Full Time • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum of Services
Parent/Child Advocate; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum of Services- 1 full time position
Through our vision to eliminate poverty in our community and guided by a passionate concern for the dignity and well-being of each individual, Bissell Centre’s work is based on building relationships, hope and trust. Our mission is to work with others to empower people to move from poverty to prosperity. We enable people to meet their own basic daily needs, participate in community, have sustainable livelihoods, feel hope for the future and make plans for a prosperous life.
Bissell Centre is growing and in need of a passionate and skilled Parent/Child Advocate. The key function of this position is to work with women at risk of delivering a child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and their immediate social networks to improve their life circumstances. The Parent/Child Advocate provides intensive, long-term outreach support and advocacy and connects families to a comprehensive variety of support services in the community.
Specific responsibilities of the position include:
- Maintain a caseload of 15 women at risk of delivering a child exposed to drugs and/or alcohol
- Continually build a relationship of trust with participants
- Work closely with the whole constellation of people and service providers’ e.g. family legal aid, Child and Family Resources, mental health/addiction/family violence centers that will potentially be involved in participants’ lives.
- Assess and enhance participant readiness to make positive changes
- Work with participants regularly to collaboratively set goals, develop a plan of action, evaluate success, and revise the plan accordingly. Measure their progress once every three months
- Assist participants with implementation of the plan through role-modeling, teaching, information, brokering, advocacy, and providing practical assistance
- Role model basic skills, social behaviors and parenting skills to the participants
- Maintain contact with participants through regular home visits, calls, letters and tracing at least once a week
- Trace participants who disappear: make weekly attempts, keep record of attempts, continually obtain updated references and build a network among program participant’s friends, relatives and service providers
- · Transport participants and their children to appointments as necessary until participants are stabilized and able to organize a reliable system themselves
- Assist participants to secure childcare while attending appointments, where required
- Present the program to service providers in the community to gain their continual support and good working relationship
- Work in collaboration with the FASS team to ensure appropriate information flow and effective program development and delivery
The ideal candidate would possess the following qualifications:
- Degree or Diploma in Social Science or related discipline
- Minimum of one year related employment experience e.g. high-risk populations, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder or community development
- Alberta Class 5 License, satisfactory driver’s abstract and a vehicle
- Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, result oriented, good time management, strong organizational, problem-solving and advocacy skills
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel programs
- Familiarity with issues of poverty, homelessness and Edmonton’s urban core
- Familiarity working with high risk populations and an understanding of Aboriginal cultures, history and current issues
Bissell Centre offers above average industry benefits including; employer subsidized medical and dental benefits, life insurance, disability, outstanding vacation and more! This a full-time position, working 40 hours per week. Ability to work flexible hours to accommodate the needs of our participants is required.
Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume and cover letter by November 23, 2020 to:
Tara Sobey
Manager, FASD Programs
Bissell Centre
10527 – 96 street
Edmonton, AB T5H 2H6
E-mail: tsobey@bissellcentre.org
Application Deadline: November 23rd, 2020
Employment posting retrieved from https://bissellcentre.org/careers/
For more information on the Bissell Centre and their programs, please visit https://bissellcentre.org/about/