Child Specialist

Foothill Family • Pasadena, CA

2d • $21 - $28 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Child Specialist provides targeted case management and mental health services within their scope of practice to clients and works with therapists as part of a therapeutic team. This role supports and promotes the mission of Foothill Family, which is to empower children and families on their journey to achieve personal success. The specialist will provide mental health services for clients in Department of Mental Health (DMH) funded programs or other funded programs, reinforcing skills learned in therapy to decrease symptoms, meet treatment goals, and improve functioning. They will work collaboratively with therapists, psychiatrists, school personnel, and parents/guardians to ensure treatment progress, providing services in client homes, schools, the community, and Agency offices. Additionally, the role involves reinforcing positive parenting skills, providing case management to link clients to necessary resources, facilitating immediate response to acute psychiatric symptoms, and facilitating child and parent groups. The specialist will also assess client financial status, collect outcome measures, compile data, drive to provide field-based services, arrange transportation for clients as needed, maintain case records, comply with documentation requirements, and participate in meetings and training. The role also includes representing the Agency in the community, providing in-service training, consulting with other agencies, and attending meetings and events within Los Angeles County and surrounding areas. The position requires sensitivity to the service population's cultural and socio-economic characteristics, performing work safely, and adhering to HIPAA and client file maintenance policies. The specialist must also ensure performance and behaviors support the Agency’s performance quality improvement (PQI) goals and objectives, report to work on time, and maintain reliable attendance.

Requirements

• Child Specialist: Entry level with BA/BS in a Social Science preferred.
• Ability to be an excellent representative of the Agency to the community.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Detailed oriented.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to work cooperatively as a team member.
• Knowledge and sensitivity to cultural differences.
• Knowledge of childhood development and community resources.
• Must not appear on any federal, state, or other applicable sanctions, exclusion, or debarment lists that would prohibit or restrict employment with an agency receiving federal or state health care funding.
• Requires regular and reliable driving throughout Los Angeles County.
• Valid CA Driver’s License and maintains insurability on the Agency’s auto liability policy (including a minimum of 2 years driving experience) and maintains the California state required auto insurance liability limits.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual Spanish, Cantonese/Mandarin, Vietnamese, Khmer, Armenian or other language, as determined by program need, preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provides mental health services for clients in Department of Mental Health (DMH) funded programs or in other programs as funded that reinforce and practice skills the client has learned in therapy with the goal of decreasing symptoms, meeting treatment goals, and improving functioning.
• Works collaboratively with therapists, psychiatrists, school personnel and parents/guardians to ensure treatment progress.
• Provides service in client homes, schools, in their community and in Agency offices.
• Reinforces positive parenting skills to increase the parents’ ability to manage the behaviors of their special needs child.
• Provides case management services to link clients to resources needed to support the achievement of their treatment goals. This includes linkage to collaborating agencies as well as any advocacy needed to ensure needs are appropriately met.
• Facilitates immediate response to a client exhibiting acute psychiatric symptoms when needed and works in collaboration with the treating therapist and/or supervisor to ensure client safety and crisis management.
• Facilitates child and parent groups within the scope of education and training. This may include psychoeducational groups and evidence-based practices in which the staff have received training and have been certified.
• Assesses client's financial status and collects outcome measures. Compiles data as directed.
• Drives to clients’ home, school, community or Agency offices to provide field-based services to clients and families as assigned and based on the families’ needs and availability.
• Drives or arranges transportation for clients as appropriate and necessary to ensure that service needs are met.
• Maintains case records of own case activity and completes in a timely and comprehensive manner according to program and Agency mandates.
• Complies with client service provision, documentation requirements and rules and regulations as specified by the Agency and funding sources.
• Prepares for and participates in meetings, training sessions and other activities pertaining to program, or Foothill Family as directed.
• Prepares for supervision and can incorporate their supervisor’s input into treatment plans.
• Represents the Agency at community meetings, provides in-service training to other agencies and Foothill employees, consults with other agencies and schools, and represents the Agency at marketing events.
• Provides care or services to minors or comes into contact with minors as part of their job duties.
• Provides services relating to the administration of public funds or benefits, including eligibility for public funds or public benefits.
• Travels between Foothill Family sites for training, meetings, and other in-person interactions.
• Attends in-person meetings and events at various locations within the Los Angeles County and surrounding areas.
• Displays sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomics characteristics.
• Performs work in a safe manner at all times and ensures that other individuals do not put themselves or others at risk.
• Follows all policies, procedures and legal mandates related to HIPAA and maintenance of client files.
• Ensures performance and behaviors support the Agency’s performance quality improvement (PQI) goals and objectives.
• Reports to work on time and maintains reliable and regular attendance.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level