Atlanta CASA Advocacy Coordinator

Position: Advocacy Coordinator

Reports to: Program Manager

Effective: April 2022

WHO WE ARE

Atlanta Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) trains special advocates to represent abused and neglected children in the Fulton County (Georgia) Court System. Our advocates fight for the best interest of children in court and ensure that the children find safe, and permanent homes.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Advocacy Coordinator is a multifaceted position. The Advocacy Coordinator’s core responsibility is to assign, manage, and supervise a group of CASA volunteers to provide direct advocacy for abused and neglected children placed in foster care. The Advocacy Coordinator is responsible for empowering and assisting up to 30 CASA volunteers assigned to support foster children and youth in numerous ways including developing an interpersonal connection; identifying the child’s needs in all domains; ensuring needs are met; monitoring well-being and safety in their home placements; overseeing and supporting academic progress; engaging their children in enrichment activities; facilitating information sharing among professionals; writing reports to the Court to help guide judicial decision making; and providing consistent support through challenging changes.  The Advocacy Coordinator will be part of the team that facilitates orientations and training for prospective and current volunteers.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage up to 30 actively assigned CASA volunteers in meeting program expectations
• Serve as a resource and dependency Court expert for a core group of CASA Volunteers who develop an interpersonal connection and advocate for a child or youth
• Interview prospective CASA volunteers
• Match trained CASA volunteers with children and youth
• Edit Court Reports written by CASA volunteers to the Juvenile Court Judge
• Help develop ongoing strategies for volunteer advocacy
• Maintain case files and volunteer files in office
• Accompany volunteers on home visits as necessary
• Track court dates
• Maintain and document regular contact with volunteers
• Provide basic and ongoing training for CASA volunteers which entails evening and/or weekend work
• Serve as staff expert in content areas relevant to child welfare or youth and children at-risk & develop written materials on the content area
• Maintain regular communication with all CASA volunteers to ensure high quality of service and provide support, including attending court hearings and other meetings
• Participate as a team member by sharing your unique skills and knowledge as well as back up other team members when they are not available to their CASA volunteers
• Ensure that all CASA volunteer and child records are accurate and up to date
• Other duties as assigned

ACCOUNTABILITY

The Advocacy Coordinator is hired by the Executive Director.  The Advocacy Coordinator reports directly to the Program Manager, who is responsible for his/her performance evaluations.  The Advocacy Coordinator should display a commitment to CASA’s goals and mission.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in related field; Master’s degree preferred
• Exceptional interpersonal skills
• Excellent written skills, including the ability to confidently edit the writing of professionals
• Excellent oral communication skills
• Ability to present information to intellectually sophisticated audiences
• Ability to manage and track progress of dozens of children, families, and CASA volunteers
• Strong understanding of the foster care system
• Problem solving and/or mediation skills
• Open minded, collaborative team player
• Entrepreneurial spirit
• Flexible Positive attitude and ability to build relationships effectively
• Strong belief in the power of human relationships
• Passion for working with children and families

SKILL SETS FOR SUCCESS

• Two years of case management experience
• Professional child development, mental health, or education experience, with a preference for a Master’s degree in social work, education or related advanced degree
• Previous experience working with volunteers and knowledge and understanding of child abuse and neglect and families in crisis
• Knowledge of Fulton County Child Welfare System

LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMER

The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position. All job requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position, or the only projects that this position will be asked to work on. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties or project assignments requested by their supervisor in compliance with Federal and State Laws. Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities. To perform this job successfully, the employee must possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently. Continued employment remains on an “at-will” basis. Atlanta CASA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we do not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation or gender identity), age, national origin religion, status as a veteran, genetic information or basis of disability or any other federal, state or locally protected class.