Office of Governmental Accountability, Hartford
The State of Connecticut, Office of the Child Advocate (OCA), seeks a dedicated and committed individual for the position of Assistant Child Advocate within the Office of Governmental Accountability. The Office of the Child Advocate is a critical government oversight entity that must operate with a high degree of independence and integrity while continually navigating issues affecting children’s rights and well-being that are often politically sensitive.
The Assistant Child Advocate will focus their time reviewing, investigating, and responding to citizen complaints.
Additional duties include:
- Providing assistance to families of children with complex needs through advocacy with agencies and providers
- Supervising staff
- Assisting with systemic investigations and reports
- Performing related duties as required
The website of the Office of the Child Advocate (Office of the Child Advocate) provides additional information, including links to its enabling statute, fatality investigations, system and facility investigations, annual reports, and profiles of its current staff.
Position Details
- Full-time, 40 hours/week
- Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
- OCA is located at 165 Capitol Ave, Hartford
- Hybrid work schedule
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.
What We Can Offer You
- Visit our State Employee Benefits Overview page!
- Professional growth and development opportunities.
- A healthy work/life balance to all employees.
OCA Mission
The 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.
Additional Info
Job Type : Full-Time
Job Function : Administrative, Development
