Posted: February 16, 2012

JUVENILE REGIONAL SERVICES JOB DESCRIPTION:
YOUTH ADVOCATE

Juvenile Regional Services, a nonprofit law office that advocates for young people in Louisiana’s juvenile justice system, seeks a committed youth advocate to provide intensive support and case management for JRS’ clients. Youth advocates work with other members of the JRS team to implement holistic solutions to the root problems that can drive young people into the juvenile justice system. Strong candidates will have a demonstrated commitment to working with indigent youth and underprivileged communities. Creativity, responsibility, empathy, perseverance, and excellent communication skills are important qualities for effective youth advocates.

Organizational Overview

Juvenile Regional Services (JRS) is a nonprofit, public-interest law office that advocates for young people in the juvenile justice system in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana. In New Orleans, JRS is the juvenile public defender, representing most indigent youth in Orleans Parish Juvenile Court.

JRS practices holistic representation, meeting client needs both in and out of the courtroom. Each JRS client is represented by a team – an attorney, an investigator, a youth advocate, and a social worker. The team works together to help clients succeed in court, at school, and in all other aspects of their lives. Team members represent young people in court; investigate the state’s claims, and develop a strong defense; help families navigate the school system to find the right fit for each child; advocate for special education services; connect clients with community-based services like trauma counseling and medication management; and arrange for young people and their families to receive benefits like housing and food stamps. This innovative, wrap-around advocacy changes lives, reduces recidivism, and improves public safety.

JRS believes that every member of the defense team is indispensable, bringing vital skills and viewpoints to the provision of effective advocacy for our clients. JRS offers a work environment that values and develops a positive culture of juvenile defense.

The mission of JRS is to provide high-quality, zealous, holistic, and client-centered advocacy for young people in the juvenile justice system in New Orleans and throughout the state of Louisiana. JRS strives to defend the rights and dignity of youth under the law; to empower youth through advocating for their expressed interests; to reduce the number of youth in confinement; and to promote the juvenile justice system’s development and use of effective and genuinely rehabilitative programs. The office’s vision is to be a model and a resource for high-quality juvenile defense practice in Louisiana.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of youth advocates include:
• Assisting in the development of comprehensive service plans for clients, driven by the clients’ expressed interests and goals;
• Building and maintaining strong relationships of trust with clients, providing ongoing support and mentorship, and being available to respond to clients’ evolving needs;
• Making referrals, finding placements, and assisting with logistics and enrollment to help clients and their families access needed services and benefits;
• Working closely with clients to ease reentry into the community from juvenile detention;
• Helping clients to comply with conditions of probation, parole, and supervised release;
• Becoming and remaining familiar with educational options for youth in the New Orleans area, including traditional schools and available alternatives to traditional schools;
• Navigating school systems to find educational placements that will help clients succeed;
• Advocating for clients’ rights to effective special education services, and representing clients at school disciplinary and expulsion hearings;
• Gathering educational, medical, and other records;
• Testifying in court, as needed;
• Regularly visiting clients at home and in custody;
• Supervising interns, AmeriCorps members, and other non-permanent staff;
• Assisting with client intake processes;
• Consulting with staff attorneys and with social workers, as appropriate, on progress and results;
• Thoroughly documenting all work and all information gathered;
• Collaborating with other JRS staff in strategic planning and implementation, and in realizing the office’s mission and vision through refinement of existing projects and new project development; and
• Other projects as directed by JRS’ Executive Director.

Youth advocates must perform all duties in accordance with applicable law, ethical rules, and the performance standards promulgated by JRS and by the Louisiana Public Defender Board.

Youth advocates are directly supervised by the office’s managing attorney. Youth advocates work as members of a defense team, and in each case take direction from the team’s staff attorney and report their findings to that staff attorney.

Youth advocates will be provided with intensive training in areas including communicating with clients; developmental psychology; navigating the school system in New Orleans; and applicable professional, ethical, and legal rules.

Required Qualifications

• Deep commitment to the defense of indigent youth and to JRS’ client-centered ethic, which recognizes that all advocacy must be driven by the expressed interests of clients;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to develop rapport with a wide range of people;
• Strong work ethic;
• Creativity and flexibility in solving problems and meeting challenges;
• Strong analytical ability and writing skills;
• Car ownership, or daily use of a car, with a valid driver’s license and insurance;
• Willingness to submit to a background check;
• Applicants must be at least 21 years of age.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with low-income clients and young people;
• Familiarity with developmental psychology, mental health issues, the Orleans Parish school system, and/or the geography, history, and people of New Orleans and Louisiana;
• Understanding of relevant law and of the juvenile justice system.

Salary and Compensation

The salary range for this position is $30,000 to $36,000 per year, depending on experience. Vacation, parental leave, and health benefits are provided. The position is full-time, and no other compensated work is permitted. Depending upon case and client needs, youth advocates can expect to be called upon to work some nights and weekends.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit: (1) a cover letter; (2) a resume or C.V., including an e-mail address and daytime and evening telephone numbers; and (3) a list of three professional references, including the name, address, telephone number and, if available, e-mail address of each.

The position will remain open until filled with a qualified applicant.

Inquiries and applications should be directed to:

Jordan McEntyre
1820 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 205
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 207-4595
jmcentyre@jrsla.org