Family Court Support Worker - Toronto, Canada - Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic

Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic

Verified Company

Toronto, Canada

3 weeks ago

Posted by:

Sophia Lee

beBee Recruiter

Description

Job Posting

FAMILY COURT SUPPORT WORKER

part-time contract position (12 months)

(17.5 hours/week)

Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic offers trauma-informed legal services and representation, counselling and multilingual interpretation, and drives system transformation to support women and gender diverse people who have experienced violence.

Rooted in the foundations of intersectionality, innovation, and a client-centered approach, we foster the skills and resilience of the people we serve and amplify their voices to create individual and collective change.

We are seeking an exceptional staff to join our FAMILY COURT SUPPORT PROGRAM to assist survivors of domestic violence to navigate the family law system and more effectively participate in family court processes.

Family Court Support Workers assist clients who are survivors of family violence and advocate with community and court representatives to best support clients.

This is a part-time position.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
All duties and responsibilities will be carried out in accordance with Barbra Schlifer Clinic's Mandate, Mission and Values Statements.

CLIENT SERVICES AND SUPPORT

Participate in FCSW rotations through the courts
Intake and screening of clients for internal and external referral
Provide uptodate information on family law processes and courtbased services
Assess client's legal and nonlegal needs for appropriate response and/or effective referral to legal and communitybased services
Conduct risk assessments and safety planning
Record domestic violence history, as appropriate
Support transitional planning, as appropriate
Liaise on clients' behalf with justice system professionals within the family court and within the legal community at large
Refer clients to lawyers for summary legal advice on legal rights and remedies
Facilitate the provision of language interpreters for the delivery of Family Court Support services or other courtbased legal services
Assist clients to prepare for family court proceedings and provide court support and accompaniment, as appropriate (remotely and inperson)
Effective referral of Frenchspeaking clients to the Francophone FCSW Program and other Francophone legal/nonlegal service providers
Attend team, allstaff and other meetings as required

NETWORKING AND OUTREACH

Disseminate information about the CSW Program to communitybased agencies
Represent the interests of our target client group at meetings of family court service providers and administrators
Engage in outreach activities to communities at large
Develop positive and collaborative relationships with all court personnel
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with court staff, lawyers, police and victim/witness programs for advocacy purposes

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

The Family Court Support Worker is a member of the Legal Department and will work collaboratively with other Legal and Clinic staff
The Family Court Support Worker is a member of the Clinic's FCSW team and will work collaboratively with other Court Support Workers and the Family Court Support Program Coordinator, and will report to and be supervised by the Director of Legal Services

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Postsecondary degree/diploma in a related field (law, social work, social services or other equivalent education)
Minimum 2 years' experience in direct service to survivors of domestic violence
Familiarity with Ontario family law processes/systems generally and the experiences of survivors of domestic violence involved in the family courts specifically
Knowledge to assist clients with completing and filing family court forms an asset
Extensive working knowledge of communitybased and culturally appropriate resources and services that relate to domestic violence, including French Language/Francophone services in the community
Demonstrated advocacy skills
Awareness of intersecting conditions that affect the experience of violence and trauma among a diverse clientele
Understanding of the impacts of trauma; commitment to providing services informed by an understanding of trauma
Familiarity with the exercise of selfcare and practices to manage the effects of vicarious trauma
Demonstrated exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to interface in a purposeful, positive and productive manner with diverse justice system professionals, service providers and administrators in the courts and in the broader legal systems and with diverse stakeholders in the community at large
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Ability to interview and communicate effectively with clients
Excellent organizational, time management, file management and other related administrative skills
Ability to exercise sound judgment when encountering difficult situations and performing job responsibilities
Demonstrated understanding of legal and social issues relating to domest