Casework Supervisor

ABOUT US:

We envision a world where every child thrives in a safe, stable, loving home. CASA of Central Texas (Court Appointed Special Advocates) provides high quality best interest advocacy for children and youth in the child welfare system. We train and empower community volunteers to ensure children’s needs are met and their voices lifted. We commit to strengthen the connections and well-being of children in foster care, one family at a time. CASA of Central Texas is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in operation since 1985. In 2023, we served 500 children (about 65% of children in care) with 210 volunteers in Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe and Hays Counties.

VALUES & PRIORITIES:

CASA CenTex core values include advocacy, dedication, compassion, support, integrity, and relationships. Our strategic priorities focus on engaging community partners and stakeholders to build strong relationships; improving workforce stability and retaining operational knowledge; strengthening business practices for efficiency and effectiveness; and proactively marketing our organization to build and grow within our service area.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Casework Supervisor provides our core services of advocacy for children and youth who have experienced abuse and neglect. By coaching, training, guiding and supporting volunteer advocates in their casework activities, this key front-line role ensures the best interests of children and youth are represented in the child welfare system. Through our supervisor-volunteer partnerships and working amongst many people with varying interests – social workers, attorneys, judges, educators, medical and mental health professionals, foster parents, the parents and families of the children, and the children themselves – we identify needed services, collaborate for positive outcomes, and ensure each child’s long-term stability in a safe home. The Casework Supervisor ensures compliance with high standards of program service and essential documentation of casework advocacy; loves working with volunteer advocates; and has a passion to share the CASA mission. The Case Supervisor exercises cultural competency in their interactions with children and families and has a working knowledge of child welfare policy and legal procedure.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

· Bachelor degree in social work, psychology, sociology, criminal justice or related field.

· Experience in social work, child advocacy casework, volunteer coordination and direct supervision, preferred.

· Strong presentation and communication skills.

· Demonstrated ability to plan, organize and coordinate.

· Perform independently with some supervision while at the same time working effectively as a team member.

· Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as databases.

· Experience maintaining and organizing statistical information, preferred.

· Expected to complete CASA training within three months of hire, or have attended training within the last three years.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS & STANDARDS:

Case Management:

· Lead and manage a team of volunteer advocates and, by exercising independent judgment and decision making, provide professional casework services working toward the primary objective of finding a safe and stable home for every child to whom assigned/appointed as Guardian Ad Litem.

· Perform and direct casework services culminating in written and verbal court testimony in court hearings and trials, and participating in mediations, to advocate for the best interest of each child, address concerns related to each child, and make informed recommendations to improve each child’s well-being in terms of their medical care, mental health, education, housing, and permanency.

· Be proficient in and ensure casework/volunteer compliance with state and federal laws pertaining to child welfare including, but not limited to, the Texas Family Code, and ensure compliance with extensive standards established by CASA of Central Texas, Texas CASA and the National CASA/GAL Association.

· Follow child placement options, levels of care, and Department Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) policies and procedures.

· Timely and efficiently identify problems in both case management and volunteer coordination and plan corrective action.

· Carry and manage a caseload up to 30 cases as assigned by a district judge or child protection judge.

· Coordinate casework responsibilities, including family and child contacts, professional contacts, transportation, support services, linkage to community resources, court report monitoring, appearances at hearings and maintenance of case files in our database.

· Attend court hearings and case staffing meetings with child advocate.

· Provide notification of meetings and court hearings to child advocates.

· Provide timely, accurate reports for submission to the court and to other involved parties.

· Maintain up-to-date case files, including progress notes, reports and motions, correspondence, etc.

· Maintain case and child advocate statistics for funding and statistical reporting.

· Evaluate child advocate case activity and performance.

Additional Program Responsibilities:

· Contribute to additional program activities including, but not limited to, volunteer appreciation, in-service advocate training, pre-service advocate training, volunteer recruitment, writing and providing content for the program newsletters, statistics, data reporting for grant purposes, participation at board meetings and supervision of student interns.

· Maintain a professional, organized environment in the daily operation of the CASA office.

· Maintain excellent time-keeping and attendance.

· Complete special projects and tasks as requested by the Chief Program Officer or Chief Executive Officer; perform other duties as situations warrant; the above list is illustrative of tasks and responsibilities and is not meant to be all-inclusive nor is it intended to substitute for the exercise of good judgment and initiative.

Other:

· In accordance with team philosophy, complete special projects and tasks as requested by the Chief Program Officer or Chief Executive Officer; perform other duties as situations warrant; the above list is illustrative of tasks and responsibilities and is not meant to be all-inclusive nor is it intended to substitute for the exercise of good judgment and initiative.

· Maintain confidentiality of CASA clients, volunteers, staff and donors; protect confidentiality by being aware of information in workspace and of persons who can hear confidential conversations; utilize locking enclosures for paper and electronic information; immediately report known or suspected breaches to the CEO.

· Complete a minimum 12 hours annual self-development training, including one hour on cultural competency (diversity, equity, inclusion).

· Attend conferences and workshops, meetings and events as requested, and as an appropriate and professional representative of the organization.

· Participate in fundraising initiatives, projects and events, as requested; attend advocate trainings and advocate recognition events.

· Assist in community education and raising awareness about the CASA program.

· Demonstrate and champion alignment with CASA vision, mission, and values in daily work.

· Travel to/from CASA offices located in New Braunfels and San Marcos; travel in 4-county service area; and occasional travel to other locations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

· Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook). Strong process and people management skills. Goal-oriented with high attention to detail and accuracy. Comfort with tasks ranging from daily routine to specialized. Ability to support a dynamic advocacy team, maintain productive relationships, hold self and others accountable to performance standards, effectively manage conflict, and motivate others to do their best. Strong interpersonal, listening, verbal, written, and oral communication skills. Patient and adaptable, working with cross-disciplinary teams in a collaborative style. Ability to work independently, with initiative, and handle multiple priorities, tasks and deadlines. Ability to work in sensitive situations, with sensitive information, and maintain confidentiality. Ability to identify and initiate creative and effective problem solving, prioritizing the needs of the child, volunteer and/or organization. Sound judgment. Independent, consistent and timely decision-making skills. Demonstrated integrity, honesty and ethical conduct. Ability to handle sensitive information and maintain confidentiality.

Work Environment and Physical Demands:

· Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Frequent periods of standing and walking. Open work environment. Reach with hands and arms. Stand, walk, sit; use hands to finger, grasp, handle, feel or operate objects, tools or controls; and speak, hear and read. In-office and occasional out-of-office public contact. Kneel, bend and crouch. Lift and move up to 50 pounds. Vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. Subject to the usual interruptions associated with providing friendly service and performing multiple duties; respond courteously and professionally; operate typical business office equipment; duties normally provided in surroundings where undesirable physical conditions and hazards are minor and controllable.

· Frequently required to attend off-site functions and will be required to provide own transportation (mileage reimbursed).

· Business appearance and proper grooming/hygiene required and determined by professional situation. i.e. Business casual, Business professional, cocktail/black tie, etc.

· Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.