Conference Facilitator

City of New York•New York, NY

7d•$84,863 - $97,593•Onsite

About The Position

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. Its Office of Family Team Conferencing facilitates conferences and related work supporting Child Protection best practices, including processing out-of-home foster care placements when children are unsafe or at risk in their natural environments. The work focuses on family support, well-being, child safety, risk, and permanency. Child Safety Conferences aim to develop appropriate safety decisions and plans to prevent removal when safe, or to identify suitable out-of-home placements that protect children from imminent danger and harm, including through exploration of familial and fictive kin resources. The Conference Facilitator attends and leads Family Team Conferences, addressing the needs and concerns of children, families, provider agencies, divisional partners, and Family Court. The role uses collaborative decision-making with key stakeholders and may recommend referrals and community resources. It also includes completing conference documentation and reports, preparing expedited kinship home-study packages, requesting items and emergency funds for kinship caregivers, and consulting with interagency support resources and Family Court Legal Services attorneys. Conferences may take place in the family’s natural community when appropriate, necessary, and safe. The selected candidate will be offered a salary between $84,863 and $97,593. Candidates will be assigned to either 1274 Bedford Avenue or 12 Metrotech.

Requirements

A master’s degree in social work from an accredited school of social work.
A valid New York State registration as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and at least one year of full-time, satisfactory, post-graduate experience in a qualifying practice modality; or a valid New York State registration as a Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) and at least three years of qualifying experience; or at least three years of qualifying experience, with an LCSW or LMSW license obtained within one year of appointment.
Qualifying experience must include substantial experience in at least one of these areas: facilitating family team conferences or family group decision-making meetings using a family-engagement and consensus-based model; clinical group work with children, youth, parents, or individual families; or professional training on topics related to child and family services.
For the LMSW experience pathway, up to two years of the required experience may have been in supervision of the specified social work practice areas.
At least one year of the required experience must have been obtained within the last five years.
Employees who do not obtain an LCSW or LMSW within one year after appointment may have their probationary period extended by no more than six months; failure to obtain the license by the end of the probationary period results in dismissal.
Candidates are required to take and pass the next open competitive civil service examination for the title to avoid being bumped when the eligible list is established.

Nice To Haves

Permanent Child and Family Specialists are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

Attend and facilitate scheduled Family Team Conferences focused on child safety, risk, well-being, permanency, and family support, ensuring placement and discharge decisions reflect Children’s Services commitments, values, and principles.
Address critical issues and concerns raised by children and families, provider agencies, divisional partners, and Family Court during conferences.
Use a decision-making process involving stakeholders, children, families, service providers, and community resources; recommend referrals and resources when appropriate.
Complete timely administrative work, including conference documentation, data, action plans, and other reports related to Family Team Conferencing.
Complete expedited home-study packages (5300 series) for kinship resources in the community.
Submit DOAS requests for items to support children in kinship resource homes.
Request emergency funds and miscellaneous reimbursement payments for kin resources caring for children.
Interface with interagency critical support resources, including the clinical consultation team, MCHU, and Investigative Consultants, to identify issues, barriers, and concerns related to children’s safety.
Provide case conferencing and consultation to reassess decisions and service plans; consult with FCLS attorneys regarding case legal posture and court orders when assessing family readiness for change and caretaker protective capacity.
Provide conferences in the family’s natural community when appropriate, necessary, and safe.