Athens THRIVe Community Coordinator
Job Description
Job Title: Athens THRIVe Infant & Toddler Court Community Coordinator
Reports to: FC-CIS Executive Director
Position Type: Full-Time
Salary: $48,000 plus benefits package
Anticipated Start Date: May 15, 2024
To apply for this position, e-mail cover letter, resume, and 3 references to jobs@fc-cis.org. The position is open until filled. No calls, please.
Athens THRIVe Community Coordinator
Family Connection-Communities In Schools of Athens (FC-CIS), established in 1991, is a not-for-profit, collaborative organization in Athens, Georgia. We bring the community together to work for the success of all. We facilitate collaboration among more than 100 diverse community partners for improved outcomes for children, youth, and families. Our Communities In Schools Site Coordinators surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Our 18 full-time Neighborhood Leaders are of the community, in the community, and work with the community to address issues related to poverty.
In partnership with Georgia THRIVe, we are piloting the state’s first Infant-Toddler Court, based on the Safe Babies Approach (https://www.zerotothree.org/our-work/safebabies). The goal of Georgia THRIVe is to create a well-coordinated, child welfare and court system that strengthens families, prevents child maltreatment, and advances long-term health and development.
FC-CIS of Athens seeks an energetic, empathetic, and engaged leader for our Athens THRIVe
Community Coordinator position. The Community Coordinator is a champion for the interests of
young children and their families and will work to improve the local and systemic response within the child welfare system. The Community Coordinator in collaboration with the Athens-Clarke County judicial and child welfare leadership, will convene community partners and stakeholders to fully implement the Safe Babies Approach and evaluate the local Infant Toddler Court Program initiative. The Community Coordinator coordinates collaboration among community stakeholders, facilitates Family Team Meetings, conducts data collection for outcome tracking, facilitates Active Community Team meetings and meets the ongoing educational and training needs of the local partners and shareholders.
The Community Coordinator utilizes the cross-sector collaboration of the Active Community Team to promote systems change for the prenatal to three population and their families.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
● A high school diploma or GED and a minimum of five years of relevant non-profit experience with progressing responsibilities over time
● Knowledge of local community resources including early intervention, medical care and
education, mental health, behavioral health and evidenced based practices and treatment providers
● Knowledge of issues related to child abuse and neglect, intimate partner violence, substance use disorders, mental illness and trauma
● Knowledge of the child welfare system and juvenile dependency court system
● Knowledge of attachment and bonding, developmental milestones and developmental assessments
● Highly collaborative management style
● Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
● Excellent organizational and project management skills
● Ability to work independently and as part of a team
● A commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion
● A passion for the mission of FC-CIS of Athens
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
● A bachelor’s degree in social work, child development, sociology or a related field
● Familiarity with Athens-Clarke County community and local resources, child welfare, the juvenile court system, substance use and mental health disorders
● Experience with providing trauma-informed services to families
● Ability to work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary group across agencies and disciplines
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Community Coordinator’s primary responsibilities will be to work with the Executive Director and the Local Implementation Team to:
● Facilitate the implementation of a new program, Athens THRIVe by completing orientation
activities including attending:
-The Community Coordinator Academy in July which takes place virtually
-Zero To Three’s national Cross Sites Meeting in Dallas, TX on August 20 – 22, 2024
-Georgia THRIVe All Sites Meeting scheduled in September 2024 in LaGrange, GA.
● After completing the required initial training, the community coordinator will recruit and enroll
families into the Athens THRIVe program
● The Community Coordinator will meet with families at least once a week to assist with achieving
the family’s goals and maintain regular contact in between meetings.
● The Community Coordinator will facilitate Family Team Meetings with the families, attorneys,
child welfare and local service providers
● Attend court hearings and provide updates to the court regarding the family’s progress and
challenges
● Ensure documentation, reports, and records are completed and submitted according to
nonprofit/organization management best practices and contractual, state and federal requirements
● Maintain knowledge of and communicate current local, state and federal policies, laws, trends,
resources, and developments in the field of family and child well-being; and,
● Oversee the implementation of effective marketing communications strategies
● Participate in Community of Practice calls with Community Coordinators from across the U.S.
● Participate in regular meetings with the Georgia THRIVe state leadership team and the national
Zero To Three leadership team
ACTIVITIES
The Community Coordinator’s responsibilities will be carried out through the following activities:
● Works with the local juvenile court and state Georgia THRIVe team to develop policies and
procedures to implement the Athens THRIVe program and improve outcomes for infants and
toddlers by utilizing the Core Components of the Safe Babies Approach. Ensures the community’s consistent focus on the unique developmental needs of infants and toddlers and
their families.
● Engages families early in the child welfare process and ensures that their input is valued
throughout their child welfare/court journey.
● Coordinates with local supports to provide facilitation of the Family Team Meeting, a
multidisciplinary team meeting, that works to assist children and their families involved with the
dependency court system and child welfare.
● Engages in continuous quality improvement to evaluate Athens THRIVe’s effectiveness by
collecting and interpreting data.
● Acts as a liaison for identifying community-based resources and supports; their referral processes
and disseminates the information to other agencies and families.
● Maintains connections with community partners and continuously recruits new members of the
Active Community Team (ACT).
● Convenes and facilitates ACT meetings to promote and implement systems change.
● Assesses the community’s training and technical assistance needs and coordinates educational
opportunities to meet those needs.
● Communicates regularly with Community Coordinators in other communities; the Georgia
THRIVe state leadership team and the national Zero To Three technical assistance team.
● Performs other duties as assigned
To apply for this position, e-mail cover letter, resume, and 3 references to jobs@fc-cis.org. The
position is open until filled. No calls, please.
Family Connection-Communities In Schools of Athens is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender expression, family responsibilities, physical or mental disability, or political affiliation.