Requisition No: 802212

Agency: Justice Administrative Commission

Working Title: GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE, 10TH CIRCUIT- CHILD ADVOCATE MANAGER - 21015568

Position Number: 21015568

Salary: $37,220.16

Posting Closing Date: 05/14/2023

STATEWIDE GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE

GUARDIAN AD LITEM CHILD ADVOCATE MANAGER

IMPORTANT! – Please navigate to the following website: www.guardianadlitem.org to apply for this position:

• Click on the “Career Opportunities” icon.
• Scroll down to the link, “Submit Your Guardian ad Litem Employment Application Here.”
• Complete the “mini” job application and attach your current resume.
• Select POLK COUNTY for the job location

OR

• Email your mini application and resume directly to c10.Apps@gal.fl.gov

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

The Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office is Florida’s award-winning, state-funded child advocacy organization. With more than 10,000 staff and volunteers, that includes more than 180 attorneys. Its primary focus is the powerful and effective representation of Florida’s abused, neglected, and abandoned children. Most of these children are abruptly removed from their homes, and sadly, many end up in foster care. The Office’s mission is to provide the most vulnerable children in Florida with an adult from their community who will be a consistent, positive presence in the child’s life as a part of a multi-disciplinary team that may include trained volunteers, pro bono attorneys, staff attorneys, and child welfare professionals providing the highest quality community advocacy and legal representation to protect each child’s rights and best interests. A critical function is to provide dependency judges with thorough and accurate information regarding the children under the court’s jurisdiction. The Office’s core values strongly reinforce and enhance its mission. Those values are:

• Commitment to Children
• Communication Built on Trust
• Collective Empowerment
• Collaboration
• Courtesy

An excellent overview of the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office can be found at www.guardianadlitem.org.

As an employee with the State of Florida, your benefits are a significant part of your compensation with 19 percent of your total compensation coming from the benefits that the State offers. As a fulltime employee, your employee insurance rate will be significantly low due to the contribution of the State of Florida. In fact, single coverage is as low as $50 per month with family coverage costing only $180 per month.

While the rates are higher for halftime employees, health insurance options are still available to you as long as you are in a salaried position.

Benefits of working for the Guardian ad Litem Office:

• State of Florida Retirement package – Pension or investment plan (3% employee contribution required)
• State group insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options
• Flexible spending account
• Nine paid state holidays each calendar year
• One paid personal holiday each fiscal year
• 13 paid sick leave days accrued within the calendar year
• 13 paid annual leave days accrued within the calendar year with an increase after five years
• Life insurance $25,000 is provided by the state at no cost to you for all FTE positions. Employee may purchase additional coverage
• Public Loan Forgiveness Program
• State tuition waivers
• Child Advocate Manager training and professional certification with the Florida Certification Board
• No State of Florida income tax for residents of Florida
• No mandatory night/weekend/holiday scheduled work

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

This is a highly independent, responsible position focused on achieving the Guardian ad Litem Office’s vision: to represent every child under the jurisdiction of Florida’s dependency courts. This position works on a multi-disciplinary team that may include trained volunteers, pro bono attorneys, and staff attorneys to provide the highest quality community advocacy and legal representation to protect each child’s rights and best interests. In this position, you may work directly with children, as a Staff Advocate, or work with children in collaboration with assigned volunteers, as a Child Advocate Manager, or by a combination of the two roles.

ABOUT THE WORK

The Child Advocate Manager I position encompasses a broad range of managerial, consultative, administrative, advocacy and leadership activities. The Child Advocate Manager may also supervise a group of GAL child advocate volunteers. Some examples of a “typical” working day may include the following:

• Collaborate with the Guardian ad Litem multidisciplinary team, management, Department of Children and Families, contracted service providers, Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of Education, Law Enforcement, etc.
• Overseeing the work of Guardian ad Litem volunteers
• Gathering and documenting independent pertinent case information
• Providing best interests advocacy recommendations to the Guardian ad Litem multidisciplinary team, to the court and to our child welfare partners
• Preparing written reports to the court
• Provide testimony to the court
• Attending internal and external case-related court hearings, depositions, case plan conferences, dependency mediations, staffings and meetings
• Visiting and contacting assigned children, parents, caregivers, schools and service providers
• Utilizing the organization’s database and reporting systems
• Participating in internal and external training, meetings and conferences

ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

The following are desirable knowledge, skills, abilities and traits for prospective Child Advocate Manager I position candidates:

• Self-motivated and achievement oriented
• Strong desire to learn and pursue personal development
• Ability to take direction and work as part of a team
• Ability to effectively interact with and/or influence people of diverse backgrounds
• Ability to exercise discretion, respect privacy and maintain confidentiality
• Strong organizational/time management skills and ability to meet deadlines
• Excellent oral, written and computer literacy skills
• Able to maintain a professional and effective demeanor in emotional or traumatic situations
• Ability to coach, instruct and motivate volunteers
• Knowledge of case management, social support services and concepts of child development
• Knowledge of the dynamics of child abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse and mental health
• Knowledge of the Florida State Courts System
• Knowledge of Florida Statutes relating to child welfare and protection

ABOUT THE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

The following are education and experience requirements for prospective Child Advocate Manager position candidates:

• Must possess a valid Florida Driver’s License
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in sociology, social work, psychology, child development, education, juvenile justice, communications, or a related social science is preferred but prior experience will be considered to meet the degree requirement. Experience could include time as Child Protective Investigator, Dependency Case Manager, Juvenile Probation Officer, Law Enforcement, Military, Educators, or other professional experiences working with children and families.
• Two years of experience in a program focusing on child welfare, social service, counseling, teaching, managing people or supervising volunteers is desired but not required.
• Experience with critical decision making, planning, organizing, coaching, leading, or supervising will be helpful to a successful candidate.
• All individuals hired after February 1, 2020, must be able to obtain a Child Advocate Manager Certification offered by the Florida Certification Board within 12 months of hire date.
• Maintain Child Advocate Manager certification during the duration of employment. Agency pays costs of certification.

(Please note: The Executive Director or designee may grant an exception for the required education and experience.)

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS at 1-844-377-1888 on how your current benefits may be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended, or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.