Senior Social Worker
Foster Family Agency Senior Social Worker Position Foster Family Agency seeks detail oriented and organized individuals for full time or contract Senior Social Worker positions for Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, bilingual English/Spanish preferred, experience working with children highly desired. A Master's Degree or higher from an accredited or state approved graduate school in Social Work or Social Welfare, Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling, Child Psychology, Child Development, Counseling Psychology, Social Psychology or related field is required. Salary is $4,000.00 per month plus benefits.
TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Trains Prospective Resource Parents using the Resource Family Approval Training Curriculum for initial and ongoing certification
- Expedites admission for placement of children in Agency certified homes. Acts as liaison with placement agency workers and other community resource persons. Will transport children, as required
- Performs written needs assessment, develops children's treatment plans and their updates which includes ensuring educational needs and appropriate recreational and directed activities are identified, may collaborate in the development of treatment plans with other program treatment consultants.
- Meets with foster parents, children and children's parents / relatives or significant others, as required; supervises and/or arranges visits between children and their parents, relatives; maintains documentation of such visits
- Responsible for writing, sending treatment and / or quarterly reports to placing agencies on time; responsible for proper documentation of client case records, treatment plans, treatment evaluations and termination and discharge reports; participates in treatment planning sessions.
- Responsible for documentation of foster home certification records and maintenance of ongoing certification and program standards
- Responsible for documentation, implementation and follow up of medical, dental needs for children and for ensuring the food and clothing needs of children are being met.
- Responsible for reporting any actual or suspected child abuse; responsible for reporting special incident reports (both telephonic and written) to appropriate persons and/or licensing and placing agencies.
- Responsible for documenting any violations and deficiencies of Agency certification standards, program standards, or state laws as they pertain to foster parents or foster family homes and for reporting these violations and / or deficiencies to the appropriate agencies and to administration for correction; formulates and implements plans of correction to correct deficiencies.
- Conducts or participates in investigations involving complaints, allegations, or matters pertaining to deficiencies and noncompliance with regulations, applicable laws, and Agency policies and procedures; provides input with regard to Recertification and appeal proceedings
- Participate in recruitment and selection of foster parents; conducts in-service training for foster parents, as required; provides on-call emergency support for certified homes and/or children.
- Other duties will be assigned as necessary.
Foster Family Agency, Safe/psycho Social Assessment/home Study, Contract Senior Social Worker Position Foster Family Agency seeks detail oriented and organized individuals for contract positions in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Bilingual English/Spanish preferred, experience working with children and families a plus. A Master's Degree or higher from an accredited or state approved graduate school in Social Work or Social Welfare, Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling, Child Psychology, Child Development, Counseling Psychology, Social Psychology or related field is required. Must be safe certified or Willing To Get Safe Certified.
Reimbursement: $800.00 for each completed SAFE County Psycho Social Assessment/Home study, plus mileage. $600.00 for each completed internal agency SAFE Psycho Social Assessment/Home Study, plus mileage.
Social work personnel participating in the assessment and evaluation of an applicant or Resource Family must meet competency requirements, including having necessary knowledge and skills. Knowledge includes an understanding of the following: KNOWLEDGE:
1. Child Welfare principles consistent with the California Continuum of Care Reform.
2. The Resource Family Approval assessment and approval process.
3. The contents of the interim licensing standards.
4. The personal rights of children in foster care and how to ensure those rights are afforded to children.
5. Child and family confidentiality principles.
6. Techniques for interviewing children, non-minor dependents, and adults.
7. Developmental stages of childhood and effects of trauma on development, as well as the impact of poverty on the lives of families and children
8. The priorities of safety, permanency, and well-being for children in foster care.
9. The impact of trauma, grief, and loss on a child involved in the child welfare system and its impact on placement and permanency goals
10. The impact of mental health and substance abuse on children and families.
11. Permanency timelines and the role caregivers play in supporting timely permanency.
12. That teaming or collaboration assists in developing solutions that are individualized to the family and their culture, community, and tribes.
13. The practice of cultural humility and how this approach improves family engagement, shows respect for families, and ensures assessments incorporate a family's unique culture.
14. Ongoing training and services prepare caregivers to meet the needs of children and non-minor dependents and assists families with forming lifelong relationships.
15. Resource Family Approval prepares families to better meet the needs of vulnerable children in the foster care system and assists with a seamless transition to permanency.
16. The impact of personal biases when working with children and families.
TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Skills include the ability to do the following:
1. Explain the Resource Family Approval requirements to applicants and Resource Families.
2. Correctly apply the interim licensing standards and applicable laws.
3. Conduct a home environment assessment, psychosocial assessment, and prepare a written report.
4. Incorporate an assessment of an applicant's mental health and substance abuse into the risk assessment.
5. Interview children, non-minor dependents, and adults using a variety of interviewing techniques.
6. Conduct visits for assessment purposes in a way that engages Resource Families to build rapport and establish trust.
7. Assess a variety of information including, but not limited to, historical, social, and economic factors pertaining to individuals.
8. Summarize, evaluate, and make a final determination of an applicant in the written report.
9. Utilize teaming or collaborative strategies to engage Resource Families.
10. Ability to assess and identify children who have been abused, neglected, or maltreated.
11. Recognize how personal beliefs, values, norms, and world views can affect the dynamics of case planning and outcomes.
12. Present self in a manner that is respectful, culturally humble, professional, and adapts well to meet both community and cultural needs of children and families.
13. Collaborate with families to achieve mutual goals, build upon family strengths, and ensure quality comprehensive written reports are developed.
14. Train Prospective Resource Parents using the Resource Family Approval Training Curriculum for initial and ongoing certification (Contract Reimbursement plus mileage: on a case by case basis)