Family Advocate

The Family Advocate will provide critical support to families involved in the child welfare system, helping them navigate and access community resources. This role requires a compassionate and organized individual who can build relationships and empower parents to make decisions for their own families.

Abbott House is a community-based organization dedicated to helping children, families, and adults with complex needs build lasting foundations for a promising future. Our programs operate in the New York Metropolitan area and Hudson Valley.

• Build relationships and support parents in coping with trauma, making decisions, and communicating effectively with those involved in their case.
• Prepare parents and participate in Family Team Conferences.
• Report to Assistant Director of BSFT and work alongside case planners.
• Implement the Parents Empowering Parents (PEP) model, including key practices in the first 90 days of a case.
• Conduct visits to parents' homes and accompany parents to appointments at service providers.
• Provide emotional support for parents attending court dates.
• Orient parents to Family Time and supervise visits periodically.
• Recognize and celebrate parents' progress toward reunification.
• Inform parents about supportive interventions that will strengthen their families.
• Support parents in navigating resources and using negotiation skills.
• Coach parents to strengthen problem-solving skills.
• Document work in Progress Notes and/or other formats as appropriate.
• Attend program and department meetings as needed.

You are the ideal candidate if you are passionate about the social services field and empowering underserved communities. Being compassionate, organized, self-motivated, driven, flexible, and responsive are critical attributes for this role.

You have at least a High School diploma and previous life experience being impacted by the child welfare system as a parent, including having had a child placed in foster care or having had a court-ordered supervision case.

You are a natural collaborator, warm, enthusiastic, and able to engage and positively impact individuals. You have strong interpersonal skills to assist with parent engagement and are geared towards working sensitively on topics involving trauma, stress, and healing.

You have good writing skills, computer skills, and are skilled at working in a fast-paced environment on multiple projects occurring simultaneously.

You are passionate for parent leadership and preventing child welfare involvement, able to maintain a high level of confidentiality, and able to work flexible hours.

You are able to travel extensively throughout Westchester County and uphold the mission and values of Abbott House.