Shelter Advocate/Social Worker

Position Summary:

The Shelter Advocate is responsible for coordinating services for children staying in JAFCO’s special needs emergency shelter. They will ensure shelter clients’ physical and emotional needs are met in accordance with trauma informed principles and JAFCO’s mission.

Role and Responsibilities

This person’s job responsibility includes but are not limited to the following:

• Oversee case management for children in JAFCO's special needs emergency shelter
• Complete intakes, develop service plans, and maintain documentation for the program
• Maintain accurate child records and reports, including progress notes, incident reports, and other required documentation
• Collaborate with therapists, schools, and community professionals to ensure timely services for children
• Coordinate and schedule medical and therapeutic appointments, ensuring proper documentation
• Support staff with client transportation and medical appointments as required
• Attend and support legal proceedings, providing updates and advocating for the child's needs
• Provide support and guidance to families, including supervised visitation as directed by the courts
• Offer crisis intervention and ensure team members are trained in crisis intervention techniques
• Administer medications according to physician's orders and maintain accurate records with the nursing team
• Integrate the Trauma-Informed Care Model and Person-Centered Approach into all procedures and interactions
• Attend and actively participate in individual and group clinical supervision
• Provide on-call support as part of the rotation with the clinical team
• Follow Florida Child Abuse Reporting Rules
• Report safety-related concerns to the direct supervisor, Clinical Director, and Director of Operations and Clinical Services
• Perform additional duties as assigned

Competencies:

• Communication: Effective communication is crucial in social work. You should strive to develop strong listening and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to write clear and concise reports and documentation
• Empathy: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. As a social worker, you will work with people from diverse backgrounds who may be experiencing challenging situations. Demonstrating empathy and compassion can help you build rapport with clients and create a positive working relationship
• Professionalism: Social work is a professional field, and it is important to behave in a manner that reflects this. You should demonstrate reliability, punctuality, and the ability to work independently and as part of a team. You should also be respectful and maintain appropriate boundaries with clients and colleagues
• Critical thinking: Social work involves complex problem-solving, and you should be able to analyze situations and apply critical thinking skills to develop effective solutions. You should also be able to evaluate your own performance and adjust as needed
• Cultural humility: Cultural humility refers to the ability to understand and appreciate different cultural perspectives and work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds. As a social worker, you should strive to develop cultural competence and an awareness of your own biases and assumptions
• Ethical practice: Social workers are held to a high ethical standard, and it is important to adhere to ethical principles and practices. This includes maintaining confidentiality, respecting client autonomy, and seeking supervision and consultation as needed

Physical requirements:

Staff must be physically capable of driving an automobile in a safe manner.  Ability to sit and stand for long periods of time as needed.  This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.  Physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms; able to lift, push or pull up to 25 lbs.  Must be physically able to participate in PCM training (Professional Crisis Management).

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Minimum bachelor's degree, preferably with a master's degree, in Social Work, Psychology, Family Therapy, or a relevant field. Two years of direct experience working with children with developmental disabilities is preferred 
• Experience in working with developmental disabilities, mental health and illness, behavioral issues, anger management, and substance abuse 
• Ability to proactively meet required contract hours and independently maintain a schedule to meet the needs of clients, families, and the agency
• Flexibility in working hours, including evenings (2-3 times per week) and weekends, to accommodate the needs of children and families 
• Completion of annual 40-hour in-service agency training, including CPR, First Aid, and Water Safety certification 
• PCM certification for Practitioner 2 (Accommodation may be available if needed. Will train/certify after hire) 
• Valid Driver's License and a clean driving record 
• Strongly recommend maintaining Bodily Injury Liability insurance of $100,000 per claim, $300,000 per incident on their personal automobile when driving clients and their children

EOE

https://info.flclearinghouse.com

Salary : $100,000 - $300,000