Family Advocate

HEAD START FAMILY ADVOCATE
(Social Work Assistant 2)

SALARY:   $3,796/month (after July 1, salary will be $3,910 per month)

CYCLIC STATUS: This is a 10.5 month position, scheduled to work August - June each year.  Summers are off and unpaid.

LOCATION: Multiple Locations in Snohomish County

DESCRIPTION:   

The Family Advocate works with enrolled families of children 3-5 years old to deliver services to support family well-being, child learning and development, and foster parental confidence and skills that promote the early learning and development of their children.  The Family Advocate accomplishes this through individualized family partnerships that take into account family strengths, needs, and goals, along with any existing plans made with other community agencies.  The Family Advocate may work directly with families, or may assist the Lead Teacher in their work with families.  This is a full time, classified position and reports to the Education Site Manager.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

60% Social Work/Case Management

• Work directly with a caseload of up to 40 families 
  • ensure that Family Needs Assessment and Family Goals are completed within 90 days of family enrollment, and follow-up with community referrals and resources families on their caseload
  • conduct one-on-one home visits as needed and as required by the program
  • follow up on any health requirements as outlined in the Head Start Performance Standards 
• Support classroom staffing if required by licensing ratios
• Work in conjunction with Education Site Manager to schedule, plan, and implement parent events 
• Other duties as assigned

20% Ongoing Monitoring and Data Management

• Maintain compliance with Head Start program standards and procedures
• Work with families to ensure consistent child attendance
• Perform daily data entry into our child file databases
• Other duties as assigned

20% Collaborate With Other Program Areas and Community Partners

• Work with Lead Teachers, Mental Health Specialist, Education Site Managers, and other program area staff to ensure high quality delivery of services to families on caseload
• Work with ERSEA staff to support recruitment and enrollment tasks
• Develop collaborative relationships with community partners
• Represent Head Start at community events as needed
• Other duties as assigned

KEY COMPETENCIES (specific knowledge, skills or skill sets, and/or abilities necessary to perform work activities):

• Be able to perform all the essential functions of the position
• Ability to work independently, but also be a team player
• Ability to problem-solve and handle sensitive information and difficult situations tactfully and confidentially
• Must be knowledgeable of and work in accordance with Head Start Performance Standards, department and College policies and regulations, and negotiated agreements
• Must be able to use a computer for written communication, data entry, spreadsheet applications, and report creation.
• Must be able to respond to and initiate communication with college/program employees, staff of other institutions, outside agencies, enrolled families, and the general public
• Must be able to exhibit cultural humility when working with staff and families from diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds
• Must be able to prioritize unplanned but required duties with ongoing confirmed deadlines. Must be flexible and able to negotiate priorities according to program needs while considering rules and process requirements

JOB READINESS FACTORS (working conditions such as environmental factors, mental and physical demands, willingness issues of the position):

• Must be able to work under stressful situations and manage stress appropriately
• Must be able to accomplish repetitive tasks while maintaining a high level of accuracy
• Must be able to work independently and exercise appropriate judgment
• Must be able to transport self to home visits and off-site trainings and meetings
• Required vaccines:  TDap, MMR
• Must show a negative TB Test and obtain a health provider statement showing free of communicable diseases
• Cleared Portable Background Check through DCYF
• Current Food Worker Card and Pediatric CPR/1st Aid

This is a classified position reporting to the Education Site Manager.

For information on applying, please see Application Procedures and Required Documents, below. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

1. One of the following is required:
   1. Bachelor’s Degree in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or a related field, WITH one year of experience doing social work (can be volunteer experience or internship), OR
   2. Associate’s Degree in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or a related field, WITH one year paid work experience doing social work, OR
   3. Current credential or certification in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or a related field, WITH two years paid work experience doing social work
2. Must possess a valid Washington State Driver’s License and personal automobile insurance

 (See Conditions of Employment section for additional requirements.)

PHYSICAL WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work is performed in an office and in an early learning environment, and onsite/in-person. The ability to sit, bend, stoop, walk and generally move around the classroom and over uneven surfaces is required.  This position involves some repetitive movement like keyboarding.  Excellent communication skills are essential. This includes the ability to speak clearly and fully comprehend written and spoken English and will include communication with people for whom English is not their first language.  Those who are multilingual are strongly encouraged to apply. 

WORK SCHEDULE:

40 hours per week, Monday - Friday

COMPENSATION: 

Salary range 45.  Beginning salary is $3,796/month.  After July 1, 2024, salary will be $3910/month.  Progressive increases to $5,117 per month, plus a full state benefits package, which includes tuition waivers for college classes, medical, dental, retirement options and more. Vacation and leave package includes 10 sick days per year, 10 scheduled holidays, 1 personal holiday, 3 personal leave days, and 11.67 vacation days per year (incremental increases to 20 vacation days per year).

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: 

You must document your citizenship or employment authorization within three days of hire. 

Criminal background check. Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position. 

• All new positions are contingent upon funding. 
• This position is subject to a collective bargaining agreement. 
• At this time, Edmonds College does not sponsor H1-B Visas.

Complete, sign, and submit Declaration Regarding Sexual Misconduct

APPLICATION PROCEDURES AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: 

All applicants must apply online. No paper submissions or emailed materials will be accepted. Your online application must include the following documents in order to be complete: 

1. Cover letter that addresses the required qualifications.
2. Current resume. 
3. Names and contact information for three references. 
4. For veterans' preference, please scan and attach your DD214, Member-4 Form. 

Important, if this posting is on an external website other than www.edmonds.edu/hr or Edmonds College Job Opportunities  please follow one of these links to apply. Applying via an external webpage will not enter our application system.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE: 

Established in 1967, Edmonds College is a public, four-year, state college. It focuses on academic excellence, student success, and community engagement, which reflect the three aspects of its mission: Teaching | Learning | Community. It serves about 20,000 students annually, including more than 1,000 international students from more than 60 countries. The college offers nearly 70 associate degrees and 60 professional certificates in about 30 programs of study. Its highest enrolled programs are the Associate of Arts/Associate of Science degrees, Paralegal, Allied Health (pre-nursing degree), Business/Accounting, Construction Management, and Culinary Arts. The college is located in the center of the growing south Snohomish County communities of Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Brier, Mill Creek, Mukilteo, and Woodway. For more information, visit www.edmonds.edu. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

The college provides equal opportunity in education and in employment per state and federal law. The college prohibits discrimination against any person due to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (gender), disability, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, veteran status, or genetic information. For questions about our nondiscrimination policy or gender equality and athletic teams, call our call our Title IX Compliance Officer 425.640.1024.