Birth Parent Advocate

Abbott House; New York (NY); On-site; USD 37,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Abbott House in Bronx, NY is seeking a Parent Advocate to coordinate services between the birth parent of a child in foster care and the caseworker. The role requires empathy, organization, and the ability to document progress within state-mandated timeframes.

You will support parents in accessing treatment programs, supervise visits, assist with court hearings, and help the case planners with home visits. A Bachelor’s degree is required and the schedule is full-time, 35 hours per week.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate services between the birth parent and the caseworker.
• Engage parents to plan for the child’s return and connect them with needed treatment programs.
• Document progress notes within mandated timeframes.
• Supervise parent and child visits to ensure safety of the families served.
• Assist with foster home visits and birth family home visits.
• Assist with court hearings.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Job Details: Job Location: Bronx, NY 10453, Salary Range: $37,000.00 - $40,000.00 Salary,

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.
• Kneeling – The Birth/Parent Advocate may occasionally kneel.
• Crouching – The Birth/Parent Advocate may occasionally crouch.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree is required.

HOURS AND TIME OF WORK

Full-time: 35 Hours per Week