Intake with new families and create a student file.
- Work with the parent to complete and update the Service Plan for the family.
- Provide 25 monthly home visits to Parents being served in the AFL Program each month in the calendar year. This is a minimum of 3 home visits per year for every family. Phone contacts can only replace home visits when families are resistant to in home visits. High risk students should have increased family visits to a minimum of 4 – 5 times a year.
- Counseling, support and face to face contact with every child on your caseload monthly. Check in with students on your caseload each month. These check ins will be face to face and should include discussion of how the student is adjusting at school and discuss how things are at home.
- Meet with the Achievement Advocate at their school monthly. Additional information on these meetings is outlined in the Family Advocate Expectations Form attached.
- Staff cases with the Program Supervisor, School staff and Program Partners –Monthly, quarterly, or as needed.
- Coordinate community services to meet the needs of the family and follow up to determine if the family has engaged in services.
- Provide education for family members about available services, parenting practices and counseling.
- Work cooperatively and communicate as part of a team of advocates within JFCS and with other program partners in the school.
- Organize and conduct assigned "Family Night" events at the advocate's assigned school and help other family advocates conduct family nights at their assigned schools.
- Maintain files on each family and document conversations, referrals made and services provided to families in the Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) system on a weekly basis.
- Attend and participate in staff meetings and developmental training activities.
- Offer Food and Financial Assistance as needed to families.
- Attend and participate in staff meetings and developmental training activities.
- Complete all other duties as assigned by immediate supervisor or AFL Director
- Meet all contact & documentation expectations outlined in the FA Expectations form (see attached)
Periodic Job Functions:
- Conducting assessments
- Budgeting and/or Financial Assistance
Other Requirements:
- Clear a Level II background screening. (https://info.flclearinghouse.com)
- Clear a reference check (professional and personal).
- Clear a local background check from Duval County and the County in which you reside.
- Clear a drug screen.
- Provide a copy of your educational attainment on your first day of employment.
- Clear a Motor Vehicles Records check.
- Provide proof of auto insurance and maintain a minimum personal auto bodily injury liability insurance.
- Clear an E-Verify check to substantiate that the successful candidate meets the Department of Homeland Security authorization requirements to work in the United States (for more information visit www.dhs.gov/e-verify).