Job Summary
The Advocate Supervisor program was designed to support all Advocates in their CASA of Wise and Jack Counties experience. The Advocate Supervisor will provide outstanding guidance, support, and supervision to the Advocates of CASA of Wise and Jack Counties who commit to serve in the best interests of children in protective care. The Supervisor is the point of contact for all Advocates, beginning with their Swearing-In ceremony and extending throughout the entirety of their service as a CASA in our organization.
Supervise Advocates in their CASA/GAL roles for the children to whom CASA of Wise and Jack Counties is appointed
- Supervise no more than 30 volunteer advocates (unless multiple volunteers are assigned to a single-family group) and a maximum of 40 family groups (with the optimum being 28 – 35 family groups).
- Ensure that 85% of all cases assigned to a CWJ are being served by a volunteer Advocate, and to increase the likelihood of their retention for at least 3 years.
- Attend and participate in case-related meetings including (but not limited to), guiding Advocates through case note input, Permanency Conferences, Mediations, Treatment Meetings, ARDs, and other related instances.
- Attend and participate in all related court hearings, aiding and supervision of Advocate court reports, court attendance, and testimony.
- Provide Advocates information and professional contacts regarding community resources and placements.
- Participate in placement selections by reading home placement studies and consulting as decisions are made.
- Assist Advocates in identifying permanency planning issues for children while steadily moving the case forward toward the goal of a safe and permanent placement.
- Document all Advocate activity in Optima, including (but not limited to), information required by the Courts, Texas CASA, National CASA, donor-required information, and other as deemed necessary and/or appropriate.
Provide consistent guidance and support to all Advocates in order to ensure their success and overall commitment to serving as a CASA Advocate.
- Provide timely notification of staffing, meetings, and court hearings to Advocates.
- Provide guidance, assistance, and review of Advocate reports to the court.
- In equal partnership with the Recruitment Specialist, determine In-Service opportunities that meet the interests and needs of current Advocates.
- In equal partnership with the Recruitment Specialist, coordinate and facilitate all CWJ in-service training opportunities.
- Develop and/or provide recommendations for materials, events, and other methods necessary for an innovative and highly effective Advocate Retention program.
- Provide consistent contact in the process of maintaining and fostering relationships with the Advocate, clients, and other professionals in legal, social welfare, educational, and therapeutic areas/organizations.
- Ensure the reasonable retention of Advocates by coaching new skills, evaluating their experience, and engaging in constructive reflection with them, and by matching the Advocate with future cases that suit his/her unique interests, skills, and time commitment.
Ensure the high standards of performance and professionalism expected in the services of CASA of Wise and Jack Counties
- Provide the Executive Director AND OR Program Director with weekly progress reports on volunteer/case progress.
- Support staff counterparts by providing backup for meetings, court hearings, and with their Advocates as needed.
- Maintain accurate and complete client case records in Optima.
- Maintain accurate case and Advocate statistical data according to state and national standards for CASA.
- Maintain a professional, organized environment.
- Assist with office and program demands as needed.
- Ensure the quality of the Advocacy Supervisor Program by regularly evaluating the effectiveness of components of the program and recommending enhancements or omissions to the Executive Director for approval.
Other Responsibilities
- In consultation with, and explicit approval from the Executive Director, manage the maintenance of information specific to on CWJ’s website, newsletters, social media platforms, print media, and all other forms of external communication.
- In equal partnership with the Advocate Supervisor(s), ensure the information in CASA’s Volunteer Manual is current and in compliance with the policies of CASA of Wise and Jack Counties, Texas CASA, National CASA, and related government agencies such as CPS and our court jurisdiction.
- In equal partnership with all members of the staff, participate in all activities and events related to fundraising, recruitment, mission-related events and observances, staff retreats, board meetings and related activities, and any additional engagement that supports our mission and directly benefits the entire organization.
- Provide the Executive Director and/or Program Director with weekly progress reports on volunteer case progress.
- All staff members are granted privileges to perform background screenings and agree to assist as needed in completing screens for CASA staff, advocates, volunteers, board members, and others, as necessary.
- Download, and upload all filings, and attached documents to Optima within a timely manner.
- Promote and maintain ethical, professional, and congenial relationships with all associated with CWJ, both within the organization and throughout the community.
- Participate in mission-related and job-related training opportunities.
- Perform additional duties as requested.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- A minimum of a bachelor’s Social Work or related field required.
- Master’s Degree in Social Work or related field is preferred.
- Associate degree with at least 2 years of experience with a CASA program or in a similar position with Child Protective Services.
- Must pass all required background screenings.
- Experience in providing staff or volunteer supervision and ability to manage people.
- Understanding of child and family advocacy issues that include child placement options, therapeutic intervention/assessment/needs for children and families, legal intervention and the rights regarding children and families, permanency planning, adoption issues and systems, advocacy in child protection cases and in social, medical and mental health fields.
- Professional demeanor in keeping with CASA’s standards.
- Professional communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written.
- Self-starter motivated to fulfill our mission with a commitment to excellence.
- Commitment to serve all persons, regardless of race, gender, age, socio-economic status, and sexual orientation.
Physical Requirements and Work Environment
The Advocate Supervisor will be expected to have daily transportation to perform the duties of this position. The position requires a flexible schedule as visits with Advocates may occur in the evenings or on weekends. He/she will spend some time in the office that could involve intermittent physical activities including bending, reaching, sitting and walking. Additionally, it is anticipated that the person may spend several hours of each day seated at a PC. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable a person with physical disabilities to perform the job.
Work Location: In person
