La Rabida Children’s Hospital provides specialized, family-centered health care to children with medically complex conditions, disabilities, and chronic illness. Through expertise, compassion, and advocacy we help children and their families reach their fullest potential, regardless of their ability to pay.

Our not-for-profit hospital, licensed for 49 beds, helps transition children from neonatal or pediatric intensive care to home, by providing medical, rehabilitative and developmental care, and by training families to continue treatments and manage the necessary equipment in the home. La Rabida also provides extensive rehabilitation for those recovering from wounds or burns and treatment for exacerbations of chronic conditions.

The hospital’s enhanced pediatric patient-centered medical home provides primary care to children with complex medical conditions and their siblings. Children with medical homes elsewhere come to La Rabida for specialty services. La Rabida offers a wide range of specialty services provided to children with sickle cell disease, diabetes, and many others. Children are supported in their emotional and developmental growth, particularly in cases where such growth has been interrupted by accident or disease.

Finally, La Rabida provides forensic and treatment services for children exposed to abuse and neglect, comprehensive assessments for youth in care, early intervention for children between 0 and 3 years of age. Care coordination services for medically complex children are also provided for those who are covered by a health plan and receive care from providers in Cook County

SUMMARY: The On Call Family Advocate is responsible for providing after-hours advocacy services and promoting a child-focused, supportive environment at the Children’s Advocacy Center by providing crisis support, system information, and community resources for children or adults with intellectual disabilities and their families who participate in an investigation of abuse or violent crime. The Family Advocate provides services and resources to ensure a consistent and coordinated comprehensive network of support for each client and their family.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Advocacy (See NCA 2023 Accreditation Standards, Standard 4, Essential Component C):

· Provide after-hours emergency advocacy on a rotating, on-call basis.

· Involvement with the MDT before, during, and after the forensic interview to participate in information sharing, inform and support the family about the coordinated, multidisciplinary response, and assess needs of client and non-offending caregiver.

· Provide support to clients and their families who are receiving services from the CAC, including but not limited to: greeting families, explaining the role of the CAC in the process of the investigation, supporting non-offending caregivers when the client is interviewed, and supporting the client and other accompanying family members when the caregivers are in conference with the MDT.

· Implement crisis assessment and intervention, risk assessment, and safety planning and support for children and family members on the day of the forensic interview. Understand individual and cultural or special needs of the client and non-offending caregivers to ensure those needs are addressed.

· Assess families for individual needs and assist in procuring concrete services (e.g., housing, protective orders, domestic violence intervention, food, transportation, public assistance, etc.)

· Provide education and assistance in ensuring access to victim’s rights and crime victim’s compensation and provide referrals for trauma-focused, evidence-supported mental health and specialized medical treatment.

· After the day of the forensic interview, all cases will be transferred to a full-time Family Advocate.

· Must engage in 24 hours of initial training in advocacy and demonstrate participation in ongoing education in the field of child maltreatment and/or advocacy consisting of a minimum of 8 contact hours every 2 years. (See NCA 2023 Accreditation Standards, Standard 4, Essential Components A and B.)

Administrative:

· Maintain required advocacy data entry, tracking, and documentation on cases in a timely manner.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS:

· Attend required hospital and program trainings.

· Support the CAC in meeting the program’s Key Performance Indicators.

· Perform other duties as assigned.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in counseling, psychology, social work, or a related field required. Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred.

Related Work Experience: Two years of experience within the field of child abuse investigations and knowledge of child development and psychological impacts of childhood trauma is strongly preferred.

Licensure/Certification: None

Specilaized Knowledge and Skills: Excellent organizational skills; outstanding written and verbal communication abilities; effective interpersonal and collaborative skills. Knowledge of overall child abuse dynamics, trauma, and the child welfare and legal systems. Must be able to focus under pressure with interruptions and meet strict deadlines. Must perform job duties independently, proactively, and with a variety of people in a team setting. Position involves sensitive and confidential information about abuse victims and partner agency personnel at all levels. Strict confidentiality must be maintained. Must pass a thorough criminal background investigation. Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.

CPR required: Only certifications issued by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross will be accepted.

This is a grant-supported position. Should the grant be reduced or ended, this position may be reduced or eliminated. Future salary increases will be available only when funding is provided in the grant/contract.

La Rabida Children’s Hospital is very proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

La Rabida is a place unlike any other. We understand the needs of families with children dealing with the most serious or complicated of conditions. With teams of the best healthcare providers in Chicago, we give continuous, comprehensive care, education, and support, helping families face their unique obstacles head-on.   

La Rabida Children’s Hospital is very proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.