Family Advocate; of Forensic Bilingual; English

Overview

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.

The mission of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 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…