Parent Advocate, Foster Care

HeartShare is looking for a Parent Advocate for our Foster Care Program 

Parent Advocates will use their former Child Welfare experience to support  and advocate for parents to help reunite them with their child. 

Responsibilities:

• Maintains a tracking system of referrals and case assignments.
• Provides assistance in facilitating training in topics including, but not limited to the Parenting Journey.
• Encourages parents participation in Family Team Conferences (FTCS) providing reminders and other supports as warranted.
• Represents HeartShare St. Vincent's Services at internal and external meetings.
• Celebrates birth parents by contributing to hosting events and activities.
• Maintains accessible resource materials, making them available to other HSVS staff and to parents.
• Documents efforts to engage parents via service plans.
• Provides full disclosure and all required consents to birth parents.
• Co-facilitates quarterly birth parent round table meetings.

Housing
Provides direct counseling, on-call assistance, intervention, negotiation and advocacy regarding birth families housing needs.

• Develops and maintains a comprehensive list of available housing resources.
• Collects required documentation, completes online applications and records data in all applicable Housing systems including the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and Supportive Housing systems.
• Delivers completed Housing application packets to the New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS)
• Accompanies parents to Housing court and to government assistance offices.
• Maintains all reporting requirements set by funding and/or regulatory agencies.
• Assist and accompany parents when shopping to purchase furniture for new apartments once children are final discharged from care.
• Demonstrated responsible and professional telephone, email and interview etiquette
• Attended all required training to ensure up to date information
• Demonstrated passion for working with birth parents and at risk teens in a child welfare setting.
• Able to set limits and to maintain appropriate professional boundaries
• Strong belief in families abilities to grow and change.
• Self-motivated
• Strong time management, writing and organizational skills
• Works, both, independently and collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders
• Willing and able to travel throughout the five boroughs of New York City as needed.

The Parent Advocate must have:

• Must have lived experience with ACS
• Child Welfare Case must be closed for 1 year
• High school diploma/General Equivalency Diploma (GED);
• Experience working with families;
• Knowledge of foster care and ACS mandates;
• Knowledge of CONNECTIONS preferred
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to travel within the 5 boroughs of NYC, Long Island, and Westchester
  • Physical Requirement:
• The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms.

Benefits:

• Rewarding Work in a team environment;
• Paid vacation, sick, personal days and holidays;
• 403(B) retirement plan with employer contribution;
• Health, dental, vision and life insurance;
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP);
• Flexible spending account (Dependent Care, Medical, Parking, and Transit);
• Employee Appreciation Programs and Events;
• Tuition Assistance Program;
• Professional Development opportunities;
• Gympass Discount
• Verizon Wireless Discount;
• BJs Membership discount;
• Discounts on Broadway tickets, movie tickets, theme parks, sporting events, gift certificates & more.

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