Parent Advocate

Cayuga Centers is hiring immediately for Parent Advocates

Salary: $20.00/hourly

Location: New York, NY

Join our team and make a difference in the lives of children, youth, and families in our community!

About Cayuga Centers

Cayuga Centers is an accredited non-profit, human services agency dedicated to family support and preservation, trauma-informed care, and serving vulnerable populations with the most unique needs. Founded in 1852 in Auburn, NY, we have a long history of delivering high-quality and innovative services to individuals, children, youth and families. We have 22 locations across 8 states and serve over 10,000 individuals and families annually. Join us!

At Cayuga Centers, we embrace Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). We do this by taking a firm stance against hatred, inequality, bias, and injustice. We do this by providing our staff with the training, coaching, and resources necessary to grow and serve with cultural humility, acceptance, and understanding. We are responsive to the diverse needs of those we serve and staff, and are committed to ensuring that everyone feels respected, valued, and a sense of belonging.

About the Program and Position:

The ACS Program supports foster youth in the custody of the Administration for Children’s Services in New York City. Our Enhanced Family Foster Care (EFFC) program serves youth ages 0-21+ and supports them with a multidisciplinary team that includes a Case Planner, Health Services Team, Psychiatrist, Behavioral Support Specialist, Family Advocate, Case Aide, Family Team Conferencing Coordinator, Education Workforce Specialist, Employment/Internship and Housing Specialist, Fair Futures Coach, Foster Home Recruiter and Licensor and Clinician. Our therapeutic approach to foster care includes direct access to Clinicians and foster parents who are trained at a treatment foster care level implementing the ARC framework. This makes a difference because our team approach provides a space for healing while providing skill-building and future-focused planning for youth in our care.

Cayuga Centers is hiring Parent Advocates who will support parents with children in foster care to understand and navigate the foster care system, remain hopeful, and address family challenges so that they can accomplish their goal of reunification. Many families with children in foster care have experienced oppression, intergenerational poverty and trauma that contribute to the challenges they face and impact the way they participate in the case planning process. Parent Advocates help to empower parents in the case planning process and provide options and choices for parents to make decisions for their families.

The focus of this job is building connections with parents and working collaboratively with case planners. Each Parent Advocate will be assigned to a case planning unit and will support parents and bring their insights to the foster care agency decision-making process so that children are more likely to quickly and safely return home.

All Advocates will receive training and support through Rise, a parent-led NYC advocacy organization. The training will focus on restorative justice, healing and self-care, building knowledge of child welfare policy and practice, building relationships for support and mentorship with other advocates, and creating an ongoing support and advocacy network.

How you get to use your skills…

• Build relationships and support parents-in making decisions for their own families, coping with the trauma of foster care involvement, communicating effectively with those involved in their case, and maintaining relationships with their children during foster care placement.
• Report to a foster care unit supervisor and work alongside case planners. Share insights and observations to inform decision-making regarding cases in their units.
• Conduct monthly visits to parents’ homes and accompany parents to appointments at various service providers as appropriate.
• Orient parents to Family Time, offer ideas for making the most of family visits, and supervise visits periodically.
• Prepare parents and participate alongside them in all Family Team Conferences.
• Implement the Parents Empowering Parents (PEP) model including key practices in the first 90 days of a case to orient parents to the service planning process; share Rise TIPS and other resources to support parents.
• Offer emotional support for parents attending court dates; for example, offer encouragement, travel to court with parents as needed.
• 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 while discovering their strengths and priorities.
• Document monthly Progress Notes in NETSMART and Connections databases.
• Attend all program and department meetings as appropriate.
• Perform related tasks to support parents as needed.

Schedule: Non-Exempt

• Regular hours entail 9:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday - Friday
• Evenings and weekends may be required
• Must be able to flex schedule to meet program needs
• On call required

• Previous life experience being impacted by the child welfare system as a parent. This could include having personally experienced an ACS investigation, having had a child placed in foster care, or having had a court-ordered supervision case. Previous child welfare cases must be closed for at least one year.
• A natural collaborator
• Able to engage and positively impact individuals
• Someone who has a sincere appreciation for people and how they are each uniquely motivated
• Strong interpersonal skills to assist with parent engagement and are geared towards working sensitively on topics involving trauma, stress, and healing
• Writing skills
• Computer skills conducting Google searches and using Microsoft Office
• Skilled at working in a fast-paced environment on multiple projects occurring simultaneously
• Passion for parent leadership and preventing child welfare involvement
• Able to maintain high level of confidentiality
• Able to work flexible hours
• Able to travel extensively to all NYC boroughs
• Able to uphold the mission and values of Cayuga Centers

Physical Requirements:

• Completing paperwork and electronic documentation
• Sit/ride in vehicles and/or public transportation for lengthy periods of time
• Walk up/down stairs
• Walk several blocks to get to the required locations

When applying:

Please upload or email a cover letter and resume to hrrecruitment@cayugacenters.org. Your cover letter should briefly explain why you would make a good Parent Advocate, why you would like to do this work, how your work history or volunteer work has prepared you for this work, and just one sentence noting the type of child welfare involvement you previously experienced.

Candidates will be contacted for interviews on a rolling basis. The position will remain open until it is filled. Part of the interview process will include a simple skills test such as reading a paragraph about a visit and writing up notes on the visit.
Job Benefits:

Why Cayuga Centers?

• Certified Great Place to Work ®
• Workplace Wellness Award Finalist
• Council on Accreditation (COA) Accredited
• Implement best practices and evidence-based interventions
• Committed to employee professional development and advancement
• We embrace change, innovation, and opportunities
• Our diverse workforce acts and leads with human sensitivity and respect
• Large and growing national footprint

Benefits:

• 80 hours of Vacation Time, 12 Sick Days per year
• 10 Holidays, 3 Personal Days, Medical Appointment Time
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Pet and Legal Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• FSA, Transit, and Parking savings accounts
• Supplemental life insurance, critical illness, enhanced short-term disability benefits
• 401(k) match up to 6 %
• Corporate Discounts Program
• Sick Leave Pool
• Identity Protection
• Hybrid remote working