Job Details

Position Available:

Executive Director, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Harrison and Stone Counties (South Mississippi)

About CASA:

CASA of Harrison and Stone Counties is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation established to advocate for abused and neglected children in the Juvenile Court process. CASA provides abused and neglected children with a voice in Harrison and Stone County and helps to prevent these children from becoming lost in the Juvenile Court system and assists the Court in moving children out of temporary placement into safe and permanent homes.

The CASA advocate is a highly trained volunteer that takes the time to interact not only with the child, but with the family, social workers, therapists, school counselors, lawyers, and other professionals involved in the child's life. Advocates, appointed by the Court, link children with therapeutic, legal, educational, and child welfare services, research the circumstances of each case, and report recommendations and findings to the court.

Youth Court Judges need accurate, up-to-date information to make decisions which are in the children's best interests.

Our mission is to train and supervise community volunteers, appointed by the Youth Court, to advocate for the best interests of children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and/or neglect. Our dedicated volunteers strive to ensure the emotional, physical and educational well-being of these children while they reside in foster homes or residential facilities. The ultimate goal of our volunteers is to help establish a safe, stable and permanent home for each child we serve.

Position Summary:

The Executive Director is responsible for overseeing the management of the agency, including planning, resource development, staff and volunteer management and development, job performance evaluation, policy and procedures development, serving as a liaison with Court Judges and the CASA Board and Committees, community agencies, and funding sources. The Executive Director maintains knowledge of current resources relevant to serving the needs of children in the dependency system, oversees program goals and objectives, and interprets current applicable laws, policies, guidelines and procedures.

Paid staff reporting to the Executive Director: There are currently two Advocate Advisors and one part time coordinator.

Position location: Gulfport, MS

Position Start Date: On or before March 1, 2021

Website: https://casaharrisoncounty.org

Job Responsibilities

Administration:

· Oversees development and implementation of organizational policies and procedures, services and resources consistent with the mission, values and goals of the organization.

· Promotes the mission of CASA by identifying community needs; advocating, promoting, and publicizing CASA’s beliefs and accomplishments; develops literature and presentations.

· Identifies current and future needs of Harrison and Stone Counties Youth Court and abused and neglected children by establishing rapport with the courts, other state, local and private agencies serving abused and neglected children.

· Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops reviewing professional publications; establishing professional networks; participating in professional societies.

· Attends dependency systems meetings as appropriate.

· Institutes systems for sourcing, selection, orientation, training, supervision, performance, management, evaluation, placement, retention and release of volunteers and paid staff.

• Develops and monitors the annual operating budget.

Board of Directors:

· Cultivates a strong and transparent working relationship with the Board and strengthens Board effectiveness by supporting best practice models for Board Governance, recruitment and training.

· Contributes to the Board’s effectiveness by identifying short-term and long-range issues to be addressed; providing information and commentary pertinent to the Board’s deliberations; presenting options and recommending courses of action, especially where technical and legal considerations are involved; recruiting Board candidates.

· Works with Board to coordinate fundraising strategies and ensure operational support for the Board's fund development plan.

• Keeps the Board informed by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing information and trends; remaining accessible, answering questions and requests; attending Board and Committee meetings.

· Reviews and implements agency goals as set by Board through the Strategic Plan.

· Advises and provides consultation to the Board and all Board Committees.

· Presents timely and accurate written reports to the Board about agreed upon objectives, finances, fund development, operations, marketing, and other relevant issues.

· Keeps Board informed of internal and external trends and issues that might impact the program.

• Supports the Board President and Committee chairs in carrying out their responsibilities.

Financial Management:

• Achieves financial objectives by developing and recommending CASA’s budget; scheduling expenditures, analyzing variances, initiating corrective actions, anticipating long term issues; writing grant requests and participating in fundraising and special events.
• Oversees all fiscal and physical resources of the agency.
• Assures that all necessary legal requirements are met, including filing of taxes, audit, maintaining appropriate insurance, and employee workplace laws.
• Develops and monitors the yearly budget including the development and review of adequate financial controls and practices.

Fund Development and Community Relations:

• Develops and implements a fund development plan, including identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors, foundations, corporate sponsors, and government support.
• Oversees public relations efforts and general community awareness programs and approves public relations material, press releases, press packets and media coverage.
• Maintains and enhances CASA’s position in the Harrison and Stone County communities by establishing and maintaining rapport with other child welfare organizations with related missions and extends CASA’s influence in the communities by establishing and maintaining rapport with other community organizations that may be resources to CASA.
• Oversees implementation of marketing and communications plans to effectively promote the program. Utilizes current marketing and social media campaigns to support marketing initiatives.

Staff and Volunteer Development:

• Maintains and develops staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees and volunteer advocates; coaching, counseling, and disciplining employees and volunteer advocates; planning, monitoring and appraising job performance.
• Monitors advocate and child caseload procedures.
• Maintains relationships with all stakeholders to establish, revise, and implement program strategies for serving the needs of children in the dependency system.

Qualifications:

· College degree; advanced degree preferred, preferably in a relevant discipline.

· A proven track record of effective leadership; ability to point to specific examples of having developed and operationalized strategies that have taken an organization to the next stage of growth.

· Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience in the areas listed above which may be substituted for an Advanced degree.

· At least 5 years of experience in a social service agency, nonprofit sector setting, and/or court-related program.

· Excellence in organizational management, strong leadership and personnel management skills.

· Success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships.

· Record of success in fundraising and grant writing, with experience leading effective, sustainable fund development and marketing campaigns.

· Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills.

· Experience in the fields of child development and/or volunteer program management preferred.

· Understanding of the dynamics of child abuse and neglect.

Preferred experience includes:

· Knowledge of financial management and nonprofit accounting, budgeting, and business systems

· Prior experience with applying for VOCA grants and administering VOCA grants preferred.

· Ability to plan, organize, and evaluate system operations.

· Experience in dealing with the public, including excellent presentation and group facilitation skills.

· Extensive knowledge of community resources.

· Knowledge of technological trends, including social media channels as they pertain to fundraising, marketing initiatives and community engagement.

Additional requirements:

· Ability to work comfortably with staff, advocates and committees of the CASA Board and exercise sound judgment and maintaining professional atmosphere.

· Respectful of all people regardless of socioeconomic background, culture, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender.

· Flexible with hours, available evenings and days.

· Criminal justice fingerprint clearance.

· Ability to maintain appropriate discretion and confidentiality.

· Adapt to a changing environment with the ability to respond to and manage crisis with a calm, mindful approach.

· Be a problem-solver, strategic planner, and critical thinker.

· Be committed to the program's mission and goals.

Additional Information:

This is a full-time, exempt position. The position requires an ability to work some evenings and weekends.

To apply:

Submit cover letter and resume to casaharrisonandstonecounties@gmail.com