Parent Mentor

About the Company

Dependency Legal Services (DLS) is a non-profit law firm committed to serving children and parents involved in child abuse and neglect cases. We provide legal advocacy for families across six California counties, representing clients in high-volume, fast-paced dependency proceedings. Attorneys in this role will work directly with clients, providing in-court representation and advocating at all stages of juvenile dependency cases.

About the Role

A mentor parent is a mother or father with previous lived experience in the child welfare system who has successfully reunified with their children and completed their legal case. This includes individuals who have successfully completed a voluntary family maintenance case. A mentor parent cannot have any open legal case, and the court cannot have jurisdiction over their family. If substance use disorder was an issue in their juvenile dependency case, the mentor parent must possess a personal commitment to a clean and sober lifestyle and understand recovery programming.

The mentor will serve the client as part of a team that includes the client’s attorney and a social worker. The attorney will provide direction to the mentor. The mentor will meet with clients in the community and support them in both their criminal justice-related matters and child welfare matters. They will help the client navigate the court system by providing their own experiences as a parent in the system.

Responsibilities

• Assist clients in accessing services and identifying community supports with the goal of reducing further child welfare involvement.
• Visit clients in the field (e.g., drug treatment facilities, jails, etc.).
• Collaborate with the Dependency Legal Services Pre-Prevention team, local child welfare agency, and other preventative service programs, while also maintaining client confidentiality to best meet the client’s needs.
• Coach clients on how to interface with service providers in the child welfare setting.
• Carefully track their time and report their time for grant eligibility purposes through our JCATS electronic file system.
• Meet regularly with the multi-disciplinary legal team for case consultations and program development.

Qualifications

• Lived experience in the child welfare system who successfully reunified with their child.
• Ability to multitask and be a productive team player.
• Ability to work compassionately and respectfully with clients in crisis.

Required Skills

• Bilingual skills, including fluency in Spanish, preferred.
• Experience of working with individuals from multi-ethnic communities.
• Knowledge of community resources in Sonoma County.

Preferred Skills

• None specified.

Pay range and compensation package

Salary is $50,000 annually for full-time position with an additional $1,000 per year for a bilingual Spanish-speaking mentor parent. Generous benefits available, including full medical, dental, and vision coverage for full-time employees.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Please send a cover letter and resume via email to John Passalacqua, Dependency Legal Services john@dependencyls.com

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Mileage reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person