Child Advocate - Full Time - Middletown

Job Description Summary:

Job Description:

Provides support, referrals, information and advocacy services to victims of domestic violence and their children; works to safeguard the lives of victims and their children who have experienced violence in their homes. Educate the community served by the program regarding domestic violence and to develop outreach to enhance the accessibility of the program.

Hours for this position are Monday-Friday 9am-5:30pm

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responds to referrals for children and adolescents, assessing their situations making informed referrals and intake decisions.
• Responds to contacts made by victims, assessing their situation, making informed referrals and intake decisions. Explains shelter functions, goals, regulations to those entering the program.
• Provides individual supportive counseling sessions with children and adolescents as needed
• Familiarizes self with resources in county for children and adolescents, makes appropriate referrals and familiarizes self with current resource listings.
• Advocates for children and adolescents within the legal, welfare, housing and medical systems.
• Acts as a liaison between sheltered and non sheltered children and agencies in the community.
• Provides outreach and community education in local school systems during the academic year
• Facilitates children and adolescent support groups within New Horizons and the community
• Coordinates services and resources for children including play groups, indoor/outdoor activities, arts and crafts, music, drama and sports
• Collaborates with other groups (CCADV, SACS, DCF) to educate the public, improve services offered, and to advocate for the rights of domestic violence victims and their children.
• Maintains compliance with agency mandatory training requirements.
• Attends Child Advocate meetings held by CCADV
• Collects, transports, and organizes donations and follows up with appropriate thank you' s
• Responsible for the hotline calls on an as needed basis
• And other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Skills and Education

• Bachelors degree

Preferred Skills

• Comprehensive working knowledge of the dynamics of domestic violence
• Commitment to working with victims affected by domestic violence, and a capacity to develop an overall plan for their safety and the preservation of their right to self-determination.
• Effective oral and written communication.
• Knowledge of community resources.

Required Licenses/Certifications

• CHC requires as a condition of employment current American Red Cross CPR for the Professional Rescuer and AED (CPR/FPR/AED) certification. The only acceptable alternative is current American Heart Association BLS/AED for Healthcare Providers certification.
• Certification as a battered women's counselor, as approved by CCADV.
• Employees must have a current driver's license with a clean driving record at time of hire and throughout employment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

• May required rapid physical response, though work is primarily sedentary.
• Because of safety and security threats, this is a stressful position.
• Requires stair climbing.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICIATIONS

This position requires a high degree of communication as victims of domestic violence are often under severe stress. The Child Advocate must be able to communicate with New Horizons staff/Community Health Center staff and other agency providers on issues of domestic violence.

Organization Information:

Community Health Center, Inc. (CHCI). CHC is one of the country's most creative and dynamic providers of primary medical, dental and behavioral health services, and a leader in practice-based research, health professionals training, and use of innovative technologies to advance health and healthcare. CHCI is designated as a federally qualified health center and a patient-centered medical home by HRSA, the Joint Commission, and NCQA, respectively. We deliver more than 500,000 patient visits per year from primary care hubs and community clinics across the state of Ct, all connected by technology and common standards for quality. We employ several hundred medical, dental, and behavioral health providers who are engaged in practice, teaching, and research. Our Weitzman Institute is devoted to research and practice transformation and is recognized around the country as one of the premier research institutes focused on improving health care and health outcomes for special and vulnerable populations. In addition, the organization has developed three wholly owned subsidiaries from the original pilot developments within the Weitzman Institute, the National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training Consortium (NNPRFTC), the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement, and the Community eConsult Network. National Nurse Practitioner Residency and fellowship training Consortium, and National Institute for the Advancement of Medical Assistants.

Location:

Community Based Services Admin

City:

Middletown

State:

Connecticut

Time Type:

Full time