Family Advocate - Hiring 1 Full-Time Position (Hidalgo)

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Job Overview

The Family Advocate is responsible for engaging all families to partner with us to promote children’s healthy development and school readiness. The Family Advocate uses knowledge of the principles of family engagement to support families in their roles as their child’s primary educator, encourage parent/child interactions that promote children’s school readiness and healthy development and enhance family well-being. In this role, the Family Advocate will provide more intensive and targeted support to vulnerable families and families of children with chronic health conditions and special needs to assure that our engagement strategies meet their specialized needs.

Job Responsibilities

Child Growth and Development

• Engage families as partners in their children’s healthy development and school readiness.
• Engage families in individualized, in home and group experiences to enhance parent/child interactions that research shows foster school readiness through consistent family routines, positive guidance and discipline, experience rich home environments and literacy activities.
• Utilize in-classroom time and home visits to build a deeper understanding of the relationship between children’s development and their home environments; as well as to model and coach families in positive parent/child interactions.
• Implement the AVANCE Parent-Child Education Curriculum that extends our classroom curriculum into the family's home, modeling high quality adult- child interactions teachers use in their classrooms for families around the four Family Life Practices.
• Develop effective communication and collaborative strategies with teaching teams to encourage family engagement in home learning activities, including individualizing activities based upon family interests and children’s developmental status.

Communication and Service Coordination

• Build relationships that will enhance communication and collaboration among internal and external stakeholders.
• Work side by side with health, early learning and disabilities and other members of the family engagement team to support families to be fully engaged in all aspects of our program.
• Establish regular coordination and communication with Health, Nutrition and Disabilities team members to provide more intensive support to families of children with chronic health conditions and special needs, including targeted goal setting, and assistance with building family advocacy skills to navigate community systems of care for their children.
• Work in coordination with Health and Nutrition team members to assure that all children on caseload are up to date on EPSDT requirements, including receiving timely evaluation and treatment for identified concerns.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with community partners to strengthen access to resources and training identified as priority goal areas by families.
• Coordinate with Director of Analyst to assure that all PIR data is up to date in the data system.
• Inform Health Coordinators, MHD, Early Learning and Parent, Family and Community Engagement Coordinators regarding children with allergies, chronic health conditions, or special needs to assure that medical documentation is received, and case conferences occur prior to entry.
• Service Coordination (General).

Record Keeping and Reporting

• Maintain accurate electronic and hard copy records and case notes to support positive child and family outcomes.
• Document efforts to assist families to identify their strengths, needs, and self-sufficiency goals through completion of Family Success Roadmap, Family Partnership Agreement, and case notes.
• Record, monitor and follow up on referrals for support services for reporting requirements.
• Submit reports as needed and requested, such as monthly summary tracking reports, etc.
• Maintain Accurate and Timely Record Keeping and Reporting (General).

Ongoing Monitoring/Self-assessment

• Utilize family self-assessment information to assist families with self-identified goals to enhance self-sufficiency in areas such as education, employment, housing, and access to community resources.
• Analyze self-sufficiency data and utilize data/results to plan and coordinate a variety of parent cohort groups that allow families to support one another to achieve self-sufficiency goals.
• Assist Parent, Family and Community Engagement Coordinator and/or ERSEA Assistant to track Centers whose ADA falls below 85%, and to maintain Attendance Action Plans in Master Binder System.

Planning and Implementation

• Coordinate or refer families to opportunities for continuing education, employment training, and other employment services through formal or informal networking in the community.
• Assist family service leadership with scheduling, planning and coordinating recruitment activities throughout the year.
• Work in conjunction with Center staff and families to plan and conduct a wide variety of family engagement activities that provide opportunities for families to support one another.

Establish and maintain a safe, healthy, and positive learning environment

• Foster a sense of community and sense of belonging among families in order to strengthen social capital.
• Conduct group and center-based workshops and activities designed to build social capital and create a welcoming program community committed to family engagement in children’s learning and development.
• Cultivate family leadership and support their advocacy efforts through participation in program governance bodies such as Policy Council, as well as neighborhood and community based advisory groups

Support the social and emotional development of children.

• Support Families to Meet Self-Identified Goals and Needs (General)
• Provide more intensive weekly face to face or phone contact with vulnerable families on caseload as identified through their self-assessment or family interactions/communication - including home visits. Assure that families receive immediate support during times of crisis and assist with referrals to community-based resources to meet counseling, treatment, entitlement or other needs.
• Identify and access services and resources responsive to family interests and goals and follow-up with parents to ensure that services meet their expectations and needs.
• Engage Families to Support One Another (General)

Other Duties

• Recruitment
• Assure timely follow up on program inquiries and maintain updated tracking system of potential enrollees.
• Follow up and maintain an updated tracking system for program phone and walk-in inquiries.
• Eligibility, Selection, and Enrollment
• Ensure the eligibility, selection, and enrollment processes adhere to HSPS and AVANCE’s ISP/PP.
• Review all applications received and work directly with families to ensure that all necessary enrollment/intake forms are completed and obtained in a timely manner for all children/families assigned to their Center(s).
• Determine the eligibility of children/families, ensuring that all family documentation is accurate and complete.
• Determine family eligibility for extended day services and assist families with completing childcare subsidy applications.
• Work with the Parent, Family and Community Engagement Coordinator/ERSEA Assistant to enroll children and families based on selection criteria.
• Maintain an up to date and accurate wait list of eligible children to enroll in the event of attrition.
• Maintain the funded enrollment level, work with Parent, Family and Community Engagement Coordinator/ERSEA Lead to fill vacancies as they occur and analyze enrollment data to inform the planning process.
• Keep up to date and knowledge of ERSEA requirements that are communicated through the Office of Head Start communications such as Information Memorandums, Policy Clarifications and Program Information documents.
• Attendance
• As schedule permits, provide clerical support in attendance, entry and follow up.
• Performs any and all other duties as assigned. (Please note; Family Advocates that have been assigned smaller caseloads may have additional responsibilities that will include, but not limited to, ERSEA and Health).

AVANCE Core Competencies

• Execution & Accountability 
• Problem Solving & Decision-Making 
• Communication & Influence 
• Collaboration & Teamwork 
• Stakeholder Focus 
• Adaptability & Continuous Learning

Requirements:

Education

Required:

• Associate or bachelor's degree in social work, Human Services, Family Services, Counseling or a related field OR AA or BA in another field with a commitment to complete Family Services/Certificate/Credential within 18 months of hire. . We will also consider candidates with a High School Diploma with 3 years’ experience working in the community with families and a completed Family Development Certificate or Credential

Work Experience

Required:

• Experience, training, and skill assisting the parents of young children to advocate for their families
• Experience working in low-income diverse communities preferred
• Bilingual
• A passion for achieving positive child and family outcomes through high-quality family engagement
• Physical exam and background checks are required for this position.
• Must have reliable personal transportation as travel from site to site is required.
• Travel required locally or long-distance up to 10% of the time for work-related meetings and functions. 
• Must have a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.

Additional Skills

• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment; demonstrated flexibility to handle multiple priorities.
• Ability to interact effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Must be honest, dependable and able to meet deadlines.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently.

Travel

• Ability to travel to various sites: Dependable transportation is required daily with a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record (subject to annual MVR (Motor Vehicle Report) check and policy), current auto liability insurance and be bondable by AVANCE, Inc.
• Travel required up to 10% of the time for work-related site visits, meetings, and functions.

Equipment

• Standard office equipment generally used includes:
• Telephone
• Personal Computer (monitor, keyboard, and mouse) or Tablet
• Printer/Photocopy Machine
• Calculator
• Fax Machine

Working Conditions

• Work is generally performed in an office environment. 
• Noise level in the work environment is moderate to occasionally loud (examples: business office with computers and printers, light to moderate traffic, human voices). 
• May be required to operate a motor vehicle during the course of duties. 

Mental and Physical Demands

Maintain emotional control under stress; work with interruptions and deadlines; walking, standing, stooping, bending, pulling and pushing, use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; occasional: lifting/carrying, pulling/pushing 10 pounds.?Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

 

Environmental Factors

Occasional exposure to: biological hazards (communicable diseases, bacteria, insects, mold, fungi, etc.). Occasional expose to weather related conditions when working in outside environment /neighborhoods and events.

ADA/ADAAA Statement

AVANCE is committed to equal opportunity in employment for persons with disabilities and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended, and any other applicable state and federal laws. Accordingly, AVANCE does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in regard to application, hiring, advancement, discharge, compensation, training or other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. Moreover, it is AVANCE’s policy to provide reasonable accommodations in employment to qualified individuals with disabilities so that they can perform the essential functions of the job, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of AVANCE’s business or would change the essential functions of the position. Retaliation against an individual with a disability for utilizing this policy or seeking a reasonable accommodation is prohibited. Individuals with any questions or requests for accommodation should contact the Human Resources Department.