About Us:
Good Shepherd Services is a leading multi-service agency with more than 85 programs that serve over 30,000 youth and families each year and builds on their strengths to help them gain skills for success. At Good Shepherd we respect the dignity and worth of every person and reject intolerance, inequity and injustice in whatever form it may take. Voted one of the top 100 places to work in NYC by Crains New York, Good Shepherd Services offers a fantastic work environment, a collaborative team dedicated to fulfilling our mission, and an amazing array of benefits. Join our team and help make a difference!
Benefits:
Salary: $50,000/Yr. to $55,000/Yr.
Benefits/Perks:
- Tuition Assistance Program
- Monthly MetroCards or travel reimbursement for use of personal vehicle will be provided to staff conducting home visits to families
- Generous paid time off (Including 5 Self-Care Days/Floating Holidays, 12 Sick Days, 15 Vacation Days, and 11 Holidays)
- Healthcare Plans (Medical, Dental, Vision, and Pet Care)
- 403(b) Plan (GSS contributes 3% of your salary to your 403(b) plan after 3 years of service, with contributions increasing over time)
Overview:
We are looking for a dynamic and compassionate Foster Care Case Planner to join our team. In this role you will work towards timely permanency planning for children and youth in foster care.
Reports to: Foster Care Supervisor
Location: 7 West Burnside Avenue, Bronx, New York 10453
Hours: 35 Hours / Week; Non Exempt
Major Duties:
- Assess and monitor for safety and risk.
- Establish immediate contact with families of the children who are placed into our care, and with their foster families.
- Conduct required casework contacts with the child, parent, foster parent and collateral contacts (schools, service providers, medical personnel, mental health practitioners, and substance abuse counselors). Make assessment-based referrals as necessary to meet the needs of the child and/or parent.
- Visit family and child, as often as mandated and/or necessary to gather social history, to assess family strengths and concerns, and to assess existing problems in relation to the reason for placement.
- Coordinate and supervise all visits between the family and child along with separate sibling visits.
- Share responsibilities with agency team for the permanency planning of each child.
- Locate resources and make referrals to any resource that would provide aid to the family and child.
- Evaluate childs adjustment in foster home, and monitor educational and behavioral performance at home and in school.
- Monitor foster parents in terms of their ability to meet the needs of the child in their home, and make recommendations regarding future use of the home, in conjunction with the Homefinding Department.
- Adherence to the KEEP (Keeping Foster and Kinship Parents Supported and Trained), PTC (Parenting Through Change) and YDSC (Youth Development Skills Coaching) manuals.
- Make efficient and creative use of training manuals.
- Capacity to work within the fidelity guidelines of the KEEP/PTC interventions while delivering the material in the manner that appeals to the needs of individual parents and youth.
- Support and counsel foster parents in their efforts to care for the child and include them in the development of the goals and tasks.
- Keep case records up-to-date within agency standards and complete all necessary ACS/Agency documentation including FASPs, Progress notes, Permanency Hearing reports and all other reports necessary to fulfill the function of the work.
- Make all court appearances and testimony including permanency hearings.
- Participate in Family Team Conferences, including but not limited to the placement preservation, reunification/discharge, goal changes and permanency planning conferences. Attend all necessary meetings, functions, workshop, etc. as required by the agency.
- Keep case records up-to-date within agency standards and complete all necessary ACS/Agency documentation including FASPs, Progress notes, Permanency Hearing reports and all other reports necessary to fulfill the function of the work.
- Progress notes are to be completed and submitted preferably within one day of the event but no later than the end of the given week of the event.
- FASP and Permanency Hearing Report will be submitted on the internal date for review provided by the agency's compliance department.
- Collaborate closely with team members.
- Conduct Group facilitation of Keep and PTC groups with parents and foster parents.
- Ability to enhance communication among parent group members to promote skill development and social networking.
- Review KEEP/PTC feedback and practice strategies with families.
- Collaborate closely with Youth Skill Trainers, monitor their interactions with youth.
- Documents according to developers standards, each interaction and visit.
- Effectively use and practice the Sanctuary Model tools: safety plans, community meetings, psycho-educational groups, team meetings, red flag reviews, treatment planning conferences (or similar), and self-care, when applicable, in the department/program to create a non-violent and trauma-sensitive culture.
- Promote and model the seven Sanctuary Model commitments to create a non-violent and trauma-sensitive culture.
- Integrate the Sanctuary Model SELF (Safety, Emotional Management, Loss and Future) framework into daily practice to ensure quality care and an effective work environment
- Utilize Solution Based Casework in casework practice.
- Implement Solution Based Casework model of casework practice within the department/program.
- Implement and integrate the principles and procedures of Solution Based Casework: assessment, family and individual level outcomes, action plans and documentation and celebration.
- Actively participate in case consultation, continued SBC training and the SBC certification process.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Bachelors degree in related field required; MSW or at least one year related experience preferred.
- Must be able to establish working relationships with clients in need of counseling and supportive services.
- Must be able to effectively engage parents.
- Ability to apply theory of change.
- Willingness to facilitate groups with parents and foster parents.
- Ability to work cooperatively with their agency supervisor(s), KEEP, PTC, and YDSC consultants, ACS and other team members.
- Excellent written and verbal skills necessary.
- Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
- Must have a commitment to work from a strength based and/or youth development perspective.
Additional Information:
Good Shepherd Services is an equal opportunity employer that is proudly committed to becoming an anti-racist and multicultural organization that stands up for justice and equity. We welcome prospective employees from diverse backgrounds, for administrative support and direct service and leadership roles, who will join us on that journey, uphold our values and approach, and believe in our mission. Additionally, we aim to have a racially representative leadership and workforce that is reflective of the communities we work in partnership with.
Good Shepherd Services is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, participants, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of our activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and termination of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services.
We are committed to providing a workplace that is accessible and accommodating to employees with disabilities. As part of our commitment to providing a barrier-free recruitment and selection process, we will provide reasonable accommodations upon request for candidates with disabilities. If you require any accommodations to participate in the hiring process, please inform us of your needs in advance. We value diversity and inclusivity in our workplace and encourage applicants of all abilities to apply.