Family Advocate I East/Central LA

Job Description

Job Description

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 programs as well as drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Learn more at

PAY RATE: $21.57 - $22.70 PER HOUR

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

HEAD START/EARLY 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 developmental 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 I 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 I manages a caseload of families and assists them in all program areas, and engages families in activities that support them and their child’s development in becoming school ready.

The Family Advocate I supports the classroom care and supervision of children, as needed. 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.
• Manage a caseload of families and assist them in getting their needs met, establish ongoing goals that engage 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.
• Facilitate and ensure parent involvement in 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 may be needed to fulfill program requirements.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Services for this position must be provided on-site. As a result, the position requires incumbents to report to work on-site each day of active employment
• 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 engage 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) meetings when requested.
• Facilitate and ensure parent involvement in 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.

MANDATED REPORTER
As service providers to the underprivileged and vulnerable in our community, all employees are considered Mandated Reporters, and must report any instance of physical or sexual abuse to proper authorities.

Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to pass a fingerprint clearance, background check, including criminal history, personal references, employment and education verifications
• In order to make visits to homes and travel to different school sites, offices, etc., must have access to an automobile with adequate insurance coverage and a valid California driver’s license, or have means to other easily accessible transportation.
• Proof at the time of hire
  • TB clearance within 6 months prior
  • Annual Influenza vaccination (between Nov. 1st - March 31st)
  • Pertussis (whooping cough) and measles immunization
• Health examination at the time of employment
• Ability to interact with children in a very busy environment; therefore, must be physically able to perform lifting (50 lbs.), squatting/kneeling, and move quickly.

EDUCATION:

• High School Diploma / G.E.D.
• A credential or Associate's Degree in Social Services, Child Development, Counseling or a related field OR 2 or more years of case management experience in the Social Services field
• Complete an OHS Family Services Credential within 12 months from hire date.

EXPERIENCE:

• Direct experience working with families in an at-risk Program, and evidence of interaction with culturally diverse low-income population.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 1-year casework experience in social work, human services, family services, counseling or a related field.
• OHS Family Services Credential
• 6 months experience in monitoring and tracking computer program data.
• 6 units of Child Development.
• Direct experience working with families in an at risk Program, and evidence of interaction with culturally diverse low-income population.
• Bilingual English /Spanish (written and verbal).
• Have an invested interest in the community for recruitment purposes.
• Demonstrate S.M.A.R.T. Goal setting for families.
• Knowledge of Data system Child Plus & for monitoring purposes.

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.