Child Advocacy Coordinator

Child Advocacy Coordinator

Are you passionate about advocating for children’s well-being and ensuring they have a safe, supportive environment to thrive? The Chatham Diversion & Advocacy Program is looking for a compassionate and dedicated Child Advocacy Coordinator to join our team. If you are committed to making a difference in the lives of children and families and have a strong background in child advocacy, we encourage you to apply and be a part of a program that is dedicated to creating lasting change for children and families in need.

• Maintains strict standards of confidentiality;
• Assists with coordination of and scheduling of educational sessions with all elementary and middle schools within Chatham County;
• Supports schools and health department’s efforts to develop and implement appropriate evidence-based materials for middle and high school students;
• Teaches primary prevention curriculum to children in both elementary and middle school. Typical classes are 20‑25 children in elementary school and 30 to 40 in middle school;
• Attends the Child Medical Exam, if requested by the family or the law enforcement officer assigned to work with the family;
• Makes initial contact with the family once a Forensic Interview/CME has been completed, if unable to attend the FI/CME, to answer any preliminary questions they have and offers support and services;
• Provides crisis intervention for victims and families referred to them by law enforcement on those cases that do not involve a Child Protective Service (CPS) worker;
• Educates non‑offending caregiver(s) about sexual abuse or serious physical abuse and the various systems that may become involved with their family;
• Performs a safety assessment of the family and develop and recommend a safety plan for the child victim and family;
• Answers any questions related to the investigative process and provide feedback to the assigned Child Protective Service worker and/or law enforcement officer;
• Coordinates with other advocates that may be working with the child and family;
• Provides coordination and collaboration with the District Attorney’s office about cases pending grand jury and trial;
• Maintains contact with the victim and family throughout the investigation and prosecution when requested by the family or the law enforcement officer;
• Assists the family in accessing services recommended by the team;
• Attends the Child Medical Exam, if requested by the family or the law enforcement officer assigned to work with the family;
• Provides, or arranges, for court preparation services for children having to testify in court;
• Attends court proceedings with the child and family, if requested by the family or the law enforcement officer assigned to work with the family;
• Receives referrals and information on all child sexual abuse and extreme physical abuse cases from local law enforcement and the Department of Social Services and enters into agency database;
• Maintains and updates case records in the agency database;
• Assists with the coordination of monthly MDT meetings, and follows through with any recommendations of the team; keeps detailed notes of all cases for the benefit of the team;
• Remains current with professional literature and evidence-based programs on child abuse issues;
• Assists with training sessions for community professionals regarding Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) operations and protocol;
• Assists with community education and professional training on child abuse prevention;
• Performs other duties as apparent or assigned.

Bachelor’s degree in social work or related field and at least two years experience working with child abuse victims. Master’s Degree preferred. Training and experience working with multidisciplinary teams, the court system, child protective system, and the school system are strongly preferred. Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

• Thorough knowledge of the dynamics of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and stalking;
• Thorough knowledge of civil and criminal legal proceedings related to domestic violence and sexual assault;
• Demonstrated crisis intervention skills in delivering…