Case Specialist

REPORTS TO: Manager of Specialists

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: None

JOB TYPE: Full-time

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: Please provide a resume and cover letter that helps us understand your motivation, values, and readiness for this position. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. No phone calls or emails, please.


Jackson County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that mobilizes community volunteers to advocate for children who have experienced abuse and/or neglect and are under the jurisdiction of the Jackson County Family Court. Our clients face multiple risks, including permanent separation from their birth families due to factors such as substance use disorders, untreated mental health, and intimate partner violence. These challenges are often rooted in poverty, community violence, and intergenerational trauma.

To mitigate these risks, CASA Volunteer Advocates and staff engage in fact-finding and relationship-building with child clients to assess their needs and make informed recommendations to the court. Collaboration with children and their families is a core value of our work and is essential to achieving effective advocacy and just outcomes within a complex child welfare system.

Our model is simple: each child is assigned a rigorously screened and extensively trained Volunteer Advocate or Case Specialist and Staff Attorney who work together to represent the child's best interests and individualized advocacy grounded in evidence-based practices. Together, they help ensure the best possible outcomes for children and increase the likelihood of safe family reunification.

OUR VALUES

Connection: We believe that every person deserves meaningful relationships with supportive and loving adults, family, and community and preservation of their cultural heritage, traditions, and identity.

Respect: We value people of all backgrounds and identities and believe that every person deserves to be honored, included, and heard.

Collaboration: We recognize that effective progress and problem-solving require diverse voices, ideas, and perspectives.

Integrity: We honor our commitments to our children and the Court with transparency, honesty, and fairness.

Responsibility: We maximize our resources and support through accountability to our children, stakeholders, and community.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Working closely with Jackson County CASA's Staff Attorneys, the Case Specialist is responsible for the immediate engagement with child clients newly appointed to the agency and the preliminary investigation into their circumstances. Pending the assignment of a Volunteer Advocate, the Case Specialist will provide initial and on-going case support to children represented by the agency to ensure that those children receive the highest quality of service and representation, including advocating for timely services and family-based permanency.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Case Initiation

• Completes an immediate and thorough investigation of the case and explores the child's circumstances to ensure safety while minimizing disruption to the child's world.
• Meets with the child as early as possible after appointment to introduce CASA and the court process in a developmentally appropriate way, assess their decision-making capacity, ascertain their wishes regarding placement/family time/participation in services, and gather other information to understand their perspective and how decisions will impact their experience.
• Engages with the child welfare agency, family members, parents, and others to establish a working relationship, collect all available information about the child and family, and identify additional information sources for further investigation.
• Formulates recommendations regarding placement, family time, and immediate service needs for the child, parents, and family to present at the initial court hearing.
• Ensures seamless transfer of the case to the on-going CASA team by providing an overview of the case, review of information gathered and documents prepared, and direction on further investigation needed.

Case Support

• Develops a trusting, professional relationship with clients through regular contact to determine their wishes and evaluate their circumstances. Contact may take place in multiple settings to best observe and document the child's living situation, developmental progress, educational needs, and emotional well-being.
• Communicates regularly with the child's Family Support Team, including family, social service workers, therapists, educators, and medical professionals, to collect the information needed to make recommendations regarding the child's best interest.
• Attends and actively participates in case-related meetings, including 72 Hour Meetings, Team Decision Making Meetings, Stability Staffings, and Family Support Team meetings, and other collateral matters (e.g., IEP meetings).

• Reviews case documentation to assist with determining client well-being. Reports findings to the Staff Attorney assigned to the case.
• Communicates regularly with staff attorneys, both verbally and in writing, with relevant information concerning the child and the case.
• Monitors court orders and advocates for the implementation of timely and necessary services for clients.
• Becomes familiar with community resources and links the child and their family to resources specific to their needs.
• Maintains a sense of urgency for getting children and their families to safety in their permanent home and diligently investigates and assesses placement alternatives for the child if the child is not placed with their family.

Customer Service

• Provides timely communication to clients, Staff Attorneys, Volunteer Advocates, and Advocate Supervisors.
• Schedules and facilitates case transfer meetings with Volunteer Advocates and Advocate Supervisors to ensure continuity of advocacy to children.

Record Keeping

• Responsible for providing thorough records and ensuring all case-related data and activities are promptly updated and/or documented in CASA's online database.

Professional Integrity and Development

• Commits to understanding and complying with the Missouri Guardian ad Litem Standards, Rules of Professional Conduct, and other court rules and develops a robust understanding of safety vs risk, trauma-informed care, and best practices in child welfare.
• Engages in respectful and collaborative relationships with clients, community partners, and
• Maintains strict confidentiality of Jackson County CASA's clients.
• Shares in the agency-wide responsibility of Volunteer Advocate recruitment, engagement, and retention.
• Will complete a minimum of 12 hours of annual continuing education programming. Will identify personal development goals and training opportunities that will prioritize DEI and child welfare best practices.
• Embraces a culture of continued development by participating in an annual performance review with the Manager of Specialists and documents one's own milestones and achievements, as well as opportunities for growth.
• Maintains a positive image of Jackson County CASA and provides excellent customer service at all times.
• Acts in the best interest of Jackson County CASA and its clients at all times.

OTHER DUTIES

• Must complete CASA Pre-Service Training within three months of start date.
• Performs other related duties as requested.

QUALIFICATIONS and ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in social work or another human services degree required. Three years of case management experience in child welfare or serving at-risk populations will be considered in lieu of a bachelor's degree.
• Demonstrated commitment to providing client-centered advocacy.
• Working knowledge of issues that impact CASA's clients and their families, including the effects of poverty, trauma, intimate partner violence, substance use disorders, untreated mental health, and SOGIE. Must also have familiarity with child development.
• Must be at least 21 years of age.

ESSENTIAL QUALITIES

• Ability to exercise objectivity in assessing and making recommendations for children and families.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in a diverse, inclusive, and multi-disciplinary environment. Must value collaboration and teamwork.
• Empathetic and solution-oriented, using a blameless problem-solving approach.
• Commitment to remaining current on research and best practice standards and carrying out these practices.
• Promotes the dignity and well-being of all clients, staff, and volunteers.
• Comfort with respectful confrontation.
• Practices healthy professional boundaries and observes self-care practices.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to juggle multiple assignments and meet short deadlines.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Commitment to Jackson County CASA's mission and values.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must submit to and pass a criminal and child abuse and neglect background check.
• A valid driver's license and reliable personal transportation are required for this position. Frequent travel within Jackson County and surrounding areas, including long-distance travel, will be required. Mileage will be reimbursed.

SCHEDULE and WORK LOCATION

• Full time. Most work will be conducted M-F, 8:30am-5pm. Some evening and weekend hours will be required. Ability to work some hours remotely. Jackson County CASA is located at 2544 Holmes, KCMO 64108.

PHYSICAL and MENTAL DEMANDS and WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Prolonged periods of both standing, walking, and sitting at a desk and working on a computer will be required. Will be required to use hands and fingers frequently. Will climb and descend stairs, grasp, handle, feel, and operate objects, tools, and controls. Will be required to bend, kneel, and crouch; speak, hear, and read both in quiet, loud, private and public settings, both large and In-office and out-of-office public contact with people. Vision abilities include close and distant vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Must be able to lift and move up to 25 pounds.
• A great deal of in-person contact with people outside of the office environment will be required.
• The noise level of the office environment is often low to Position is subject to the usual office interruptions associated with providing service and performing multiple duties in an office environment.
• Proper grooming and hygiene is required. Attire for this position is generally business casual but there may be times that attire is professional, as determined by the environment.
• Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties and responsibilities.

BENEFITS

Benefits include 15 days paid time off & 15 days paid leave, earned within the first year of employment, and paid holidays. 100% employer paid health insurance options, 100% employer paid dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance. Simple IRA with match. Employee Assistance Program. Jackson County CASA is a child-centered, supportive, and collegial work environment.

OUR COMMITMENT

Jackson County CASA is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer committed to building and supporting a culturally diverse and inclusive work environment that values all staff members' backgrounds and perspectives. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, disability or veteran status. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities.

This job description provides a general, but not comprehensive, list of essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment and Jackson County CASA reserves the right to change the job description and/or posting at any time without advance notice.