Child Welfare Case Manager - IFST (Lee)

CHILDRENS NETWORK OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA LLC•Fort Myers, FL

2d•$26 - $28•Onsite

About The Position

The Intensive Family Services Treatment (IFST) Child Welfare Case Manager serves children and families with early engagement intensive case management while partnering with the Department of Children and Families investigator. An upfront collaborative team approach is utilized to engage families early in the investigative process with the focus of serving the family in their home during case management. The IFST Case Manager will strive to improve the social and behavioral functioning of the family to maximize protective capacity of the parents and overall well-being of the children. The purpose is to evaluate, coordinate, ensure that the necessary service delivery and treatment are provided; complete required family assessments and ongoing documentation; assist individuals and families by teaming with them to identify goals to maintain and strengthen the family unit. Participate in staffings to ensure parental progress and to maintain child safety and well-being.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from a four (4) year accredited college or university in social work or related human services field
One (1) year experience working with children and families
Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships
Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities
Strong critical thinking skills
Ability to work as a team member
Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
Effective listening skills
Verbal and written communications skills
Must be self-motivated and have the ability to manage various work assignments simultaneously
Must be able to operate standard modern office machinery, including fax, telephone, calculator, computer, scanner, printer, and copier.
Must be competent with Microsoft Office Suite programs, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Must be competent with basic e-mail protocol and procedures including sending, receiving, replying, attachments, and meeting scheduling, excellent written and oral communication skill.
Must abide by the highest standards of confidentiality.
Valid driver’s license, a clear driver’s license check, and proof of insurance is required
Criminal background screening (Local Law Enforcement & FBI/FDLE) and Abuse Registry Drug Screening is a requirement
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret regulatory documents, contracts, policies, and case records.
Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from management, staff, clients, and outside agencies.
Ability to effectively present information to children and families, management, employees, and outside agencies.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Able to anticipate needs and/or problems based on current events and/or situations and to develop solutions.
Ability to sit for extended periods; walk; stand; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel or crouch; talk and hear.
Visual acuity sufficient to read and to operate standard modern office machines.
Must be able to occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
A commitment to empowering others to solve their own problems
Valuing a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a person
A conviction about the capacity of people to grow and change
The ability to establish a respectful relationship with persons served to help them gain skills and confidence
The ability to work collaboratively with other personnel and/or service providers or professionals
The capacity to maintain a helping role and to intervene appropriately to meet service goals
The ability to set appropriate limits
Safety and permanency of children

Nice To Haves

Florida Board Child Welfare Professional Certification preferred
All non-certified Child Welfare Professionals must attend formal instruction (Phase I Child Protection Certification training program). Upon successful completion of Phase I, the candidate will enter provisional status. The candidate will be required to become fully certified within one year of the pre-service training post-test.
All Certified Child Welfare Professionals must complete twenty (20) hours of relevant in-service training on an annual basis.

Responsibilities

Oversight of all child welfare related tasks with families
Development of safety plans and subsequent monitoring
Continuous assessment of family’s treatment progress and behavioral change
Attend regular staffing’s with community providers and family supports to discuss progress
Provide documentation and data on child welfare case activities
Conduct frequent home visits to ensure engagement and progress of child/families
Adherence of all data collection into FSFN
Produce periodic reports as requested
Respond to PNA Special Condition Referrals (calls received from a parent/legal custodian seeking assistance for themselves that does not meet the criteria for child abuse, abandonment, or neglect)
Review family history with DCF (in FSFN) and any available criminal history, and contact CPI and CPI supervisor to discuss prior involvement
Contact parent/legal custodian and any collateral sources available to obtain all necessary information regarding their current crisis and/or relevant historical information
Assess family’s needs ~ Any information to help the family’s crisis or needs will be provided to the parent/legal custodian and any make referrals as needed
Consult with Behavioral Health Specialist when the crisis relates to parent or child’s mental health, including existing family providers
Complete all documentation within 2 business days in FSFN and complete overall assessment in FSFN within the required timeframe of no greater than 30 calendar days
Any information that causes suspicion of abuse, abandonment, or neglect, must be reported to the Hotline immediately
If no intervention is available for the family’s crisis, a multi-disciplinary staffing is required
Other duties may be assigned as special projects may be requested