Family Advocate - Child Advocacy Center - Women & Children's Hospital

Job Summary

The Family Advocate is responsible for providing advocacy, support, crisis services and interventions to all CAC clients who are child victims of abuse, neglect, violence or a crime and their non-offending family members. The Family Advocate is responsible for facilitating case management and case tracking services for children and families whose cases are evaluated at CAC and ensuring that child victims have access to available assistance programs.

The Family Advocate ensures that other agency services are made available to and accessed by our child clients and their families by making referrals for, scheduling and coordinating mental health and other necessary services. The Family Advocate may interface with Kanawha County's Multidisciplinary Investigative Team (MDIT) and all other investigative, court and child protection professionals who interact with the agency.

The Family Advocate will also serve as a forensic interviewer as needed and is required to testify in court when subpoenaed. The Family Advocate may act as the agency's liaison with other community partners when deemed necessary by the Director. The Advocate will conduct presentations and other community outreach projects as assigned by the Director.

Responsibilities

• Must be present for the initial forensic interview to interface with the child and family during the evaluation process, explain investigative and follow-up policies and processes, and to provide resource and referral information.

• Establish and maintain accurate and up to date case management files.

• Maintain agency case tracking database to record both short and long-term outcome data on children served through CAC.

• Make case information available to MDIT members.

• Maintain contact with families served at the CAC throughout the entire length of their case to provide support, advocacy, and court assistance.

• Assist with coordination of cases with appropriate investigative and referral agencies.

• Assist with scheduling appointments for evaluation in the CAC and counseling services.

• Educate families about victim services and the systems they may become involved in during the duration of their case.

• Provide assessment of client needs and identify options to meet those needs.

• Provide information and referrals about community resources and support families to access services.

• Develop, coordinate and conduct community presentations.

• Participate in MDIT and treatment team meetings as needed

• Document all client services provided according to CAC requirements and guidelines.

• Assist with outreach and community education efforts and with agency-wide projects.

• Maintain client confidentiality.

• Follow agency policies and procedures.

• Ensure that referrals and resource information is distributed to all clients and families served as needed.

• Appear in court and testify when subpoenaed.

• Attend additional community meetings as assigned by the Director.

• Maintain statistical data for all services provided at the CAC.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Patient Group Knowledge (Only applies to positions with direct patient contact)

The employee must possess/obtain (by the end of the orientation period) and demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide developmentally appropriate assessment, treatment or care as defined by the department's identified patient ages. Specifically the employee must be able to demonstrate competency in:
1) ability to obtain and interpret information in terms of patient needs;
2) knowledge of growth and development; and
3) understanding of the range of treatment needed by the patients.

Competency Statement

Must demonstrate competency through an initial orientation and ongoing competency validation to independently perform tasks and additional duties as specified in the job description and the unit/department specific competency checklist.

Common Duties and Responsibilities
(Essential duties common to all positions)

1. Maintain and document all applicable required education.
2. Demonstrate positive customer service and co-worker relations.
3. Comply with the company's attendance policy.
4. Participate…