Safe Baby Court Coordinator

Blount County Juvenile Court seeks a full-time Safe Baby Court Coordinator to work with up to 20 families at a time to coordinate all aspects of its Safe Baby Court. Blount County Safe Baby Court is a state grant-funded program based upon the Zero to Three Model designed to improve outcomes for infants and toddlers and their families who have Juvenile Court involvement. The Safe Baby Court Coordinator works under the direction of the Juvenile Court Judge and the Juvenile Court Services Director and in collaboration with the Safe Baby Court Team, a group of professionals and community partners. The Safe Baby Court Coordinator facilitates real-time information sharing and collaboration among cross-sector professionals and community-based partners in order to support the child and family team. The Safe Baby Court Coordinator also builds relationships and forms new partnerships across traditional and non-traditional services and systems in order to support the child and family team. Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

SPECIFIC DUTIES

• Provide a consistent, strong voice for infants, toddlers, and their parents by implementing the Zero to Three Model Core Components;
• Develop policies and procedures with the Safe Baby Court Team in adherence to Tennessee’s Safe Baby Court Best Practice Standards;
• Monitor the standards of practice and performance measures to ensure compliance with Tennessee’s Safe Baby Court Best Practice Standards;
• Work with the Juvenile Court Judge, the Juvenile Court Services Director, and the Safe Baby Court Team to implement the Safe Baby Court model and the recommendations of the Safe Baby Court Team;
• Serve as liaison between the Safe Baby Court and professionals and community service providers;
• Coordinate, convene, and facilitate regular Safe Baby Court Team meetings; produce and distribute necessary materials for these and other meetings;
• Facilitate real-time information sharing and collaboration among the cross-sector professionals working to support the child and family team, including coordinating and participating in Family Team Meetings;
• Identify training needs and facilitate and organize training for professional and community partners on best practices and effective services;
• Identify service gaps and barriers to services for Safe Baby Court Families;
• Explore opportunities for and coordinate community-based resources for Safe Baby Court families;
• Build relationships and form new partnerships across traditional and non-traditional services and systems;
• Maintain accurate records and enter timely all data of all Safe Baby Court cases into Quest, Tennessee’s Juvenile Court Case Management System for Safe Baby Courts; and
• Assist in preparing and reporting the Safe Baby Court budget.

SKILLS and EXPERIENCE

• Knowledge of local community early childhood services, including early intervention, education, health, mental health, and child welfare;
• Knowledge and understanding of the juvenile court system in Tennessee;
• Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams;
• Knowledge of issues related to child abuse and neglect;
• Knowledge of early childhood development;
• Knowledge of juvenile and family services functioning;
• Ability to work with people of diverse educational, professional, socioeconomic, and cultural/ethnic backgrounds;
• Knowledge of systems change and community collaboration;
• Ability to work independently and problem-solve;
• Ability to communicate effectively, timely, and across multidisciplinary systems; and
• Ability to collect and timely report data in a database system; basic knowledge of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or other equivalent word-processing and spreadsheet programs.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK

• Undergraduate degree in psychology, sociology, education, early childhood development, or related field;
• Five or more years of relevant work experience is preferred; and 
• Valid driver’s license.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is frequently required to sit, reach and manipulate objects, tools and/or controls. The position requires mobility. Duties may involve moving materials weighing up to 10 pounds on a regular basis. Manual dexterity and coordination are required over 50% of the work period while operating equipment, such as computer keyboard, mouse, calculator and similar machines.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Most work is performed in a well-lighted, modern office setting with centrally controlled heating and air conditioning or outside in conditions which may include heat, cold, rain, or other inclement weather during field work assignments throughout the calendar year.

BENEFITS

Exceptional full time benefits package includes medical, prescription, dental, vision, FSA, HSA, optional USAble, paid holidays, paid sick days, paid vacation, EAP, retirement planning, pension with Tennessee Consolidated Retirement Services, employee clinic, employee discounts, and more.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.