Family Support Manager (MSW with license)

WHO WE ARE

The mission of Playtime Project (Playtime) is to cultivate resilience in children experiencing family housing insecurity by providing and expanding access to transformative play experiences.

We do this by:

• Creating ongoing play opportunities that nurture healthy child development
• Challenging systemic injustice by advocating for policies and practices that reduce the risk of chronic homelessness
• Connecting families with critical support services and supplies in the community to meet their concrete needs

We are a 21-year-old community-based nonprofit based in D.C. and Prince George’s County, Md. The Family Support Manager is a social work position coordinating Playtime’s continuum of care for families needing resources and referrals beyond housing. Playtime’s focus is on supporting the social-emotional health and stability for the families we serve. This includes ensuring that Playtime families have the resources and support they need to access childcare, educational advocacy, disability services, and meet concrete needs. We fund this position primarily through private foundation support, individual donations and some county grants.

WHO YOU ARE

You are a dedicated social worker who is looking for a non-traditional environment where you can really make a difference, rather than be bogged down in paperwork and excessive caseloads. Successful candidates will come with knowledge of evidence-based practices regarding play, research on Adverse Childhood Experiences, cultural humility, and multicultural competency skills. Experience with advocacy, community partnership building and trauma-informed and responsive practices is key. Excellent rapport-building skills and ability to motivate and support vulnerable families is also important. Knowledge of child and youth development, domestic violence, homelessness, and solution-focused case management techniques are ideal.

WHAT YOU’D DO

The Family Support Manager will co-create and coordinate a caseload of priority families from the programs we serve. Outreach to community providers to vet and provide resources and referral support focused on children’s developmental needs is key. Needs assessments and referrals for parents will center on such domains as early childhood development, educational advocacy, disability services, and meeting concrete needs like furniture and food upon leaving shelter. With guidance from the Executive Director, the Family Support Manager will also supervise social work interns working individually and in groups with children during Playtime’s programs. Working with Playtime’s team and outside agencies to establish child safety initiatives will be a great opportunity to infuse Playtime’s model with social work best practices. In addition, you can grow your skills by helping to design trainings for the staff and interns.

REPORTING STRUCTURE

This position will report to the Executive Director and work closely with other departments in the organization, particularly the Programs department. Additionally, the Social Worker will interface with Board of Directors members and senior Leadership on several Board committees.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• Master’s degree in social work (MSW) from accredited program
• 5 years of professional social work experience with children and families
• Licensure in DC (LICSW) or MD (LMSW/LCSW-C)
• Experience with crisis management, strengths-based assessment and case management, and therapeutic interventions that are trauma-responsive
• Knowledge and connections with resources, services and programs that benefit children and families experiencing homelessness in Prince George’s County especially
• Access to car and ability to travel to our sites in Prince George’s county several times per week to include evening hours. Occasional travel to DC and rare Saturday events
• Demonstrated ability to build, nurture and sustain community partnerships and inspire agencies and partners to act on behalf of vulnerable children and families
• Pro-active problem solver who is organized, follows-through, and takes initiative
• Ability to work in an agile and evolving environment, both independently and collaboratively with others

COMPUTER/TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

Must be PC proficient, including extensive experience with MS Office software (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint, and Word) as well as client database systems. Must be efficient at typing and accurate in keeping client progress notes, and writing and submitting reports on time. Professional writing and communication skills and experience reporting data is required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to touch or feel a computer, keyboard, monitor, telephone, Smart Phone, and talk or hear when interacting with colleagues, partners or clients. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk and sit. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. The employee may regularly lift and/or move 15 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds, for example lifting boxes up and down stairs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Travel primarily between Playtime’s sites in Capitol Heights and Greenbelt expected around four days per week with occasional trips to client’s homes and Playtime’s DC office and other sites in Prince George’s County as needed. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Some remote and phone work is expected.