The vendor is required to provide for skilled professionals to engage as independently contracted case consultants who are assigned by agency on an as need basis to help court-appointed guardians ad litem (GALS) and counsel for youth (CFYS) provide effective legal representation and advocacy on behalf of children in state court system.
- Agency mission is to give children and youth a voice in state legal proceedings through high-quality legal representation that protects and promotes their safety, interests, and rights.
- Our vision: justice, opportunity, and healthy families for all court-involved children and youth.
- Primary duties and responsibilities
• Conducts work as an independently contracted case consultant assigned by agency to various GAL and CFYS throughout the state.
• As a member of the GAL and CFYS legal team, adheres to the GAL and CFYS professional obligations under the state rules of professional conduct.
• Assists the GAL and CFYS with the identification and collection of information to help fully represent the children’s best interest.
• Identifies, locates, and interviews individuals relevant to the case with cultural humility and identifies and analyzes relevant records pertaining to the GAL and CFYS representation.
• Assists the GAL and CFYS in identifying and understanding major mental illness, intellectual and developmental disability, substance use issues, individual and transgenerational trauma, and neurological issues resulting from congenital or traumatic brain injury.
• Summarizes and provides experts with legal, medical, psychological, educational, and institutional records, at the direction of the GAL and CFYS, to highlight relevant information for their review.
• Analyzes all relevant information and consults with the GAL and CFYS to provide a social science perspective on the child/ren to assist in presenting a comprehensive and cohesive case.
• Assists the GAL and CFYS with required independent investigation activities which may include, but are not limited to:
1. Regular, consistent contact with children and caregivers
2. Observing visits between children and parents
3. Attending scheduled meetings including school staffing and participating in those meetings as directed by the GAL and CFYS
4. Contacting relatives, kin and involved professionals
5. Other social work duties as requested by the GAL and CFYS
• Possible crisis intervention or risk assessment with approval or direction from the GAL and CFYS.
• Possible statewide and/or overnight travel.
- Skills desired
• Familiarity of the child welfare systems.
• Experience providing direct services to court-involved and/or incarcerated young people.
• Ability to apply theories and practices of social work practice.
• Ability to assess implications of physical, mental health, substance use issues, and neurological conditions on development across the lifespan.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with clients, families, witnesses, court and institutional personnel, experts, and colleagues.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary legal team.
• Motivational, strengths-based interviewing skills with the ability to elicit often embarrassing and sensitive details from children, family members, and witnesses.
• Excellent written and communication skills.
• Self-directed organizational and time-management skills with the ability to meet sometimes short deadlines and work with various GAL and CFYS throughout the state.
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development and trauma.
• Ability to function under institutional pressure in residential facilities, psychiatric hospitals, detention centers and prisons.
• Ability to coordinate complex services involving multiple barriers.
• Ability to understand the complexities of client-attorney confidentiality.
• High level of initiative, enthusiasm, motivation, and professionalism.
• Professional curiosity and interest in furthering professional training and education.
• Proficiency in standard software applications such as word, excel, acrobat, and power point; internet access and email required.
• Fluency in Spanish, asl, and French are desired.