Parent Advocate

Job Details Job Location: OYHFS Youth Learning Center (Highland Park) - Los Angeles, CA 90042 Position Type: Full Time Salary Range: $ $20.50 Hourly

Overall Function:

The Parent Advocate provides peer support to parents served by the Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) Advocacy Program. This includes advocacy, peer support services and linkage as needed.  Will be implementing a Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) and trauma-informed relational based model to provide advocacy and support to children and youth, up to the age of 21 years, who are at-risk or victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE).

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Provide peer support to parents served by the Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) Advocacy program and assist them to successfully engage in program services, with youth and staff.
2. Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
3. Utilizes personal and professional life experience to provide peer support to parents and caregivers served by the program.
4. Accesses community-based resources appropriate to the family's needs.
5. Interfaces with Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Mental Health, court systems, schools, health care providers and other community liaisons.
6. Assists family with developing a comprehensive plan.
7. Provides support and advocacy which are family-centered, community and strength-based.
8. Provides 24-hour availability and crisis intervention on an as needed basis or regularly scheduled basis which may include weekends and evenings.
9. Conducts visits to homes and or other service providers in order to help client achieve their goals.
10. Facilitates a monthly parenting support group and collaborates with team members regarding its implementation and promotes participation from clients.
11. Provides parenting education to parents utilizing a parenting curriculum.
12. Follows states laws and agency guidelines regarding child abuse reporting.
13. Maintains weekly service provision requirements.
14. Active participation in administrative and clinical supervision and meetings.
15. Is receptive in receiving feedback from children and families, community and service providers.
16. Ensures accuracy in work and that all deadline expectations are met.
17. Maintains consistent and regular attendance.
18. Follows up with supervisor in a timely manner regarding significant issues.
19. Demonstrates ownership of work responsibilities by incorporating feedback, taking initiative, and interacting in a professional manner within assigned role and adhering to agency guidelines.
20. Maintains confidentiality as required by Optimist, licensing, HIPAA, and other regulatory agencies.
21. Follows and adheres to all field safety guidelines.
22. Participates in mandatory training, in-services and meeting.
23. Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

1. High School Diploma/GED preferred.
2. Must have lived experience as a parent/legal guardian of a child(ren) or youth who is a survivor of human trafficking.
3. Previous Parent/Family Partner, Peer Advocate and/or Parent Advocate experience preferred.
4. Previous experience working with high-risk children and families.
5. Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
6. Must possess and maintain a valid CA Drivers' License, automotive liability insurance, and a driving record acceptable to agency's insurance carriers.
7. Good oral, written and organizational skills.
8. Satisfactorily fulfill requirements for employment at Optimist, such as employment references, physical examination/TB Test, criminal record (Live Scan-fingerprints), clearances, etc.
9. All employees, regardless of position, serve as role models for children and adolescents who are served by our agency. Therefore, each employee must at all times be emotionally stable and able to function effectively with children, adolescents and adults who may have mental or behavioral health problems. The staff must be able to demonstrate appropriate daily behavior, appropriate expression of emotions, as well as appropriate role modeling.
10. Hostility, aggression and unnecessary or inappropriate physical actions as well as inappropriate emotional expression is not acceptable.
11. All employees must be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19.

In accordance with CA law, the expected pay range for this CA position is posted with this position. The actual compensation may be determined based on bona fide factors such as education, experience, and other factors permitted by law.

Salary range for this position: $ / hour

Hiring Range for this position: $ $ 22.50* / hour

*CSEC Parent Advocates with lived experience receive a $2.00 differential in base pay / hour

Sign-on stipend of $750 after 6 months employed.

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