OPPORTUNITIES

Position: Family Resource Specialist

Department: Child Welfare  

Reports To: Case Manager Team Supv.  

 FLSA Code: Exempt

Hours: 40 hours per week (specific hours are flexible)

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY:

Under close supervision will assist the Family Case Manager with facilitating the expansion of resources needed to better serve children and their families involved in foster care. Provides professional technical assistance and resource development support to casework staff who serve children with specialized and problematic behavior service needs .Identify and locate potential extended family/fictive kinship relationships. .

SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITIES: 

1. Shall support youth in care by cultivating appropriate existing relationships and support the Youth’s efforts to discover new and/or renewable relationships.
2. Will work with Case Manager known family and Youth in locating immediate and/or extended family members or other adults that are willing or able to develop a supportive relationship with the child or youth.
3. Will work with child/youth to encourage the child/youth to visit and communicate with family members and other adults with whom the child/youth has established a close relationship.
4. Works with assigned Case Manager and Permanency Worker to ensure that the family and youth wishes are included and facilitated in terms of participation in Child and family Team Meetings.
5. Works with assigned Case Manager and older youth to ensure that the Child and family Team Process focuses on establishing and maintaining lifetime supports and connections, relational permanency and preparation for adulthood. This should be a network the youth can depend on during transition to adulthood and out of foster care.
6. Works with assigned Case Manager and Permanency Achievement Specialist to deliver or link to needed independent living services for youth who are 17 years of age or older to facilitate successful transition to adulthood.
7. Works with Case Manager and , when appropriate , assigned therapist to identify additional resources needed to  address problematic or specialized behaviors.
8. Participates in regular supervision and team meetings,
9. Other duties as assigned. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Education Experience:

 Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in a human service field.

Training and Skills

Two years of foster care case management, family case management services and/or work with transition age youth preferred

Worker Traits:

• Ability to help others gain skills and confidence to address the issues and problems they face.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other staff, service providers and professionals. 
• Ability to set limits and intervene appropriately to meet the needs of persons served.
• Ability to utilize trauma informed approach with all clients.
• Conviction about the capacity of people to grow and change. 
• Ability to value a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a person.
• Sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.

Work Requirements:

• Pass a CANTS (Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System) check.
• Pass a Criminal Background check.
• Preferred at least two years experience working with family case management , and/or older youth
• Maintain confidentiality
• Attend regular staff meetings 
• Possess and maintain a valid Driver’s License and possess safe and reliable transportation.
• Possess and maintain adequate Liability Insurance for the vehicle.
• Must complete the CWEL training requirement within 45 days of the hire date. 

Job Skills:

• Ability to provide for the individual needs of children 
• Ability to provide help and support for foster parents of children in placement  working toward permanency
• Ability to work effectively with parents of children in placement .working toward reunification
• Ability to locate and utilize resources for all individuals in the child welfare system 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The typical work environment is in an office setting, but may on occasion be outside in a sometimes threatening and hostile environment.  The noise level will vary depending on the location.  External vehicles, office equipment, machinery, telephone and conversations produce level.  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essentials of this job.

• • Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 
  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.  The employee is frequently required to sit, stand, stoop and walk. 
  • The employee must occasionally lift and move up to 30 pounds.

Unity is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Please sign the General Sign off document Attached below

General Sign Off