Advocate Supervisor

Please submit a cover letter in the "message/cover letter field" when applying or with your resume. Applications will not be considered without a cover letter.

ADVOCATE SUPERVISOR

About Heart of Missouri CASA

Heart of Missouri CASA trains and supports volunteer advocates to uplift the voices of children in the court system who have experienced abuse and neglect. We serve children in foster care across Boone and Callaway Counties, pairing them with a trained volunteer who becomes one of the most consistent adults in their life until they reach a safe, stable home.

We're in a season of significant growth — building toward a new Headquarters and Clubhouse, expanding our team, and working toward a goal of serving every child in our circuit who needs a CASA advocate by 2030.

Summary: The Advocate Supervisor provides professional staff support to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteers, ensuring that children involved with Heart of Missouri CASA receive sound advocacy and early permanency planning. The Advocate Supervisor is primarily responsible for supervising an assigned caseload of CASA volunteers and working collaboratively with the CASA team in the completion of recruitment, screening, training, and retention activities.

Full-time position (Salaried, exempt)

Reports to: Boone County Program Director

Location: Based in Columbia, Missouri – Boone County; regular travel within service area

The Ideal person for this position:

• You lead with empathy and hold a high bar — you can coach a volunteer through a hard case while still holding steady to what the child needs.
• You bring a collaborative spirit to the courtroom, treating judges, attorneys, caseworkers, and other team members as partners.
• You're organized and detail-oriented — case files, court dates, and documentation don't fall through the cracks on your watch.
• You believe volunteers do their best work when they feel supported, not micromanaged, and you know how to strike that balance.
• You hold onto hope even on hard days and want your work to help change a child's story.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Volunteer Supervision & Support (Approximately 60%)

• Supervise an assigned caseload of CASA volunteers.
• Develop initial case plans with new volunteers and ongoing advocacy strategies.
• Maintain a minimum of one monthly contact with each active volunteer by phone, video, or in-person (in-person required at least quarterly).
• Provide timely, relevant coaching and support to guide volunteers through their cases.
• Attend all court hearings for assigned cases; debrief with volunteers afterward.
• Accompany volunteer on home visits in child's placement as needed.
• Review, provide feedback on, and support the filing of volunteer court reports.
• Maintain accurate volunteer and child case files in Optima; track court dates and required documentation.
• Ensure volunteers submit monthly hours and contact logs.
• Implement the exit process for volunteers completing cases or leaving the program.
• Respond to volunteer inquiries within one business day.

2. Training & Development (Approximately 15%)

• Assist with screening and interviewing volunteer candidates.
• Support the Trainer in delivery of pre-service training and orientation for new volunteers.
• Assist with the selection and assignment of appropriate volunteers to cases.
• Coordinate and facilitate at least one continuing education training per year; attend additional trainings to support facilitation.
• Assist with volunteer retention and appreciation activities.

3. Outreach & Volunteer Recruitment (Approximately 10%)

• Participate in volunteer recruitment events and outreach activities as needed.
• Support efforts to recruit and diversify the CASA volunteer corps.

4. Strategic Plan Implementation (Approximately 5%)

• Serve on at least one strategic plan implementation committee.
• Complete assigned action steps tied to the agency strategic plan in a timely manner.

5. Program Evaluation (Approximately 5%)

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date case records in Optima to support program evaluation and data integrity.
• Meaningfully engage in any program evaluation efforts undertaken by the organization.

6. Meetings & Professional Engagement (Approximately 5%)

• Attend internal staff meetings, program meetings, and supervision with direct supervisor.
• Attend court hearings, Family Support Team (FST) meetings, and case-related meetings for assigned cases.
• Participate in statewide CASA network meetings as assigned; participate in national CASA meetings as the opportunity arises.
• Attend local, regional, and state trainings and conferences to support professional development.

7. Other

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in social work, child development, juvenile justice, or a social-service related field.
• Minimum two years of experience working with at-risk children and families, with knowledge of the dynamics of child abuse, neglect, and family crisis — preferably within the foster care system.
• Demonstrated collaboration and leadership ability.
• Trauma-informed, culturally responsive approach to advocacy and volunteer supervision.
• Comfort with public speaking and confident communication in a variety of settings, including with volunteers, in court, and at community events.
• Commitment to ongoing professional and personal learning.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse individuals and groups.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and electronic case management systems.
• Ability to pass criminal background checks and child abuse/neglect registry checks.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within the foster care system.
• Experience working with, coaching, or managing volunteers.
• Understanding of the principles of volunteer management and advocacy.

Work Environment:
This position is based in an office setting. The employee will also travel between Heart of Missouri CASA office locations and to other community locations including courts, agency offices, and event venues. Evening and weekend work is occasionally required; flexibility in scheduling is provided.

Compensation & Benefits

Starting salary range: $53,000 – $55,000

Benefits include:

• Direct care health plan through Liberty Family Medicine, including full-service direct primary care and employee assistance program with low-cost prescriptions, $3,000 mental health & substance counseling, $250 physical health & wellness, $500 nutritional health, dental & vision screenings, and more.
• Retirement plan (match up to 3% of salary).
• Generous paid holidays (20 days, including your birthday).
• Paid vacation (10 days, increasing to 15 in 3rd year, 20 in 4th year).
• Paid sick time.
• Paid parental leave.
• Cell phone stipend ($40/month).
• Flexible work schedule options.
• Mileage reimbursement.

To apply, please submit the following application materials to Sara Echternach, Boone County Program Director at hello @ homcasa (dot) org or through the Indeed Posting. Position will be open until filled. Candidate screening will start the week of August 17th.

• Cover Letter
• Resume

Heart of Missouri CASA is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring individuals based on merit, qualifications, and alignment with our mission to support children and families in foster care.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and value a diversity of professional experiences and life journeys—including, but not limited to, experience in foster care, child advocacy, or trauma-informed systems. While such experiences are not required, they help inform compassionate and effective service delivery.

We make all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex (as currently defined under federal law), national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected status. Our policies adhere to current federal and state employment laws and do not implement preference-based hiring related to identity or demographic status.

If our mission resonates with you and you believe your skills and experiences can make an impact, we encourage you to apply.

The most significant duties have been included in this description acknowledging that other duties may be assigned/changed from time to time. The organization retains the right to modify this job description as needed from time to time to accurately reflect duties of the position.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $53,000.00 - $55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Employee assistance program
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• foster care or child welfare: 2 years (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Columbia, MO 65203 (Required)

Work Location: In person