Bilingual Family Support Specialist II - Reunification/Therapeutic Family Time Program

Company: The Village for Families and Children
Location: New Britain
Posted on: August 2, 2020

Job Description:

Job Description: Do you have a passion for supporting and strengthening families? Are you compassionate, team-oriented and nonjudgmental? Do you want to help create safe family environments for children? Become a Family Support Specialist II with The Villages Reunification and Therapeutic Family Time program. ABOUT REUNIFICATION/THERAPEUTIC FAMILY TIME The Reunification and Therapeutic Family Time program provides intensive support services for families with children (age birth-17 years) in Connecticut Department for Children and Families (DCF) custody whose permanency goal is family reunification. The majority of families we serve are from the DCF Manchester and Hartford Offices. The program uses a strength-based team approach to engage and support families focusing on reunification transition and/or strengthening the parent-child bond. The program also facilitates foster care family involvement, so they can be seen and used as a resource for biological families. Services include parenting education and skill building, parent-child relationship development, safety planning, therapeutic family time supervision, in-home visitation, case management with linkages to community resources, 30 day reunification readiness assessment and 24/7 on-call support. JOB SUMMARY Responsible for provision of Reunification Readiness, Reunification Services and Therapeutic Family Time. Responsible for assessing the readiness of potential bio families referred by DCF that may qualify for reunification services. Provide reunification services to families referred by DCF providing short-term intensive in-home services following the removal of a child(ren) due to abuse or neglect in order to promote successful reunification. Will conduct weekly home visits and work closely with the bio-family and resource family (substitute caregiver), as well as conduct therapeutic family time (supervised visits) and transportation to and from visits, provide on-call support to families; and provide intervention as needed. Services are provided in coordination with DCF and other community service providers. Family Support Specialist are also responsible for providing Therapeutic Family Time (TFT) services to families who are referred by DCF. Transportation of children will be required. TFT services will utilize the Visit Coaching Modelin their Therapeutic Family Time work. As part of Visit Coaching, the coach is actively involved in supporting the parents to demonstrate their best parenting skills, utilizing a strength-based approach. A range of coaching approaches /interventions can be used based on the individual strengths and needs of the parents including: Use of play, modeling, instruction, and rehearsal. RESPONSIBILITIES: Provision of direct services to children and their families which may include: assessment and engagement formulation and contracting for services or treatment plan. implementation of treatment plan modifying as appropriate during the course of service. discharge planning which may include plans for follow up treatment and connection to community services and programs Case management Work with community groups in collaborative ventures Provision of Service in the office, home or host setting, to meet the unique needs of families served. Accurate and timely completion of clinical documentation and reports, and any other documentation and reports required by agency and program policies and funding sources. Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with other community agencies and organizations in consultation with supervisor, in order to provide comprehensive and effective treatment services for clients (i.e. schools, courts, hospitals, etc.) Works as a team member with other clinical and administrative staff to respond to client and programmatic needs. Knowledge and implementation of agency policies and procedures. Partners with supervisor to identify areas and develop plans for professional growth. Contributes to agency organizational life by participating in agency wide task forces, committees or problem solving teams as appropriate. Contributes to agency visibility and development of community linkages by representing the Village in community groups or committees, as assigned by supervisor. Experience and Skills: MSW/MA from an accredited program with a licensable degree, or a BA with 5+ years of experience. Must have a clean and valid drivers license and the ability to drive or otherwise obtain transportation to provide services throughout the service area Must be Bilingual - Spanish Speaking. Excellent oral and written skills and ability to communicate comfortably with children, parents, and school personnel Organized and able to work independently with minimal supervision. Flexible and able to multi-task. Cultural competency to serve targeted populations. Experience working with inner-city children. Commitment to Results/Performance Based Accountability. Proficient with word processing and spreadsheet applications. Possess solid general computer skills, including ability to work in a Windows XP environment. Familiarity with specific applications used by the Village a plus. Physically able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodations; able to function safely in a therapeutic situations including provision of services in clients homes or host settings; able to travel to various sites throughout greater Hartford. ABOUT THE VILLAGE The Village was one of the first agencies in the country to provide homes for neglected children. Today, we continue to achieve our mission "to build a community of strong, healthy families who protect and nurture children" by providing a full range of behavioral health, early childhood and youth development, substance abuse treatment, and support services for children, families and adults in the Greater Hartford region. Our staff are energetic, enthusiastic, mission-driven and open to learning. If youd like to grow your career in a diverse and supportive environment rich with learning opportunities, join us! Job Benefits: EMPLOYEE BENEFITS The Village offers a comprehensive flexible benefits package designed to aid in the health and well-being of our employees and their dependents, including: Good Health Aetna Medical and Prescription Coverage Health Savings Account (HSA), with employer contribution of up to $1,000 per year Dental and Vision Insurance Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Annual on-site flu clinics Secured Future Employer paid Life and AD&D Insurance Employer paid Dependent Life Insurance Employer paid Long-Term Disability Insurance Employer Paid Business Travel Insurance Retirement 403(b) Plan with Employer Contribution and Match Advancement in your Career Annual Professional License Reimbursement Clinical Supervision toward Licensure Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Student Loan Forgiveness Program National Health Service Corp (NHSC) Tuition Reimbursement Work/Life Balance Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Employer paid and confidential counseling services Paid Holidays Paid time off; including 15 days of vacation, 12 days of sick and bereavement leave

Keywords: The Village for Families and Children, New Britain , Bilingual Family Support Specialist II - Reunification/Therapeutic Family Time Program, Other , New Britain, Connecticut