Family Advocate (Day of Forensic Interview) Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.

Family Advocate (Day of Forensic Interview)

Dallas Children's Advocacy Center - Dallas, TX 75228

Position Type: Full Time Job Shift: Day Education Level: Bachelors Travel Percentage: Up to 25% Category: Nonprofit - Social Services

Description

The Dallas Children's Advocacy Center is seeking an experienced Family Advocate (Day of Forensic Interview) for the Family Advocate Department.

The Family Advocate works collaboratively with each family and the MDT (multi-disciplinary) team and provides clients with trauma informed, wrap around services, referrals and resources to child victims and their caretakers. This position works closely with Spanish-speaking clients; Spanish proficiency is preferred.

About DCAC: The mission of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center is to improve the lives of abused children in Dallas County and to provide national leadership on child abuse issues. DCAC is a non-profit organization and the only agency of its kind in Dallas County, working in agreement with public and private agencies to investigate, prosecute, and provide healing services for child abuse cases in Dallas County. We reduce the victimization of the child, remove barriers to investigation and treatment, and enhance criminal prosecution with our distinctive multidisciplinary and united approach to these complex and severe cases, all at no cost to our clients. Each year, DCAC serves over 13,000 children and their non-offending family members.

We are a national and international leader in the Children's Advocacy Center movement, recognized for our expertise in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of child abuse cases; cutting edge clinical services and programs for the victims and their non-offending family members; and our community and professional training programs.

Essential Duties and Key Responsibilities

• Conducts pre-orientation with each caregiver.
• Reviews HIPAA forms and obtains signatures and acknowledgements.
• Reviews and obtains signature on Consent for Treatment forms.
• Reviews Parents Guide and provide to caregiver.
• Facilitates orientation with caregivers on the day of the forensic interview:
• Reviews "You Are Not Alone" book with caregiver.
• Provides OMS Survey.
• Conducts risk assessments related to non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation and behavior, homicidal ideation, and interpersonal violence; completes safety plans as needed; conducts follow up phone calls with caretaker within 24 hours of being seen.
• Provides informal assessment for immediate family needs that addresses food, housing, clothing, toiletries and physical and emotional safety.
• Participates in pre- and post- case staffing's of forensic interviews with MDT (multi-disciplinary) partners.
• Enters data and self-audits in client database and ensures accurate, professional data is entered in a timely manner and within guidelines and standards.
• Ensures day of forensic interview, wrap around services are completed for the caregiver and child and next steps are determined, which include, but are not limited to:
• Schedules next DCAC appointment.
• Ensures appropriate caregiver and child referrals are submitted to outside agencies.
• Follows up calls are conducted within 72 hours, when appropriate, and,
• Submits client for dismissal, when appropriate.
• Regularly participates in peer review meetings.
• Cultivates relationships with MDT partners by attending pre- and post- staffings and communicating case information; attends MDT staffings as needed and attends and participates in partner relations sponsored events.
• Provides on-call support after hours and on the weekend through staff rotation.

Interaction with Clients

• Uses best practices, including an empathic tone and open body language to build rapport with clients.
• Uses structured frameworks for providing crisis interventions.
• Provides services in a trauma informed manner.

Supervision of Interns

• Provide ongoing supervision and training to Children's Programming and Family Advocate interns, as needed by:
• Participating in intern interviews.
• Assisting in observing and training new interns.
• Providing weekly or bi-weekly supervision to Children's Programming and Family Advocate interns.

Cross-Training with Other Family Advocates

• Cross trains with other Family Advocates, Children's Programming, Screening and On-Going Case management, to back up when needed.
• Uses crisis intervention and de-escalation skills, when necessary.
• Conduct and reviews risk assessment and safety planning for the child and family.
• Collaborates with DCAC MDT (multi-disciplinary) team to exchange information that are pertinent to the child's case and safety.
• Reviewing CPI (child protection investigation) safety plans, placements and other safety concerns.
• Connecting with law enforcement regarding the criminal investigation of the child's case.
• Reaching out to the District Attorney's office on the status of the trial and prosecution of the alleged offender.
• Connecting with the REACH clinic and Medical Liaison Coordinator regarding any medical exams for the child.
• Communicates and coordinates with the specialty partner agencies (T-911 and NFNL)

Court Readiness and Court Accompaniment

• Becomes well versed in DCAC court readiness curriculum.
• Provides court readiness sessions upon request.
• Provides court accompaniment upon request.

Continuing Education

• Completes a minimum of 24 hours of instruction, within the first six (6) months of hire, including but not limited to:
• The dynamics of abuse,
• The CAC model and the coordinated MDT response, including the civil and criminal justice processes and the medical evaluation process.
• Working with non-offending caregivers (examples may include understanding the challenges non-offending caregivers face, communicating with empathy, etc.)
• Time impact of trauma and trauma informed services.
• The impact of crisis and crisis assessment and intervention.
• Professional ethics and boundaries.
• Assistance in accessing and obtaining victims' rights as outlined by law.
• The Crime Victims Compensation (CVC) program.
• Court education, support and accompaniment, and,
• Assistance with access to treatment, additional support services, and concrete resources.
• Completes the CACTX Family Advocate training program, including Family Advocacy 101-201 training (or equivalent) within the first year of employment as a Family Advocate.
• Completes continuing education each year in topics relevant to family advocacy, child abuse and or victim services.
• Employees who are bilingual (English/Spanish) are required to complete translation training through TIN (Translation Interpretation Network).
• Completes all compliance training required by DCAC.

Other Duties

• Attends and participates and/or assists at the annual Crimes Against Children conference.
• Attends and engages in supervisory meetings and team meetings.
• Attends monthly agency staff meetings and other events.
• Participates in special events for children and families.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Qualifications and Skills

Education and experience: bachelor's degree or higher in human services, social work, counseling, psychology, sociology or related field and two (2) years of experience in a client facing, case management role working at a domestic violence shelter, residential shelter or another Child Advocacy Center OR an equivalent combination of experience, knowledge and skills and five (5) years in a client facing position to substitute for a college degree.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of developmental states of children, family dynamics, inter-partner violence, trauma, and child maltreatment.
• Skilled in effective communication with a diverse community of stakeholders including medical professionals, law enforcement, CPI (child protective investigation) the Dallas County District Attorney's Office, DCAC staff, clients, and families.