Family Advocate

SUMMARY
The Family Advocate implements dual-generation services that will help families break the cycle of poverty by providing case management advocacy skills crisis intervention skills training and linkage to resources to move families from poverty to independence. The Family Advocate provides home community and office visits to improve the financial self-sufficiency and security housing stability and healthy living patterns of families enrolled in Early Head Start/ Head Start Services at the Center for Transforming Lives.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Provide case management services for families and complete all components of Family Community Engagement by identifying family strengths and needs family partnership agreements and Transforming Lives scales and will work with the family to maximize the familys well-being to support the ability of young children to develop and learn age-appropriate and school readiness skills.
Establish trusting and comfortable working relationships with families enrolled and empower and encourage families to use all identified resources and participate fully in the program by volunteering and participating in parent engagement activities throughout the year.
Assess family needs and assist families to establish shortterm and longterm goals in housing health public assistance hunger and parenting. Assist families to develop action plans to complete family goals and make appropriate referrals for families to community agencies.
Assist with eligibility enrollment selection attendance and enrollment activities by completing applications and ensuring eligibility into the program and collecting required documentation.
Ensures accurate and timely followup as well as case notes are documented and tracked in ChildPlus including the childs file.
Maintain documentation of all assessment goal setting and service delivery actions for individuals and families including entry into electronic and hard copy files.
Assist with planning parent workshops securing guest speakers and implementing parent activities based on results of Parent Interest Surveys.
Work collaboratively with staff and community agencies to support the identified needs of families and children enrolled to increase healthy living patterns financial security and housing stability including the scheduling and planning of MultiDisciplinary meetings.
Maintain regular contact with parents through home or site visits and follow up on service plans attendance plans family partnership agreements and referrals and follow up and monitor their progress towards financial self-sufficiency and related goals.
Establish collaborative relationships with Child Development Center classroom teachers community partners and social service providers to ensure that the familys basic social and psychological needs are met including screenings and assessments.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Bachelors degree in family services human services social work counseling or related fields is required. A Masters degree in associated fields is preferred.
A minimum of three years of experience providing comprehensive case management services to families is preferred.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS ABILITIES
Maintains awareness of trends and best practices and is proactive in acquiring knowledge in child and family practices case management social work trauma-informed care motivational interviewing behavior change models and self-sufficiency practices.
Efficient experience delivering family support services.
Ability to assist individuals in enhancing problem-solving skills and accessing community resources and writing family goals or Individualized Family Partnership Agreements.
Ability to establish and maintain productive communication and working relationships with families co-workers and community members to develop and maintain quality client-centered services. Fluency in English and Spanish is preferred.
Ability to deliver year-round services on a flexible schedule to meet the needs of families.
Excellent organizational skills; strong computer skills.
Knowledge and skills in completing comprehensive assessments covering all areas affecting family functioning and assessing individual and family dynamics.
Knowledge of resources in Tarrant County or the ability to locate and identify family resources within the service area preferred.

Center for Transforming Lives partners with single mothers and their children so they can thrive. Founded in 1907 Center for Transforming Lives is one of Tarrant Countys biggest family safety nets working to disrupt cycles of poverty and homelessness among the most vulnerable in our community. The non-profit meets the needs of 3000 women and children annually through a comprehensive and evidence-based two-generation and trauma-informed model. Thanks to housing support early childhood education economic mobility services and counseling services that work across generations parents and children establish security and well-being as a family. Led by CEO Carol Klocek since 2009 the $20 million non-profit opened its new Riverside Campus headquarters in May.

Center for Transforming Lives is the only homeless services provider in Tarrant County and one of seven early childhood education centers to achieve National Accreditation recognized for the highest standards of care in the nation.