Family Advocate

POSITION SUMMARY: 

The Family Advocate serves as a liaison between Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries, the Children’s Division employees, foster families, biological families, and any other affiliations surrounding a child’s case. The Family Advocate will maintain open communication with all the above-listed parties, ensuring services are directed where needed. This is a full-time position that is expected to work some irregular hours. 
 

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Licensing and Compliance 

• Conduct and write home studies for potential foster parents by helping complete and collect the various paperwork needed to complete their file. This may require some evening or weekend hours 
• Maintain and manage records on foster parents licensed by Coyote Hill. 
• Oversee & ensure all other necessary files are maintained and kept in the designated location (digital  and/or hard copy); contact necessary individual(s) if paperwork in a record is not current. 
• Manage ongoing licensing paperwork requirements and ensure families remain compliant with state requirements. 
• Report regularly to the Family Advocacy Manager or Director regarding the status of the foster parents serving children.  

Training and Education 

• Attend on-going trauma-informed care education including Trust-Based Relational Intervention®. 
• Practice and promote trauma-informed care principles and strategies including Trust-Based Relational Intervention® with care providers and children. 
• Assist in leading trainings as necessary and requested. May require evening or weekend hours. 
• Educate foster families on events/occurrences of which they must notify the child’s case worker. 
• Offer feedback and guide self-assessments for care providers. Help care providers identify areas where parenting children needs to become more trauma-informed. 

 Support and Services for Families 

• Assist foster families with familiarity of contact permissions for the child; may assist in scheduling visits between child and biological relatives.  
• Aid foster families in any transitions of the children in their care. 
• Provide services to solidify permanency for children in biological, relative, or adoptive care 
• Offer or connect foster families to appropriate support services, routinely checking in on the foster parents’ needs and mental well-being.  
• Assist with scheduling respite help and/or volunteers, as needed. 
• Participate in Family Support Team (FST) and Permanency Placement Review Team (PPRT) meetings, giving input as requested. 
• Be present within homes, as needed, to have knowledge of home dynamics and the state of children in the homes. This will require some evening hours.  
• Manage intake calls on a rotating basis for potential foster child placements in Coyote Hill’s licensed foster homes. 

Other 

• Uphold Coyote Hill and Child Placing Agency policies and procedures and core values. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

REQUIREMENTS (Qualifications & Competency):  

Must be at least 21 years of age, holding a college degree, preferably in a field related to social work.  Must hold a valid driver’s license, have and maintain a risk-free driving record, be able to drive day or night.  Must be willing to undergo an initial and periodic police/law enforcement records check and must pass the background screening process required and conducted by the Missouri Department of Social Services and maintain a positive screening.   Must maintain an active cell phone. Must be willing and able to work irregular hours. Regular and predictable attendance is also expected.  

Must have a demonstrated proficiency in secretarial skills, telephone, and general office etiquette and a strong knowledge of grammar and spelling. This job requires skills as a strong communicator. Experience in conflict management and some basic knowledge of human development is ideal. The Family Advocate must be personable, empathic, and able and willing to collaborate. They must also be effective at meeting deadlines.  

Must have an ability to relate in a caring and feeling way; an ability to establish and maintain helping relationships with young people; and an ability to maintain an appropriate balance between being authoritative and supportive.  Must be able to make sound decisions in crisis situations and under pressure.