Family Advocate II East/Central LA

VOALA
Helping Our Most Vulnerable Change Their Life Stories

Volunteers of America is a non-profit human services organization committed to serving people in need, strengthening families, and building communities. VOALA provides a variety of social services to Los Angeles area communities such as Head Start programs, Upward Bound college prep programs, veterans' services, homeless shelters, low-income housing program as well as drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Learn more at

PAY RATE: $23.80 - $25.05 PER HOUR

BENEFITS: VOALA offers competitive medical, dental, vision and retirement benefits.

HEAD START

Through our Head Start and Early Head Start programs, we work with children (ages 0 - 5) and their families to provide the skills, confidence and stable home life necessary for a smooth transition into kindergarten and beyond. Children also receive a broad array of health services including screenings and referrals, maintenance of immunization schedules, nutrition assessments and follow-ups, mental health assessments as part of initial screenings, and determination if any mental or physical delays are present. Children receive health and dental services and have access to ongoing and acute and routine health and dental care. Enrolled children receive healthy meals, along with an assessment of their nutritional needs and the necessary follow-ups. Nutrition education is available for parents and incorporated into daily classroom activities for the children.

Cities served include: Carson, Commerce, Compton, Culver City, Del Rey, East Los Angeles, El Segundo, Harbor City, Hawthorne, South Central Los Angeles, Lomita, Lynwood, Mar Vista, Newhall, North Hollywood, Pacoima, Palms, Paramount, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Fernando, San Pedro, Santa Clarita, Shadow Hills, South Central Los Angeles, South LA, Studio City, Sun Valley, Sunland, Sylmar, Torrance, Tujunga, Val Verde, Valencia, Valley Village, Wilmington.

JOB SUMMARY AND PURPOSE

The Family Advocate II recruits and enrolls children into the Head Start Program, and assesses each family's strengths, concerns, and priorities in order to provide services that improve a family's future prospects in supporting their child through school. Using a case management methodology, the Family Advocate II will manage a caseload of families and assist them in all program areas, and engage families in activities that support them and their child's development in becoming school ready.

The Family Advocate II supports the classroom care and supervision of children, as needed, when the class is temporarily understaffed. During this period, the Family Advocate can provide auxiliary services, such as food preparation, set up and cleanup, that allow the available teaching staff the ability to provide effective supervision of the children. The Family Advocate is responsible for working as a team with teachers, site supervisors, family Service Specialists and other support staff to help families make choices and decisions that will respond to each family's unique culture, roles, values, strengths and beliefs. The Family Advocate complies with agency policies, goals and objectives.

Specific Duties include:

• Establish and maintain outreach and recruitment to ensure the assigned Head Start site is fully enrolled with eligible children, and monitor attendance to ensure children are actively involved in the program.
• Establish contact with community resources that can enhance program services. Interview Parent(s) to compile mandated information and documentation for enrollment and services. Establish each child's file. Collect, maintain, update and disseminate, as needed, information and documentation pertaining to the file, observing confidentially at all times. Use a computerized data system to input, receive, and update required data.
• Initiate, maintain, and follow up with the referral process in conjunction with the family, teachers, Family Service Specialists and service support personnel.
• Provide Children with a learning environment of varied activities that support each child's age appropriate development and prepares them to be school ready; Facilitate and ensure Parent Involvement activities and trainings. Promote parent advocacy. Make a minimum of one home visit or more, as needed, within established timeline.
• Work with a team at the site to ensure that the safety and security of the children is the first priority. Establish and maintain direct communication channels with the family, program, program staff, Family Service Specialist, Administration and community members. Attend meetings and trainings, and continue on an educational path to meet the needs of the position and achieve professional growth. Actively participate in the classroom environment with the parent volunteers.
• Manage a caseload off families and assist them in getting their needs met, establish ongoing goals that engages them in their child's learning and future growth. Accurately prepare and submit required reports and administrative forms on time. Is responsible for taking an active role in implementation and maintenance of program governance at the site level. Assists families to identify and meet milestones of attainable goals. Works with the family to develop a Family Partnership Agreement.
• Other duties as may be assigned.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Establish and maintain outreach and recruitment to ensure the assigned Head Start site is fully enrolled with eligible children, and monitor attendance to ensure children are actively involved in the program.
• Manage a caseload of families and assist them in getting their needs met, establish ongoing goals that engages them in their child's learning and future growth.
• Initiate, maintain, and follow up with the referral process in conjunction with the family, teachers, Family Service Specialists and service support personnel. Attend Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting when requested
• Facilitate and ensure Parent Involvement activities and trainings. Promote parent advocacy.
• Establish and maintain direct communication channels with the family, program, program staff, Family Service Specialist, Administration and community members.
• Accurately prepare and submit required reports and administrative forms on time.
• Other duties as required and is subject to change at any time

Qualifications
REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to pass a fingerprint clearance, background check, including criminal history, personal references, employment and education verifications
• Valid California Driver License or have means to other easily accessible transportation.
• Valid first aid and CPR certifications

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS:

• Proof at the time of hire
  • TB clearance within 6 months prior
  • Annual Influenza vaccination (between Nov. 1st - Mar. 31st)
  • Pertussis (whooping cough) and measles immunization
• Health screening at the time of employment
• Requires ability to interact with children in a busy environment including, but not limited to:
  • Able to lift up to 50 lbs.
  • Frequently kneel and squat
  • Ability to move quickly

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor's Degree in Social Services, Health or related field

EXPERIENCE:

• 1 year experience in monitoring and tracking computer program data
• Minimum of 3 months of case work management

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience working in social work, case management, or as a health or parent involvement aid in a related program a plus
• Bilingual in English and Spanish (written and verbal)

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Establish and maintain outreach and recruitment to ensure the assigned Head Start site is fully enrolled with eligible children, and monitor attendance to ensure children are actively involved in the program.
• Manage a caseload of families and assist them in getting their needs met, establish ongoing goals that engages them in their child's learning and future growth.
• Initiate, maintain, and follow up with the referral process in conjunction with the family, teachers, Family Service Specialists and service support personnel. Attend Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting when requested
• Facilitate and ensure Parent Involvement activities and trainings. Promote parent advocacy.
• Establish and maintain direct communication channels with the family, program, program staff, Family Service Specialist, Administration and community members.
• Accurately prepare and submit required reports and administrative forms on time.

Volunteers of America is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

This employer participates in E-Verify as required by the federal government and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment.