FAMILY & JUVENILE COURT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Kitsap County, WA; Port Orchard (WA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Kitsap County seeks an FJCIP Coordinator to improve dependency courts serving children, youth, and families. You will analyze data, build partnerships with DCYF and community orgs, and drive cross-system improvements with a focus on equity and trauma-responsive practices.

The role involves coordinating training, reporting, and program development to enhance court processes and outcomes for families involved in child welfare.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, or a related field from a college or university.
• 1 year of program experience in child welfare, juvenile or family courts, human services, court services, or a related field.

Responsibilities

• Drive data-informed decision-making by collecting, analyzing, and distributing dependency court data.
• Build strategic partnerships with judicial officers, court staff, DCYF, community organizations, and other system partners.
• Lead cross-system collaboration by convening meetings and workgroups to improve dependency court operations.
• Assess community and system needs by gathering input from families, caregivers, court participants, and system professionals.
• Advance equitable and trauma-responsive practices in collaboration with DCYF and court partners.
• Promote access to court and community resources by coordinating with partner agencies.
• Strengthen judicial education and professional development through coordinating training opportunities.
• Conduct research and recommend system improvements based on data and best practices.
• Support accurate court data and case management by coordinating with the clerk's office for data linking and coding.
• Champion continuous quality improvement and statewide court improvement initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for operational improvement and participate in FJCIP Community of Practice meetings.
• Coordinate the Finding Fathers program related to genetic testing in dependency cases.
• Manage program reporting and accountability with required reports to the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Skills

Leadership/Management

Communication skills

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, or related field

Tools

Court data systems

Job description

Kitsap County is looking for a Family and Juvenile Court Improvement Program (FJCIP) Coordinator to help improve how dependency courts serve children, youth, and families involved in the child welfare system. This position focuses on identifying challenges, strengthening court processes, and finding practical ways to improve outcomes for families.

The FJCIP Coordinator works closely with the courts, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), and community partners to identify what is working well and where improvements are needed. This includes reviewing court data, researching best practices, coordinating improvement efforts, and helping put effective changes into practice.

This role is a good fit for someone who enjoys working with others, solving problems, and making a difference through public service. The coordinator will work with judicial officers, court staff, government agencies, and community organizations to support fair, respectful, and trauma-responsive court practices. The goal is to improve communication between partners, address barriers that families face, and help create a court system that better meets the needs of children and families.

Role Responsibilities

• Drive data-informed decision-making by collecting, analyzing, and distributing dependency court data and performance indicators to court leadership and system partners to identify trends, evaluate outcomes, and guide improvement efforts.
• Build strategic partnerships with judicial officers, court staff, DCYF, community organizations, and other system partners to strengthen communication, coordinate initiatives, and implement effective court programs and processes.
• Lead cross-system collaboration by convening and facilitating meetings, workgroups, and community discussions focused on improving dependency court operations, strengthening partnerships, and achieving better outcomes for children and families.
• Assess community and system needs by gathering input from families, caregivers, court participants, and system professionals to identify barriers, improve service delivery, and inform program development.
• Advance equitable and trauma-responsive practices by collaborating with DCYF and court partners to identify disparities and disproportionate impacts on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) families and youth and develop strategies to address inequities.
• Promote access to court and community resources by coordinating with partner agencies to ensure that judicial officers and court participants understand available services and can readily access appropriate supports.
• Strengthen judicial education and professional development by coordinating training opportunities for judicial officers, supporting compliance with training requirements, and promoting educational resources for court staff and system partners.
• Conduct research and recommend system improvements by analyzing dependency case management data, researching evidence-informed practices, and proposing changes that better address the needs of children, youth, and families.
• Support accurate court data and case management by coordinating with the clerk's office on dependency case linking and coding to meet statistical reporting and court improvement needs.
• Champion continuous quality improvement by applying quality improvement principles, fostering a learning environment, and contributing to statewide court improvement initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for operational improvement by evaluating court processes, identifying training and program needs, improving efficiencies, and contributing to monthly FJCIP Community of Practice meetings.
• Coordinate the Finding Fathers program by facilitating the scheduling, filing, and reporting of genetic testing for children and alleged fathers involved in dependency cases.
• Manage program reporting and accountability by preparing and submitting required reports to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), including local improvement plans, semiannual reports, expenditure reports, and spending documentation.
• Maintain professional expertise by participating in continuing education and training sponsored by the AOC and other organizations on child welfare, family and juvenile court operations, and applicable legal and court requirements.

What You Bring

• Professional Experience and Education: Bachelor's degree in social work, human services, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, or a related field from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education AND one year of program experience role in child welfare, juvenile or family courts, human services, court services, or a related field.
• Leadership/Management Experience: The ability to coordinate cross-functional initiatives, facilitate meetings, build productive partnerships, and guide collaborative improvement efforts is important. Experience bringing together stakeholders with different roles and perspectives to identify challenges, develop solutions, and implement organizational change would be valuable.
• Technical/Industry Background:Experience or familiarity with court operations, dependency proceedings, child welfare systems, or public-sector program administration would support success in this position. The role also calls for the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data; monitor performance indicators; and prepare reports that inform decisions and demonstrate program effectiveness.
• Specialized Expertise: The successful candidate will be prepared to support continuous quality improvement, evidence-informed practice, and systems-level change. Familiarity with trauma-responsive approaches, equitable service delivery, family-centered practices, and the challenges experienced by children and families involved in dependency court proceedings would be particularly relevant.
• Communication/Interpersonal Skills: Strong written, verbal, facilitation, and relationship-building skills are essential to coordinating meetings, communicating findings, preparing reports, and working effectively with judicial officers, court staff, government agencies, community organizations, families, and other stakeholders. The ability to communicate complex information clearly and foster a respectful, collaborative learning environment is important.
• Additional Preferred Qualifications:
  • Social work experience
  • Experience working with state systems (e.g., DCYF, juvenile courts, public agencies)
  • Juvenile court dependency experience
  • Experience in juvenile probation, dependency casework, or family law
  • Familiarity with legislative requirements and case law related to dependency proceedings
  • Experience collaborating with community stakeholders involved in dependency court processes
  • Understanding of Washington State’s child welfare and dependency court systems
  • Experience with data-driven program evaluation, court improvement initiatives, interagency collaboration, judicial education coordination, or child welfare reporting

For the complete job description: https://www.kitsap.gov/hr/JobClassifications/FJCIP%20Coordinator%20-%20Juvenile.pdf

For more information about the department or office: https://www.kitsap.gov/juv/Pages/default.aspx

• Who May Apply: This position is open to the general public. Applications will be screened for qualifications and completion of all the required materials and forms. The most competitive applicants may be contacted for further steps in the selection process, which may include testing for office and computer skills. Applicants residing within the Salish region are encouraged to apply.
• This position is classified as exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• This position is covered under a collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME Local 1308 Juvenile Courts and the Kitsap County Personnel Manual. Membership in the union is optional.
• Application Requirements: All applicants, internal and external, must submit a complete and fully detailed application. Your application must clearly demonstrate how you meet all minimum qualifications for the position by the posted closing date. The County uses the information provided in the application (not the résumé) to verify relevant work experience and to determine placement on the pay scale if you are selected for the position.
• To be considered, your application must: Be fully completed, including all supplemental questions. Provide specific and detailed information showing that you have performed the duties and gained the experience required for the role. Include the total years of relevant experience, quantified based on full-time equivalency. Applications that are incomplete, lack sufficient detail, or do not clearly demonstrate that the applicant meets all minimum qualifications will be screened out and will not move forward in the hiring process. Meeting the minimum qualifications is required.
• Prior to employment, the successful candidate must: Submit official transcripts from an accredited college or university or business school, if education is being used to meet the minimum qualifications. Pass all job-related examinations/tests necessary to demonstrate required knowledge, skills and abilities, as determined by the hiring authority at time of job posting. Authorize and complete a criminal background check. Information received is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will not necessarily remove a candidate from consideration. Criminal Conviction Standards:
  • The successful incumbent will or may have unsupervised access to children under 18 years of age, a vulnerable adult, or a vulnerable person, or access to a secured/confidential facility or computer system(s). As a result, Kitsap County will be conducting an extensive criminal background check by law enforcement agencies, which may include fingerprinting.
• Kitsap County is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please contact our Human Resources Office.
• This recruitment is being used to fill an existing open position, and may be used to fill future openings for up to six (6) months.
• Work hours for this position are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• This posting may be used to fill future openings.
• Only authorized employees and hiring authorities have access to the application materials submitted. Per RCW 42.56.250, all applications for public employment, including the names of applicants, resumes, and other related materials submitted with respect to an applicant are exempt from public inspection.