Caseworker

SCO is looking for a well- qualified

The Caseworker is a professional staff position in the Community Residential Programs division of SCO Family of Services. The position requires an individual who is highly dedicated to the goals and objectives of the family-to-family initiative, residential group care, and the agency at large. Caseworkers work in partnership with families, youth and neighborhood residents. The work is demanding, highly interactive and diversified and therefore requires flexibility. The caseworker must be sensitive to the rights, feeling, needs and cultural background of each client and responsive to such in a non-judgmental manner.

MINIMUM RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Caseworker with Child
• Maintains on-going qualitative social work/child, and social/child care contacts in accordance with regulatory mandates.
• Lobbies and advocates energetically for the appropriate education/vocational placement for each resident.
• Prepares cases for presentation in six-month interdisciplinary case reviews and participates actively in the development of comprehensive service plan.
• Serves as youngster's advocate and represents in collaborative service planning with Department of Mental Health and Youth Development Services and the program's Nursing and Program Management Units.
• Facilitates case movement, which seeks the placement of each youngster in the most appropriate and least restrictive setting for required services.
• Caseworker with Family
• Maintains and facilitates on-going qualitative social work/family, family/child and siblings contacts in accordance with regulatory mandates.
• Executes diligent efforts to locate family members of each youngster in the program.
• Implements creative strategies for involving family members in the service planning and delivery process.
• Lobbies energetically and facilitates the provision of family therapy and other supportive collateral services when indicated.
• Facilitates the development of realistic appropriate and timely discharge plans.
• Promotes the principles of the family-to-family initiative through partnership with direct care staff, birth parents and youth and neighborhood residents.
• Helps to establish communities of care for youth and the families by building effective relationships with significant individuals and service providers in the location where the family resides.
• Casework with Collateral Persons
• Maintains regular contact and efficacious working relationships with significant others involved in the service planning and provision process, i.e. child care staff, educational personnel, court and legal representatives, foster parents, medical personnel and other caseworkers involved.
• Lobbies energetically and advocates for services which will empower and enhance client functioning.
• Assures a holistic, culturally sensitive, family centered and child-focused presentation of case particulars.
• Represents the agency in neighborhood service network meetings and other forums and participates in other community educational activities.
• Record keeping
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date electronic and paper case records. Complete, accurate and timely documentation of casework activities is a critical element of this position. Facilitates regulatory compliance with City and State standards of practices. Completes and submits all necessary reports (e.g., service plans, permanency hearing reports, progress notes), as required, in a timely fashion.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education/Degree: A Bachelors/Maters degree in Social Work or related field from an accredited college or university preferred. Degrees in other disciplines given full consideration.
• 2 years of experience working with children and families

APPLICATION PROCESS:

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

Name/Title: Joann Josey-Henry, LMSW - Director of Social Services

Fax: 718-298-5599

Email: vbrowne@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