Foster Care Caseworker

SCO is looking for well- qualified Foster Care Caseworkers.

The Family Foster Care Caseworker provides an opportunity for recent graduates or new professionals to the field to explore and work with all aspects of the Child Welfare System. Provide comprehensive casework and support services for children and families involved in the foster care system under the guidance of a Foster Care Supervisor. Utilizing Solution-Based Casework, the worker will engage with and build a partnership with each family that pragmatically focuses on the necessary skills that ensure safety and restore the family's confidence and competence. Each family will develop a specific action plan with the caseworker to address the relevant concerns that led to placement, so they can work together to create meaningful change, to achieve permanency, i.e., a stable and appropriate family situation for children.

MINIMUM RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage a caseload of:

Family Foster Care: approximately 18 active children

Treatment Family Foster Care: approximately 8 active children.

• Fulfill duty of Mandated Reporter, which entails reporting any suspected instances of child abuse or maltreatment.
• Conduct up to 2 face-to-face and home casework contacts per month - approximately an hour for each child, biological parent, and foster parent on caseload to assess child safety, provide support, and discuss progress towards permanency; additional contacts to be conducted as needed.
• Document all contact with families and casework activities within 7 days
• Meet with Supervisor one-on-one on a consistent basis to discuss safety and permanency issues of caseload.
• Complete comprehensive semi-annual reports regarding the status of the family's action plan and progress towards permanency.
• Prepare court reports and other legal documentation to provide updates regarding casework with families.
• Testify in family court proceedings regarding the status of cases.
• Work with parents, foster parents, children and youth to identify developmentally appropriate goals for safety, permanency and well being
• Make referrals for services for children and families both internally and externally.
• Coordinate, supervise, and assess visits between parents/family resources and their children weekly.
• Be available to handle crises or emergencies, such as psychiatric hospitalizations, 24/7, whenever they occur.
• Communicate effectively with NYC Children's Services, medical and mental health centers, schools, other SCO programs, and all other relevant parties.
• Coordinate and participate regularly in conferences with families, children, and foster parents regarding safety, permanency and well-being.
• Locate and assess extended families members who are interested in being permanent or foster parent resources for children.
• Gather, organize, and maintain both electronic and paper records containing all casework documentation for each child and parent.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education/Degree: Bachelor's degree required for Family Foster Care, Master's degree required for Treatment Family Foster Care Caseworker, BSW or MSW preferred.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel. Experience with CONNECTIONS preferred.
• Valid NYS Driver's License required for all Treatment Family Foster Care Staff, and preferred for Family Foster Care.
• Bilingual applicants strongly encouraged to apply.
• Commitment to the mission and programs of SCO Family of Services.
• Continued employment contingent upon:
• Regular and Treatment Family Foster Care: certification in Solution Based Casework.
• Treatment Family Foster Care: certification in Parent Skills Training
• Reachable 24/7 on agency cell phones.
• Desire to work with children and families that have histories of chemical dependency, mental illness, neglect, physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse, different cultural backgrounds, and varying socioeconomics statuses.
• Work competently, compassionately, and without judgment with individuals who may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, or who may be in different stages of discovering or disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Ability to work varying schedules that may cause you to work in excess of your regularly scheduled hours or weekends if necessary.
• Ability to respond to the unique developmental needs of children in different stages of maturation including early childhood, school age, or young adulthood.
• Willingness to travel within each of the 5 boroughs, Long Island, Upstate New York, or more distant locations if necessary in order to visit all of our clients' residences, which may be in lower income neighborhoods, prisons, hospitals, psychiatric hospitals and various shelter or rehabilitation facilities.
• Excellent communications skills, both oral and written, a strong sense of empathy towards our populations served, and a passion for the field of child welfare.
• Strong time management skills, diligence, resilience, and experience working in a unit or team.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

If you are interested in the position mentioned above, please email a copy of your resume with a cover letter indicating the position of interest to:

Name/Title: Mark Ward, Recruiting and Retention Specialist, Foster Care

Email: ffccareers@sco.org

Please keep in mind that it is not possible for us to personally contact every candidate, but rest assured that your information will be reviewed and one of our hiring managers will contact you if you're being considered for the position.

SCO FAMILY OF SERVICES is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V