Court Support Program Coordinator
Philadelphia Children's Alliance - Philadelphia, PA

$50,000 - $55,000 a year - Full-time

Mission:

The Philadelphia Children's Alliance (PCA) is an independent non-profit organization that promotes healing and justice for sexually abused children in Philadelphia. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we collaborate with our partners in child protection, law enforcement, and medical and mental health services to provide forensic interviews, victim support and counseling services at the Philadelphia Safety Collaborative, a co-located child-friendly facility. We are committed to using best practices and we promote this model locally and nationally.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Manager of Victim Services, this position is responsible for duties beyond the normal duties assigned to Family Advocates. These consist of internally tracking all subpoenas received by PCA, notifying assigned Family Advocates of court proceedings, providing court accompaniment to families primarily, acting as a liaison with the District Attorney’s office, co-facilitating Court School support group or conducting individual preparation sessions for victim children and their non-offending caregiver having to attend and testify at court.

Essential Qualifications:

• Ability to complement and provide excellence in a culturally diverse workplace.
• Excellent customer service skills and cultural competence.
• Maturity, discretion and professionalism.
• Collaborative, team building work style and empathetic, supportive client style.
• Monday through Friday, must be willing to work one evening per week.
  
  

Responsibilities:

• Under supervision of Manager of Victim Services, coordinate services and support to families during and after investigations into allegations of child sexual abuse.
• Assume responsibility for continuous support/information to families regarding the judicial process.
• Track upcoming court dates and notifying Victim Advocates for outreach to Caregivers.
• Liaison between Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Victim Advocates/WOAR Court Advocate and PCA to ensure families are supported during court hearings.
• Provide Court Prep to assist with easing the stressors of being a witness in court by adequately informing the child and non-offending caregiver of what to expect the day of court and answer all questions; by familiarizing the victim child and non-offending caregiver with the courtroom, court personnel, and judicial process.
• Facilitate “Let’s Go to Court” School to instill confidence in the non-offending caregiver in their ability to support their child through this difficult day and confidence in the child witness and their ability to confront their offender.
• To debrief with the family after the court proceeding to assess if additional services need to be in place.
• Monitor data entry in NCAtrak to ensure accurate tracking of Court Accompaniment. December 2024
• Document all contact with children and families in NCAtrak in a timely manner. • Assist in tracking cases from report through investigative outcomes, prosecution and treatment.
• On assigned cases, serve as interpreter and liaison between families and all affiliated agencies for assigned cases, including making referrals for mental health treatment, medical examinations, etc.
• Under supervision of Manager of Victim Services, provide individual crisis counseling to non-offending caregivers and complete appropriate screening for trauma-symptoms indicating the need for mental health treatment.
• Identify children and caregivers at risk for PTSD and accompanying symptoms through trauma symptom checklist screening tool and connect them to appropriate treatment (CFTSI or TF-CBT).
• Provide psychoeducation to caregivers regarding symptoms of trauma and their management.
• Provide court preparation for families, teaching and demonstrating court process and assisting with formal Court School Program.
• Assist other Victim Services Family Advocates in maintaining and managing resource library of appropriate materials on sexual abuse for children and families.
• Participate in community coalitions as required.
• Maintain knowledge of all PCCD/VOCA grant requirements, including but not limited to, code of ethics, care tracking requirements, certification requirements for professionals and volunteers.
  
  

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, or a related field with experience in services to sexually abused children. Master’s degree (MSW or related) preferred.
• Workshops, conferences and self-study appropriate to professional level.
• Familiarity with child abuse reporting requirements in Pennsylvania and VOCA funding guidelines desirable. Skills:
• PC literacy including basic knowledge of MS Office, spreadsheet applications, and database functions.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; presentation experience helpful.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and telephone communications.
• Spanish-speaking preferred.
  
  

Application Process:

Submit cover letter and resume to jobs@philachildrensalliance.org with “Court Support Program Coordinator” in the subject line.

Equal Opportunity: PCA recruits, hires, compensates, trains, and promotes qualified individuals in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identify or expression, or by any other basis protected under applicable law

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000.00 - $55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance
  
  

Schedule: Monday to Friday

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Philadelphia, PA 19124