Indian Child Welfare Advocate

POSITION:                  INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ADVOCATE

LOCATION:                 YTT MAIN OFFICE

REPORTS TO:             Executive Director

WAGE RANGE:           $28 - $32/hr - DOE

EMPLOYMENT           Part-time – Generous leave package

CLASSIFICATION:      Permanent

FUNDING SOURCE:  TAWAHEE/BIA

CONTROLS:                 NONE

THIS POSITION IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE REMOTE OR HYBRID

Position closes: March 16, 2025 at 5:00 PM AKST

POSITION SUMMARY

The Indian Child Welfare Advocate for the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe will support and represent Tribal Members engaged with Children's Services organizations across the United States. This role focuses on promoting the best interests of involved Tribal Members by providing intervention and case management services, connecting families with local and state resources, prioritizing family reunification when feasible, and preserving and strengthening ties to Tribal culture, community, and ancestral lands

The Advocate will work to ensure that throughout the process, maintaining the child(ren)’s connection to our Lingít heritage remains a key consideration, while simultaneously striving for family reunification where appropriate.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES

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  Promote and recruit potential foster families locally.


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  Assist in conducting foster care licensing of local families.


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  Accompany Office of Children’s Services workers into the homes of local Tribal Members.


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  Assist in Adoption Home Studies.


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  Recommend cases for official Tribal Intervention.


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  Review notifications and petitions involving dependent Tribal youth and take appropriate action, including participation in court hearings and judicial determination.


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  Assist Enrollment in conducting familial searches.


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  Documentation of contact with individuals, established clients and caseworkers.

• Maintain confidential case records, compile statistical information and meet all reporting requirements.


• Assist all eligible families in obtaining tribal enrollment if they are not already.

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  Other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

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  Maintain regular work attendance


• 
  Reliability and pucntuality


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  Knowledge of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), its history and significance.


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  Knowledge of community needs, problems, and resources.


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  Maintaining sensitivity to diverse cultural backgrounds.


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  Ability to speak, write, listend and communicate effectively.


• 
  Excellent organizational and multitasking abilities.


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  Hands-on experience with MS Office Suite


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  Solid time-management abilities with the ability to prioritize tasks


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  Ability to maintain a calendar of events for cases.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, requiring use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, observance of fire regulations and traffic signals. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. All employees are informed of most current health requirements to keep employees and the community as safe as possible.

The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there will be visits out of the office to the homes of Tribal Members or Eligible Tribal Members to accompany employees of the Office of Children’s Services for investigations regarding abuse and/or neglect.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

SUPERVISORY AND MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY

This position will have no supervisory or management responsibilities. This position reports to the Executive Director.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 
  High school diploma or equivalent required. Associates Degree in Social Work or closely related preferred.


• 
  Preferred experience in Youth and/or Family Advocacy.


• 
  Valid Driver’s License and clean driving history.


• 
  Must successfully pass a criminal and background check.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.

Preference will be given to qualified Alaska Native and/or Yakutat Tlingit Tribal Member candidates.

THE YAKUTAT TLINGIT TRIBE IS A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE. THIS POSITION MAY BE SUBJECT TO RANDOM DRUG TESTING AND CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK.  

NATIVE AMERICAN PREFERENCE WILL BE APPLIED TO HIRING OF THIS POSITION AS DEFINED IN TITLE 25, US CODE, CHAPTER 14, SUBCHAPTER V, SUBSECTION 273 AND 274.  WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER WITH PREFERENCE GIVEN TO QUALIFIED NATIVE AMERICAN/ALASKA NATIVE APPLICANTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL LAW AND TRIBAL POLICY.