Birth Parent Advocate

Abbott House; New York (NY); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading non-profit organization seeks a Parent Advocate to support and engage parents with children in foster care. This full-time position involves coordinating services, documenting progress, and ensuring safe visits between parents and children. Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree and effective communication skills, as well as the ability to navigate treatment programs.

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor's degree.
• Fluency in English required.
• Ability to operate office equipment and software.

Responsibilities

• Assist the caseworker with engaging parents in foster care.
• Document progress notes and ensure safety during visits.
• Assist in applying for treatment programs.

Skills

Communication

Engagement

Documentation

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Summary

The Parent Advocate is responsible for the coordination of services between the birth parent of a child in care and the caseworker. To be qualified for the position of Parent Advocate, you must be able to perform the essential job functions described below, with or without a reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment of in the way things are usually done that result in equal employment opportunity for an individual with a disability and does not create an undue hardship for the Facility.

General Responsibilities

• Responsible to assist the caseworker with engaging the adult parent whose child is now in foster care and who, due to their own hostility, is refusing to plan with the agency for the return of that child.
• Responsible to engage and assist the parent in applying for appropriate treatment programs including parenting skills trainings, substance abuse courses, and domestic violence management trainings.
• Responsible for completion of thorough progress notes documenting his/her efforts in assisting the parent and making those entries in the Connections system within the mandated 15-day time frames as required by law.
• Responsible for supervising parent and child visits to ensure the safety of the families in which we service.
• Responsible for assisting the case planners with foster home visits and birth family home visits.
• Responsible for assisting the case planner with court hearings
• Responsible for any other related duties as required
  
  

Physical Requirements

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. An employee in this position is regularly required to stand; walk, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; talk and listen, and taste or smell. The employee frequently is required to walk. The employee is occasionally required to keep balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Computer – The Birth/Parent Advocate must be able to use a computer and able to learn software programs
• Office Equipment- The Birth/Parent Advocate is required to operate a fax, copier, scan, and other office equipment.
• Communication - The Birth/Parent Advocate needs to be able to speak, read and write fluently in the English language
• Writing - The Birth/Parent Advocate must be able to write in the English language using correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.
• Lifting - The Birth/Parent Advocate may frequently lift 0-25 lbs., occasionally lift 25-50 lbs., and rarely lift over 50 lbs.
• Push/Pull - The Birth/Parent Advocate may frequently push/pull 0-25 lbs. of force, occasionally push/pull 26-45 lbs. force, and rarely push/pull over 45 lbs.
• Sitting, Standing and Walking – The Birth/Parent Advocate will be required to sit, stand and walk throughout the work day.
• Stooping -The Birth/Parent Advocate may occasionally stoop. This is defined as bending body downward by bending spine at the waist.
• Kneeling -The Birth/Parent Advocate may occasionally kneel. This is defined as bending legs at knees to come to rest on knee(s).
• Crouching - The Birth/Parent Advocate may occasionally crouch. This is defined as bending body downward and forward by bending spine and legs.
• Work environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently works in an office environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate due to talk and movement of the program participants and other co- workers. The noise level can increase on occasion due to yelling or screaming by the participants of the programs.
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
  
  

HOURS AND TIME OF WORK

Full-time: 35 Hours per Week