Family Defense Practice Parent Advocate Supervisor

The Bronx Defenders (BxD) – an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx – seeks an experienced advocate with a commitment to social justice to fill a position as Parent Advocate Supervisor in our Family Defense Practice (FDP).

The Bronx Defenders is a public defender non-profit that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the legal system, and, in doing so, is transforming the system itself. BxD seeks thoughtful, creative individuals with a strong commitment to social justice to join our dynamic and diverse staff. Our staff of over 400 includes interdisciplinary teams made up of criminal, civil, immigration, and family defense attorneys, as well as social workers, benefits specialists, legal advocates, parent advocates, investigators, and team administrators, who collaborate to provide holistic advocacy to address the causes and consequences of legal system involvement. Through this integrated team-based structure, we have developed a groundbreaking, nationally-recognized model of representation called holistic defense that achieves better outcomes for the people we defend.

Each year, we defend more than 20,000 low-income Bronx residents in criminal, civil, family, and immigration cases, and reach thousands more through our community intake, youth mentoring, and outreach programs. Through impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community organizing, we push for systemic change at the local, state, and national level. We take what we learn from the people we represent and communities we work with and launch innovative initiatives designed to bring about real and lasting change.

Family Defense Practice

The Bronx Defenders’ Family Defense Practice (FDP) provides legal representation and social work support to parents charged with child abuse and neglect who are at risk of losing custody of their children. Our Family Defense Practice is at the forefront of a movement to provide holistic representation to parents in the Bronx while creating long-term solutions for the reunification and stability of families. We primarily litigate abuse and neglect cases, but occasionally appear in concurrent matters including custody, visitation, and termination of parental rights.

Responsibilities

Strategizing with lawyers and other advocates, Parent Advocates at The Bronx Defenders assist clients with issues that precipitate and are exacerbated by contact with the criminal and family regulation systems. Using an ecological framework, Parent Advocates collaborate with attorneys and social workers to assess client needs and legal goals, make referrals to treatment programs and social service providers, and advocate on behalf of clients with the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS).

Reporting directly to the FDP Social Work Director, the Parent Advocate Supervisor will carry a reduced caseload of clients while providing direct supervision, training, and development to parent advocates and interns. The Parent Advocate Supervisor will be responsible for acting as a liaison in the courthouse and community, and assisting with Social Work Practice programming, development and evaluation. Responsibilities include:

Client Advocacy

• Advocate for parents at Child Safety Conferences, Family Team Conferences, and other ACS and foster agency meetings
• Engage and assess the needs of the people we represent including potential benefits and materials for the home
• Connect the people we represent with relevant programs
• Accompany the people we represent to appointments to support their needs and ensure seamless access to services
• Collaborate with the people we represent, lawyers, social workers, and other advocates on interdisciplinary, holistic defense teams that prioritize and center the needs of the people we defend
• Conduct home and program visits to identify and support home based needs for the people we represent
• Assist the people we represent and legal team in setting goals and assessing progress towards those goals throughout the pendency of cases
• Attend and support the people we represent in scheduled court hearings
• Provide conference coverage as needed

Direct Supervision of Parent Advocates and Interns

• Schedule individual and group supervision meetings with parent advocates to evaluate caseload, monitor referrals, and conference cases
• Supervise social work and parent advocate interns
• Liaise between parent advocates and attorneys when issues arise
• Be available as a resource for attorneys and advocates when troubleshooting is needed
• Coordinate parent advocate court intake and conference coverage schedule
• Observe, evaluate, and provide constructive feedback on supervisees’ oral advocacy skills in the courtroom and conferences
• Review case notes to ensure advocacy is accurately documented
• Oversee and aid in the professional development of supervisees
• Collaborate with FDP SW Supervisory Team to coordinate emergency conference and case coverage
• Ensure social work advocacy and support is provided to clients and attorneys in crisis when assigned advocates are not available
• Collect and analyze data to measure the impact of parent advocates in holistic defense
• Provide equitable, culturally-conscious supervision and support marginalized supervisees in navigating experiences of oppression in their work
• Be available to work flexible hours, including night and/or weekends when needed

Training and Development of Parent Advocates

• Collaborate with the Social Work Training Director to implement cross-practice training curriculum for new parent advocates and interns
• Manage shadowing for new staff during their training period
• Ensure that new parent advocates attend introductory interdisciplinary trainings
• Collaborate with the Social Work Training Director to plan and implement trainings to address ongoing professional development needs for parent advocates
• Provide direct supervision to at least one intern per year
• Encourage staff parent advocates to contribute to intern supervision and trainings

Acting as a Liaison in the Courthouse and Community

• Represent the FDP Social Work practice with the judiciary, attorneys representing children, ACS, child protective and foster agency staff, and community-based treatment providers
• Educate courthouse staff about the FDP Social Work Practice and its specific role in holistic defense
• Intervene to resolve conflict and to advocate on behalf of clients, social workers and/or parent advocates
• Participate in committees outside of the office to advance our mission

Communicating and Collaborating with Leaders in other Practice Areas

• Assist with training new attorneys and advocates in identifying client needs and making appropriate parent advocate and community referrals
• Ensure FDP supervisors meet regularly with their assigned parent advocate to review referrals and assess collaboration
• Participate in monthly leadership meetings with directors, supervisors and managers in the family defense and social work practices
• Co-facilitate monthly FDP social work advocate meetings
• Co-facilitate monthly FDP Practice Meetings with FDP Leadership
• Co-facilitate monthly Parent Support Groups
• Prepare yearly evaluations of parent advocates in consultation with the FDP Social Work Director, supervisors, and attorneys
• Participate in the development of special projects related to parent advocate work

Qualifications

To be eligible, candidates must have:

• Minimum of two years of experience as an advocate in family law

Candidates must demonstrate:

• Commitment to supporting the defense of people ensnared in the family regulation system in the Bronx community
• Understanding of how systemic oppression affects marginalized communities and their experience in the family regulation and criminal legal systems
• Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people with various backgrounds, identities and experiences
• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers
• Commitment to fierce advocacy, and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of clients
• Effective research, writing and advocacy skills
• Strong analytical skills and capacity to employ non-legal resources in cases
• Supervisory and mentoring skills, including
• Interest in and commitment to developing and mentoring supervisees
• Ability to provide intentional and constructive feedback
• Flexibility in balancing needs of supervisees against their own caseload
• Ability to multitask, maintain order and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings, finding innovative solutions to unique obstacles
• Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection and shift behavior accordingly
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality with sensitive matters
• Commitment to raising one’s cultural consciousness and challenging oppressive practices on an interpersonal and institutional level

Preferred but not required:

• Prior supervisory experience
• Spanish fluency

This is a hybrid position that will require 21 hours/week of in-person work.

Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 2-10 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $57,904 - $74,707. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy. More specific information about salary and benefits will be provided when and if an offer is extended.

Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders' staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is not within the bargaining unit.

This position is exempt. By law, nonexempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to over-time, whereas exempt employees are not.