Family Counselor / Case Worker

Good Shepherd Services•Brooklyn, NY

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Brooklyn Transitions Program is a specialized borough-wide prevention program serving families challenged by substance use and/or mental health issues. The Social Worker/Case Worker provides intensive, home-based and on-site, strength-based, comprehensive services using the Solution-Based Casework (SBC) framework. The role serves a designated caseload of eight families and includes individual, family, and group counseling, short-term crisis intervention, advocacy, and outreach. The position works collaboratively with families, the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), treatment providers, schools, clinics, courts, and other service providers. The counselor conducts screenings and assessments, develops and documents family and individual outcomes and action plans, supports safety and treatment decisions, facilitates referrals, and maintains required case records and reports. The role also involves attending meetings and court hearings, ongoing case consultation and SBC training, and working at least two evenings per week to accommodate families’ schedules.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; degrees in Social Work, Human Services, Psychology, Sociology, Counseling, or other humanities fields will be considered.
Strong organizational, interpersonal, and counseling skills.
Ability to work at least two evenings per week to accommodate working families’ schedules.
Strong inquiry skills and ability to seek and share internal and external best practices.
Commitment to strength-based, trauma-informed, and youth- and family-development perspectives.

Nice To Haves

Child welfare experience preferred.
Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
SBC training and/or certification is a plus.

Responsibilities

Provide home-based and on-site individual, family, and group counseling, short-term crisis intervention, advocacy, and outreach to a caseload of eight families.
Engage families immediately upon referral and, when needed, participate in ACS Child Safety Conferences.
Implement Solution-Based Casework (SBC), including assessment, family- and individual-level outcomes, action plans, documentation, and celebration.
Handle case-related crises professionally and urgently, including incidents involving reports to the State Central Registry.
Conduct screenings and assessments for substance use, mental illness, and child safety and well-being, including caregiver capacity, home environment and conditions, and discipline methods.
Integrate SBC practices into every counseling session and ensure that every child is seen and properly assessed each month.
Meet appropriate casework contacts for each phase of treatment: Initial, Baseline, and Stabilization.
Represent participant needs, concerns, and perspectives at required ACS and GSS meetings and trainings.
Collaborate with ACS, alcohol and other drug treatment providers, schools, medical and mental health clinics, and other resources serving family members.
Consult and collaborate with Family Workers as needed to ensure high-quality services to families.
Collaborate with ACS Family Services Unit staff, Family Court Legal Services staff, and other service providers in making safety and treatment decisions.
Attend and participate in Family Court hearings for families involved with ACS Family Services Unit.
Facilitate referrals to substance abuse and mental health treatment providers and other services, including escorting families to appointments as needed.
Participate in Clinical Diagnostic Team meetings to share case information, updates, and assessments and obtain recommendations for continued case practice or case termination.
Participate in case consultation, continued SBC training, and the SBC certification process.
Prepare and maintain FASP documentation, monthly statistical reports, and casework notes in accordance with agency policy.
Prepare court reports as needed about families’ progress or lack of progress toward outcomes.
Use state and city databases, including PROMIS and Connections, and other agency databases as needed.