STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Assistant Child Advocate

Recruitment #231106-0957MP-001

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Introduction



The State of Connecticut, Office of the Child Advocate is now accepting applications for an Assistant Child Advocate in Hartford, CT.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
  • Competitive starting salary
  • Industry leading health benefits, including medical and dental coverage
  • Extensive pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings
  • Paid time off including 13 paid holidays per calendar year
  • A culture that encourages work/life balance
  • Professional growth and development opportunities
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Work for a Forbes top company: State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule
Position Details:
  • Full-time, 40 hours/week
  • 8:30am - 5:00pm
  • OCA is located at 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT. 
Position Responsibilities: 
This ACA will focus his/her time reviewing, investigating, and responding to citizen complaints; providing assistance to families of children with complex needs through advocacy with agencies and providers; supervising staff who assist with citizen complaint response; and assisting with systemic investigations and reports.  

OCA Mission:
The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an independent state agency.  Its mission is to ensure that publicly funded entities that serve children are accountable to the citizens and families of Connecticut, and effectively care for the most vulnerable children.  OCA’s statutory responsibilities include investigating complaints regarding services provided to children, evaluating the delivery of services provided to children, advocating on behalf of children in Connecticut, reviewing the circumstances of unexpected or unexplained death of any child, taking all possible action necessary to secure the legal and civil rights of children, reviewing the needs of children in foster care, periodically reviewing facilities in which juveniles are placed, publishing biennially a comprehensive report regarding conditions of confinement for incarcerated youth, and publishing an annual report regarding the activities of the OCA. 

Selection Plan

To Apply:
  • In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on this job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
  • The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
  • Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
  • Please select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
  • All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
Important Information After You Apply:
  • This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the questionnaire's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
  • Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
  • Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
  • Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
  • Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
Connect With Us:
Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. Should you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Hayley Newhouse, at Hayley.Newhouse@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Office of the Child Advocate this class is accountable for managing and evaluating statewide programs to ensure the legal, civil and special rights of children who reside in the State of Connecticut.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

  • Manages staff and projects related to monitoring and evaluating state agencies and those entities that provide services to children through funds provided by the state;
  • Develops and implements prevention and/or advocacy strategies;
  • Reviews complaints, makes appropriate referrals, and investigates children or families  who may need assistance from the Child Advocate or  systemic issues in the State's provision of services to children;
  • Provides assistance to children or families  on behalf of the best interests of the child or children;
  • Reviews the facilities and procedures of any and all institutions or residences, public or private, where a juvenile has been placed by any agency or department, including individuals under the age of 22 who are held in secure detention or correctional confinement in any facility operated by a state agency;
  • Conducts investigations and periodic reviews;
  • Develops monitoring and investigation plans based on best practices, law, regulations and/or federal and state accreditation standards;
  • Oversees preparation and maintenance of records, reports and correspondence;
  • Shares investigatory/review findings and recommendations with agencies and others as indicated;
  • Develops or assists in development of legislative testimony, regulatory, policy and/or practice initiatives;
  • Collects and analyzes programmatic data to ensure optimal tracking of trends and outcomes;
  • Prepares reports and correspondence;
  • Participates in activities to educate and inform the public of laws and services that affect children and families;
  • Acts as a liaison with local and national institutions and organizations;
  • Assists with evaluating staff;
  • Determines priorities and work assignments;
  • Participates in the recruitment and hiring of staff, including outreach, interview and selection;
  • Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

  • Considerable knowledge of
    • relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations;
    • child welfare systems;
    • mental health and behavioral health systems;
    • the education system;
  • Knowledge of
    • and ability to apply management principles and practices;
    • research methods and principles;
  • Considerable
    • interpersonal skills;
    • oral and written communication skills;
  • Ability to utilize computer software. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Eight (8) years of professional experience in the field of child welfare, children's protective services, foster services, adoption, mental health and/or education.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

Two (2) years of the General Experience must have been in a consultative or supervisory capacity.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

  • College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) yeas for a Bachelor's degree.
  • A Master's degree in social work, public policy or a closely related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.

NOTE: Closely related fields are child development, child welfare, psychology, counseling, criminal justice, human development and family relations, social and/or human services, marriage and family therapy, nursing, education and public administration.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience with supervision of staff;
  • Experience coordinating or monitoring provision of services by more than one state or local agency;
  • Experience supervising the treatment planning process for children with child welfare, mental health, behavioral health, or developmental disability needs served by state or local agencies;
  • Experience developing and implementing a project or plan for systems serving children with child welfare, mental health, behavioral health, or developmental disability needs; 
  • Experience in research and analysis on child well-being.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator's license.
  • Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes.  As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.




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