GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE, 8TH CIRCUIT- ASSISTANT CHILD ADVOCATE MANAGER - 21015508

Requisition No: 842494 

Agency: Justice Administrative Commission

Working Title: GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE, 8TH CIRCUIT- ASSISTANT CHILD ADVOCATE MANAGER - 21015508

 Pay Plan: Justice Admin Comm.

Position Number: 21015508 

Salary:  $19,098.43 

Posting Closing Date: 01/03/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

STATEWIDE GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE

GUARDIAN AD LITEM ASSISTANT 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 Office Employment Application Here.”
• Complete the “mini” job application and attach your current resume.
• Select ALACHUA COUNTY for the job location

OR

• Email your mini application and resume directly to C8.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, which 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 part of a multi-disciplinary team that always includes an attorney, child welfare professional and hopefully a community volunteer if one is available, providing the highest quality community advocacy and independent legal representation to protect each child's legal 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 full-time employee, your 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 if 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 of $25,000 is provided by the state at no cost to you for all FTE positions.  Employees may purchase additional coverage
• Public Loan Forgiveness Program
• State tuition waivers

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The Assistant Child Advocate Manager position offers an extremely interesting and challenging, entry-level opportunity for job-seekers engaged in a career of social work and family service. It provides a great venue for increased professional growth and personal development. You will experience and benefit from significant exposure to critical aspects of child/family crisis intervention, partnering with community-based support service agencies, attorneys and legal “best interests” advocacy, knowledge of Florida statutes governing child welfare, and coaching and consulting with locally-recruited, child advocate volunteers.

ABOUT THE WORK

The Assistant Child Advocate Manager position encompasses a broad range of duties from direct client contact to data reporting.  Some examples of a “typical” working day may include the following:

• Visiting children and youth in foster care or group care and assessing their safety and well-being
• Working with a local team or staff in other circuits to convey information about a child’s progress, verbally or in writing
• Contacting children, caregivers and service providers in other judicial circuits to determine progress of children placed outside their home circuit
• Gathering and documenting pertinent case information
• Providing recommendations and written reports to members of the advocacy team
• Tracking the status of case plan compliance, updating and retrieving files
• Conducting collateral contacts with schools, caregivers and service providers
• Attending internal and external case-related conferences, staffings and meetings
• Making regular contact with a variety of social service agencies and professionals
• 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 Assistant Child Advocate Manager position candidates:

• Self-motivated and achievement oriented
• Ability to take direction and work cooperatively as part of a team
• Strong desire to learn and pursue personal development
• 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, writing and computer literacy skills
• Able to maintain a professional and effective demeanor in emotional or traumatic situations
• 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 Assistant Child Advocate Manager position candidates:

• Must possess a valid Florida Driver’s License
• Associates 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.  Knowledge of the dependency system and one year of experience in a program focusing on child welfare, social service, counseling, preferred

(Please note: An exception for the required education and experience may be granted by the Executive Director or designee.)

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.