Healthy Parents, Healthy Babies-Focus on Fathers Parent Advocate

The Bronx Defenders – an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx – seeks a passionate advocate with a commitment to working alongside fathers targeted by the family policing system and fighting allegations of child abuse and neglect to fill a position as a Healthy Parents, Healthy Babies (HPHB) Parent Advocate with a Focus on Fathers (FOF).

The Bronx Defenders is a public defender non-profit that is radically transforming how people of low-income in the Bronx are represented in the legal system, and, in doing so, is transforming the system itself. BxD seeks thoughtful, creative, energetic 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 pioneered a ground breaking nationally-recognized model of representation called holistic defense that achieves better outcomes for the people we represent.

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 levels. 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 Bronx parents 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.

Healthy Parents, Healthy Babies

Healthy Parents, Healthy Babies (HPHB) is a project within the Family Defense Practice that specifically works with pregnant parents and parents with newborns to provide them with holistic defense, advocacy, case management and supportive services. Research shows that early disruptions in bonding with a primary attachment figure can have life-long implications for babies. HPHB works with pregnant parents with older children who have been taken by the foster care system and who are at risk of having the state take their newborns away from them as well. This is where HPHB comes in—supporting pregnant and birthing parents so their babies can remain at home, or when that is not possible, developing plans to preserve the parent-child relationship and minimize the length of stay in the foster system.

Currently, HPHB has a focus on supporting pregnant people, but we’re looking to expand and hire a parent advocate to focus on supporting fathers in these cases. Reporting directly to the HPHB Project Director, the HPHB-FOF Parent Advocate will work to successfully implement this new program, and support and advocate for fathers in the project.

Responsibilities

• Represent HPHB-FOF clients on holistic defense teams including advocating for clients in Bronx Family Court, Child Safety Conferences, Family Team Conferences and with community based programs
• Interview and assess fathers to identify strengths, resources, and needs
• Connect fathers with a wide variety of social services and benefits, and provide case management support and advocacy
• Assist fathers and the legal team in identifying goals, strategizing to meet those goals, and assessing progress
• Intervene in moments of crisis for fathers
• Maintain and establish relationships with community partners such as father-focused organizations, attachment-based programs, in-home services, and treatment providers to facilitate partnerships and provide workshops for Focus on Fathers clients
• Collaborate with the Senior HPHB Advocate to provide internal trainings for staff members on best practices working with expecting and parenting fathers, strengthening father-child relationships and collaborating with advocates on Family Defense cases
• Collaborate with Project Director to facilitate external trainings and presentations focused on the rights, policies, and resources available to pregnant and parenting people facing child protective investigations and the family policing system
• Support the Project Director with HPHB data collection for use in funding proposals and reports
• Facilitate weekly support groups for fathers
• Attend and support clients at scheduled court hearings
• Assist clients in preparation for procedural meetings conducted by the Administration for Children’s Services, external providers and agencies, and/or foster care agency conferences, as well as court appearances
• Provide coverage for Senior Advocate when Senior Advocate is unavailable
• Provide case coverage when urgent coverage is needed
• Be available to work flexible hours, including nights and/or weekends and be willing to serve as back up during staff shortages

Qualifications

To be eligible, candidates must have either:

• One year of case management/advocacy experience working with at-risk fathers OR
• Minimum of two years of related education or experience

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Commitment to directly defending parents charged with abuse and neglect, and fighting for the reunification and stability of families
• Understanding of how race and poverty affect parents’ experiences in the family regulation system
• Commitment to reproductive justice and parenting freedom
• Experience working in and with racially, ethnically and socioeconomically marginalized communities
• Ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with people of all 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 the people we represent
• Effective writing and advocacy skills
• Strong analytical skills and capacity to employ non-legal resources in cases
• Effective crisis intervention skills
• Knowledge of early childhood and attachment theory
• 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 feedback constructively, 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
• Spanish fluency is preferred but not required

Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 2-5 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $57,930-$62,867. 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; and 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 within the bargaining unit.

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