Rise is hiring a Parent Advocate Training Coordinator to prepare NYC parents impacted by the child welfare system to work as Parent Advocates within the child welfare system (preventive and foster care agencies), as well as in impacted communities.

While Rise works toward our vision, we recognize that there are parents involved with the system right now who value the support of a trained, life-experienced Parent Advocate. The Parent Advocate Training Coordinator will be responsible for leading Rise’s biannual training for newly hired Parent Advocates and providing ongoing support to Parent Advocates working citywide.

Led by parents impacted by the child welfare system, Rise believes that parents have the answers for their families and communities. Our mission is to support parents’ leadership to dismantle the current child welfare system, eliminate cycles of harm, surveillance and punishment and create communities that invest in families and offer collective care, healing and support. Rise envisions communities that are free from injustice, family regulation and separation, and a society that is cultivating new ways of preventing and addressing harm. We imagine a radical commitment to ensuring that all families have what they need to live beyond survival and truly thrive.

The ideal candidate for the Parent Advocate Training Coordinator role is a Parent Advocate with 3-5 years of experience working at a foster care, preventive or family defense organization. Ideally, this candidate would be someone who has been personally impacted by the child welfare system and is experienced in leading teams and facilitating trainings and groups. Rise anticipates training up to two dozen Parent Advocates annually in upcoming years.

Responsibilities 

The Parent Advocate Training Coordinator is a role to build out Rise’s work of training Parent Advocates to prevent and reduce system involvement. 

The Training Coordinator will:

• Report to and work with Rise’s Program Director and Co-ED, Jeanette Vega;
• Plan the biannual training which includes coordinating with community partners and internally with other Rise staff/programs; 
• Train Advocates working in preventive service and foster care agencies; 
• Be trained to facilitate Restorative Justice Peacekeeping Circles and support Advocates through circles on an ongoing basis;
• Contribute to designing and implementing technical assistance to agencies bringing new Parent Advocates on staff, to support their meaningful involvement in case decision-making and improve practice with parents in the first 90 days of a case;
• Connect Advocates with Rise’s work to change community conditions for families, and with coalitions and aligned organizations leading legislative advocacy to limit system impact and strengthen families;
• Participate and contribute to Rise’s organizational mission, vision, culture and development.

This is a full-time role at 40 hours/week. Most work will be remote for now because of COVID-19 but this position will be based in Rise’s NYC office when possible.

Qualifications 

The ideal job candidate will have:

• Life experience being impacted by the child welfare system as a parent;
• 3-5 years of experience as a Parent Advocate in foster care, preventive or family defense agencies;
• Experience running complex projects, teaching, supervising, leading teams and facilitation;
• Excellent public speaking and writing skills;
• Interpersonal skills to work sensitively on topics involving trauma, stress and healing;
• Basic computer skills including the Google / Microsoft Office Suite;
• Passion for parent leadership and preventing child welfare involvement.

Rise is committed to parent leadership and will provide opportunities for a self-directed learner to gain skills.

Compensation 

Salary range is $50-$55,000, commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits include: medical, dental and eye coverage; 4 weeks of vacation; TransitCheks, health savings and dependent savings account, etc. Rise is a partner project of the Fund for the City of New York.

To Apply

Please email a cover letter and resume to jeanette@risemagazine.org. Please include Parent Advocate Training Coordinator Position as the subject of your email. We encourage you to learn more about our work before applying. To do so, visit our website.

The anticipated hire date for this position is November 15, 2022, but the position will remain open until it is filled. Candidates will be contacted for virtual interviews on a rolling basis. We are unable to respond to all applications.

Rise values a diverse workforce and culture that centers the leadership of impacted parents. We strongly encourage candidates who identify as women, gender expansive and/or people of color, as well as people with prior contact with the child welfare system, to apply.