Position Overview:

The Advocacy Coordinator is primarily responsible for the administrative case management of the open dependency court cases serviced by Carroll County CASA. In doing so, the Advocacy Coordinator provides supervision and direction to CASA volunteer advocates and ensures volunteer compliance with agency policies. The Advocacy Coordinator also collaborates with staff to screen potential volunteers and provide volunteer advocate training. An essential part of the Advocacy Coordinator position is working with the CASA volunteer to ensure each child’s physical, emotional, psychological, and educational needs are met.

The Advocacy Coordinator will spend a moderate amount of time in virtual and in-person court hearings, in DFCS meetings, editing and providing feedback on CASA court reports, and in communication with the CASA volunteers on their case load.

Job Responsibilities:

• Assist with recruitment, screening, and training of new CASA volunteers.
• Provide supervision, support, and management of volunteer advocates and their assigned cases.
• Support volunteer advocates in their duties by exercising independent judgment to assist advocates in creative problem solving, utilizing Agency and community resources, and ensuring objectivity, accuracy, and consistency while maintaining a focus on best interest principles.
• Maintain monthly minimum contact with advocates, providing coaching, feedback, and support tailored to individual case and volunteer needs.
• Required to attend all weekly juvenile court dependency hearings and document activity on cases.
• Assess and strategically match advocates with cases in a timely manner.
• Annually evaluate and document advocate performance in the fulfillment of their duties.
• Review, edit, and provide feedback on all CASA reports prior to submitting them to the court and other parties.
• Maintain organized, accurate, and up-to-date physical and electronic records in compliance with Agency protocols, HIPAA laws, and ensure data integrity for grant reporting needs. Ability to maintain and follow strict confidentiality guidelines is a must.
• Accompany CASA volunteers in the field to provide support on home visits, DFCS meetings, school meetings, parent visitations, etc.
• One would need to possess strong interpersonal skills to maintain positive working relationships with diverse community members and professionals in a collaborative manner.
• Attend and participate in weekly and monthly staff meetings and collaborate with CASA staff to troubleshoot case concerns and implement solution-based ideas.
• Attend community events, fundraisers, trainings, etc. in support of the Agency goals and advancement of Agency objectives. Some overnight trainings and travel to surrounding counties may be required.
• Serve as Agency representative at annual conferences and for specialized court programs, such as Family Treatment Court and Citizen Panel Reviews.
• Candidate will need to access their own transportation and cell phone service. Staff availability outside normal working hours is required.
• Carroll County CASA Executive Director may assign additional tasks as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Associate degree in a social-service or child welfare related field. Bachelor’s degree preferred. Experience in such work may be substituted for education.
• Experience with one or more of the following are required: nonprofit organizations, social services, juvenile law, child welfare, and case management. Two or more years of experience is preferred.
• Ability to operate routine office equipment, email, database management, and Microsoft Applications, with the ability to learn and incorporate new technology and software.
• Strong working knowledge of community resources in the Carroll County and surrounding areas.
• Spanish/English bilingual candidates encouraged to apply.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including editing skills. Must be able to provide constructive objective feedback to volunteers and receive constructive feedback from supervisors.
• Flexibility with hours, including some evenings and weekends. Occasional overnight trainings and conferences may be required.
• Demonstrated respect of all people regardless of socioeconomic background, race, culture, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise diplomacy and discretion in communication with others.
• Interpersonal Skills: Self-motivated with ability to take initiative. Has desire to surpass expectations. Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming. Listens to others without interrupting. Keeps emotions under control. Remains open to constructive feedback and other's ideas.
• Must satisfactorily pass all applicable background checks, which will include fingerprint screening, motor vehicle check, sex offender registry, and child abuse registry check.
• Cleaning of office space and staff working environment may be required.

Compensation:

Salary will be commensurate with education and experience. Salary ranges from $35,000 to $41,000 annually based on education and experience.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:
This position requires the manual dexterity sufficient to operate phones, computers, and other office equipment. The position requires the physical ability to kneel, bend, and perform light lifting. This person must have the ability to write and speak clearly using the English language to convey information and be able to hear at normal speaking levels both in person and over the telephone. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The working conditions are good with little or no exposure to extremes in health, safety hazards, and/or hazardous materials. Work is performed in an office setting, in homes and in the community. Access to transportation and a cell phone is required.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $35,000.00 - $41,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Weekends as needed

Experience:

• Child Welfare: 1 year (Required)
• Juvenile Court: 1 year (Preferred)
• Social Services: 1 year (Required)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Work Location: In person