Summary Job Goal: This position provides intensive ongoing ICWA Advocacy services for all assigned ICWA Compacted Tribes in a sub-regional service area. This position manages coordinates, supports child welfare casework, and carries potentially very high caseloads across a broad spectrum of state and sometimes tribal child welfare settings. The primary goals of this position are to gather, document, and provide assigned tribal ICWA programs concrete and complete information about the status of their ICWA cases and tribal children/families involved in the state child welfare system. This position will present and share all information in a way that assists the tribe in determining their position for their ICWA cases, and, will represent and advocate for the tribe’s position across the child welfare system (admin reviews, court hearing, TDMs, trials, etc.) This is a career ladder position with a level I and II. Level I is a introductory/trainee position with limited independence. Level II includes additional responsibilities and increasing independence.

Performance Responsibilities: include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Maintains strict confidentiality of the department and clientele.
• This is a 50% direct client services position and 50% indirect or supervisory position
• Advanced ICWA knowledge and skill.
• Supervise and manage Village-based staff
• Track and monitor high volumes of ICWA case work.
• Make independent judgements and provide clear consistent advice to tribes, OCS, other CINA parties based on the best interests of child safety and ICWA compliance.
• Initiate, develop, and maintain high level working relationships with agency leaders, ALL CINA parties, including but not limited to OCS supervisors, managers, ICWA Specialists, Judges, court clerks, PD attorneys, OPA attorneys, AAGs, GALs, CASAs, other child welfare serving agencies like the Child Welfare Academy, ACRF, Treatment Centers, Cultural Resources like Healthy Families and Calricaraq, etc.
• Responsible for ongoing case work management for all assigned cases where an AVCP ICWA compact tribe has requested the assistance of AVCP (as indicated by AVCP’s filing of an Entry of Appearance).
  • Basic ICWA knowledge and skills or the ability to learn and apply basic ICWA skills quickly.
  • Accepts, intakes, and fully processes and manages all incoming paperwork related to state child welfare cases for ICWA compacting tribes.
  • Accepts, intakes and fully processes and manages all paperwork related to assigned tribal cases
  • Responsible for maintaining the ICWA calendar for all assigned cases and providing the ICWA workers and tribal leadership reports about the progress of their ICWA cases on a regular basis.
  • Initiates regular (weekly) telephone and email contacts with village-based ICWA workers in order to provide on-going assistance with child welfare cases.
  • Initiates all necessary files/paperwork for new ICWA cases
  • Copies all court files soon after AVCP files an Entry of Appearance and provides those documents for the Bethel office and distribution to the assigned ICWA tribal office.
  • Maintains accurate data on all case activities and reviews.
  • Maintains detailed records for all cases, including, but not limited to, case notes, telephone logs, reports of contact, identifying data, referrals made, services provided, and related recommendations.
  • Attends all OCS reviews and related meetings, TDMs, case meetings, etc, on all state cases where AVCP has filed an Entry of Appearance.
  • Builds a positive and effective working relationship with ALSC.
  • Appears in court when needed for all ICWA cases assigned and works collaboratively with ALSC in all legal proceedings for assigned ICWA cases.
  • Assists ICWA compact tribes in reviewing and providing input into OCS safety plans and case plans for families in the state system.
  • Documents in all case file records all requests made to OCS and follows-up on those requests to determine if they were implemented by the state and if assistance needs to be provided.
  • Documents OCS’s active efforts for all assigned cases.
  • Provides updates consistently for all assigned cases (ROC notes, pleadings, etc.) for the Bethel office master files.
  • Initiates prevention case work to help prevent children being removed from their home and families
• Responsible for directing ICWA advocacy and support of the tribal ICWA programs and ensuring all ICWA staff are fully advocating for tribal positions across the case management systems.
• Independently advocate for tribal positions in a court room setting.
• Initiate and perform all of the above responsibilities with independence
• Manage and analyze high volumes of data
• Other case work management duties as assigned or needed
• Other ongoing child welfare responsibilities
  • Travels as needed to facilitate reunification/permanency; ICWA compliant placement or other child welfare needs as requested by the Tribe.
  • Acts as a liaison between ICWA foster families and OCS in order to provide support to the foster families.
  • Works on recruiting and retaining native foster homes.
  • Works in partnership with other programs, such as TANF, Child Care, Head Start, etc to identify and support families.
  • Assists with tribal jurisdiction case transfers and the tribal jurisdiction case process from the transfer or opening of a case, ongoing case management support and referrals/coordination for family services with the ICWA/Tribal worker, and case closure process.