Part-Time Youth & Family Specialist

Primary Responsibilities:

Youth and Family Support
* Demonstrate a human centered, strength-based, and trauma informed philosophy by treating all clients, families and collaterals in a non-judgmental and respectful
manner while building on their strengths.
* Create a trusting and safe relationship with the client and encourages personal growth of the client; Advocate for the youth’s needs to ensure equitable and quality care
* Provide clinical case management working in multiple systems and settings providing services to foster children, foster families and biological families
* Depending on level of training, provides group and/or individual counseling and coaching services, mediation and guidance to children and their biological and/or
foster families.
* Facilitates supervised family visits, and provides parent coaching as appropriate
* Consistently demonstrate discretion and independent judgment with regard to assessing and making decisions around the best interest for children and families
* Undertake the responsibility of “on-call” duty as assigned and is responsive to crises independently either by phone and\or in person, demonstrating a calm and
professional approach while assuring safety for all involved.
* Facilitate treatment meetings/ foster care review, and invites the appropriate attendees, while ensuring effective interagency collaboration
* Coordinate dental, medical, psychological and community support for youth; Ensure that educational needs are met including advocacy for special education services
* Attend all meetings called by collaterals and support a team approach to best serve the needs of children, youth and families 

Recruitment and Foster Family Support
* Support and participate in the development and implementation of strategic plans for program-specific foster care recruitment in conjunction with foster care
recruitment across the Children and Families Service.
* Recruit qualified foster homes on a continuous basis to meet the growing and challenging needs of clients
* Support foster families through the recruitment and training process.
* Participate in “matching process” and prepares foster parents for their work with the child/youth and family of origin
* Promote the program through community networking and positive representation to internal and external committees, government entities, etc.
* Maintain an excellent relationship with state or private funding sources and other state authorities responsible for regulating foster homes or child placing agencies
* Develop and maintain expertise regarding regulatory requirements for foster parent qualification and renewal including record checks, evaluations and
updating of file materials
* Complete all documentation required by state licensing regulations in a timely manner, including but not limited to home studies, background checks , annual
foster care review and waivers
* Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein to help meet the goals of the program or the agency

Record Keeping, Reporting, Trainings and Meetings:
* Document all contacts and incidents and ensure files are up to date
* Develop and complete assessments/homestudies, service plans\tx plans, progress notes and any other necessary documentation
* Provide updates to the court both in writing and in person
* Maintain organized up to date case/foster care files in accordance with contractual standards, state and federal law
* Keep supervisor updated on any incidents or concerns involving clients and foster families
* Attend weekly staff meetings and any other meetings or events required by the agency 

* Complete all mandatory training on a timely basis to meet certification standards, including 20-30 hours of specialized training each year including ethics, current
practice and needs of the service population.