Job Description

The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an agency within the judicial branch, charged with safeguarding the welfare of Delaware's children. It accomplishes this mission through advocacy, education, collaboration and evaluation with a vision of safe and resilient children with supportive families. OCA's Policy and Training Division, within which the CAN Program Coordinator position is housed, furthers OCA's goals to:

Provide a voice for children to achieve permanency and justice, and to improve laws and policies that affect children and their families. Foster a communicative multi-disciplinary team that builds trust and respect amongst members with a shared goal of improving outcomes for children and families Ensure accountability by examining child welfare data, laws and policies. Develop quality training to increase professional expertise and public awareness. Facilitate access to resources and opportunities for youth.
OCA's Policy and Training Division provides intensive reviews of serious child abuse cases, manages youth in transition programs, coordinates child welfare trainings, generates child welfare data, and staffs the Child Protection Accountability Commission (CPAC). The Policy and Training Division is comprised of four program areas or units. Those units are Services for Youth Advancement, Training, Data and the CPAC/Child Abuse and Neglect.




The Casual/Seasonal CAN Program Coordinator position is housed in the CPAC/Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) Unit but also supports Legal Services. The CPAC/Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) Unit is responsible for investigating and coordinating the review of child deaths and near deaths as a result of child abuse and neglect as well as providing supports to carry out the mission of the Child Protection Accountability Commission (CPAC). The Program Coordinator attends the monthly death and near death review meetings conducted by the multidisciplinary panel and staffs the panel. Additionally, the Program Coordinator supports the Legal Services Division by providing social work support to the in-house Child Attorneys and the Chief of Legal Services. Please see the essential functions for more detail.

Preferred Qualification

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Applicants who do not possess the preferred qualification will still be eligible to compete for this position if job requirements are met.

Possession of a Bachelor's Degree.

Experience working with Delaware's child welfare system.

Experience working with abused, neglected, exploited or economically disadvantaged children or clients.

Essential Functions

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The responsibilities will include:

Review records maintained by the Division of Family Services and prepare timelines for the monthly Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) Panel meetings, which will summarize the circumstances surrounding the death or near death incident and any history of involvement with the child or family. Attend the monthly CAN Panel review meetings. Prepare the strengths and findings summaries for the quarterly CAN Steering Committee meetings. Plan and coordinate the retreat between the Child Protection Accountability Commission and the Maternal and Child Death Review Commission to jointly discuss any findings or recommendations released to the public from reviews of child deaths and near deaths. Provide social work assistance to Child Attorneys by accomplishing such tasks as scheduling and conducting client visits. Support the Child Attorneys through court and client support, and interactions with all professionals. Attend home visits as needed or requested by the Child Attorneys. Attend Court hearings and providing testimony to the Court as needed by the Child Attorneys. Communicate and consult with the Child Attorneys regularly, and prior to each hearing to determine if client visits or records are needed.

Job Requirements

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Applicants must have education, training and/or experience demonstrating competence in each of the following areas:

Experience interviewing clients and their families to obtain facts, explore issues and identify courses of action.

Experience in case management which includes assessing, planning, developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating options and services to meet an individual's human service needs.

Experience in interpreting laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures related to the protection of the health, safety, welfare or rights of clients.

Knowledge of legal support work such as maintaining case files, reviewing and filing legal/court documents, and assisting legal staff at court proceedings to gather information, and various other discovery methods. Knowledge of Family Court child welfare proceedings preferred.

Ability to communicate courteously and effectively, both verbally and in writing. Possession of a valid Delaware Class D driver's license or its equivalent.

Additional Posting Information

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This position can be located at one of these locations: 400 Court Street, Dover; or 6 W. Market Street, Georgetown.

Conditions of Hire

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A satisfactory criminal background check and child protection registry check is required as a condition of hire. Direct deposit of paychecks is required as a condition of hire.

Selection Process

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The application and supplemental questionnaire are evaluated based upon a rating of your education, training and experience as they relate to the job requirements of the position. It is essential that you provide complete and accurate information on your application and the supplemental questionnaire to include dates of employment, job title and job duties. For education and training, list name of educational provider, training course titles and summary of course content. Narrative information supplied in response to the questions must be supported by the information supplied on the application including your employment, education and training history as it relates to the job requirements.



Once you have submitted your application on-line, all future correspondence related to your application will be sent via email. Please keep your contact information current. You may also view all correspondence sent to you by the State of Delaware in the "My Applications" tab at StateJobs.Delaware.gov.

Accommodations

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Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities in all phases of the application and employment process. TDD users may request an auxiliary aid or service by calling (800) 232-5470 or by visiting delawarerelay.com. You may also call (302) 739-5458 or email DHR_ADAConcerns@delaware.gov for additional applicant services support.



The State of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity employer and values a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage and seek out a workforce representative of Delaware including race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.