Promising Futures Resource Specialist

We are looking for a Promising Futures Resource Specialist who can fulfill CASA’s mission by engaging volunteer advocates who have transitioned to a role of supportive adult after a youth’s case closure by providing referrals to community resources and information for long-term stability.

CASA of Travis County believes every young person who has experienced abuse or neglect deserves to have a dedicated advocate speaking up for their best interest in our community. To accomplish this, the team at CASA educates and empowers community volunteers who ensure each young person’s needs remain a priority in an overburdened system. Through honorable and respectful involvement with these young people and their volunteer advocates, CASA makes independent and educated recommendations that prioritize their safety and empowers them to achieve promising futures and long-term stability and success.

As a Promising Futures Resource Specialist, you will work closely with volunteer advocates and the Program Team to provide resource support to young adults and families after case closure through referrals, in-person support, and warm hand-offs to community programs that can assist youth in meeting their goals. Utilizing the Promising Futures framework developed by CASA of Travis County, you will assess needs, develop client-driven goals, locate resources, and build and maintain relationships with community service providers to assist young adults whose cases have closed or biological families or fictive kin with whom children are permanently placed and whose cases have closed. You will provide motivation, empowerment, guidance and supervision to a team of volunteer advocates while ensuring accountability for meeting CASA of Travis County’s values, policies and standards for volunteer and case management. You will provide access to Bridge to Permanency funds to assist in achievement of goals, provide family finding and engagement services to young adults and families with closed cases in collaboration with the Family Engagement team, and assist youth and families in navigating systems related to their needs.

At the end of your first year, success would mean having a basic knowledge of available resources and systems for advocates that are related to the elements of Promising Futures, identifying and tracking progress towards goals set with the clients served, and maintaining relationships with local community resource providers to ensure warm handoffs for youth and families, and developing tools to assist in identifying and tracking progress

The Promising Futures Resource Specialist is a critical role to move CASA of Travis County towards meeting our vision of providing quality advocacy, a safe home and promising future for every child in Travis County.

Responsibilities

1.Provides consultation and support to volunteer advocates and Program Team regarding community resources

• Receives referrals from volunteer advocates, youth who have aged out of foster care, or families/fictive kin with whom children are permanently placed and whose cases have closed, or Child Advocacy Specialists for youth who are at high risk of aging out of foster care. Reviews case details and identifies appropriate service providers and community resources that address the unique needs.
• Provides regular opportunities for individualized consultation and information about available resources to staff and volunteers working with population defined above.
• Identifies opportunities for cross-team sharing, including attending various team meetings outside ofthe Family Engagement Team
• As needed, participates with the Quality and Safety Team and Program Team in High-Risk Case Staffings and Early Family Engagement case transfer meetings to identify resources that support stability and promising futures.
• Hosts regular educational opportunities for CASA staff and volunteers regarding safety risks and barriers to stability for young people aging out of care, and resources that can mitigate those risks.
• Works with the data team to develop and maintain a database of resources for referral that include staff and volunteer feedback about the quality of services.​​​​​​​

2. Advocates for youth and families in their best interest and in pursuit of the elements of a promising future

• In collaboration with the youth, families, and advocates, develops client-driven goals based on the Promising Futures definition and framework.
• With the data team, develops tools to measure progress towards goals.
• As needed, provides family finding and engagement services to young adults and families whose cases have closed.
• Assists young adults and families in accessing Bridge to Permanency funds when needed.
• Advocates for youth and families to secure safe living arrangements that ensure physical, emotional, and psychological safety.
• Assists youth and families in navigating educational systems and preparing for higher education, technical training, and job seeking.
• Works with families, caregivers, and community organizations to foster long-term stability and create a sense of security and belonging for youth.
• Promotes developmental growth through advocacy for access to health care and activities that foster personal grown and social skills.
• Ensures youth and families have access to critical legal documents, including medical records, identification, social security cards, and immigration documents.
• Empowers youth and families to develop self-advocacy skills and build confidence in their ability to express needs and make decisions.

3. Establishes relationships with community-based service providers and keeps current on available services to support young adults.

• Develops techniques for efficient and effective resource identification in communities within and outside Travis County to support children living within various communities.
• Conducts ongoing research about resources in Travis County and neighboring communities.
• Develops tools that can be used by young adults and volunteer advocates to help maintain access to community supports after case closure.
• Attends and participates in community meetings with other stakeholders as requested by CASA leadership, including but not limited to Travis County Model Court Committees, to establish relationships with other child welfare providers and share information that may further support young adults and their families who are served in Travis County.

4. Ensures the high standard of performance of service of CASA of Travis County

• Participates in regular supervision with the Director of Family Engagement, as well as other required team and staff meetings.
• Attends and participates in continuing education requirements per CASA policy.
• Assists the Director of Family Engagement, Director of Advocacy, and Senior Director of Advocacy with program development and evaluation as requested.
• Builds and maintains effective relationships with others on the CASA Program Team, volunteers, attorneys, caseworkers, and other stakeholders in the Travis County child welfare system.
• Participates in CASA committees and group supervisions as needed.
• Attends and participates in volunteer-related events for retention purposes including but not limited to Swearing In and Closed Case Recognition ceremonies, volunteer meet-ups, and volunteer appreciation events.
• Assists with fundraising events as needed.

5. Other duties as required.