Family Preservation Specialist

Bethany Christian Services•Kingston, PA

56d

About The Position

At Bethany Christian Services, we believe families provide the strongest foundation for care and connection. That's why we focus on strengthening and empowering families, always advocating for family-centered solutions to keep children safe. Our work began in 1944 with the care of a single child. Today, inspired by our faith, our aim is to demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus in our services for children, youth, and families. Working at Bethany means joining a team of nearly 2,000 dedicated professionals with diverse skills, serving communities across the country. Together, we're united in our mission and these shared values: we're motivated by our faith, we support one another, we champion justice, we pursue excellence, and we're in it for the long haul. The Parents and Children Together (PACT) Program is a prevention/early intervention program that provides in-home counseling, skill building, and support for at-risk families. PACT targets children who are "falling through the cracks" of our community service systems but are not yet at imminent risk of out-of-home placement. The role of the PACT Specialist is to help families improve family functioning, increase parenting skills, improve children's behavior at home and in school, and increase family social supports and social connections. Services will primarily be rendered in client homes. The position is expected to function effectively with regular supervision while following the guidelines given on procedures, along with agency, federal, and state regulatory requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Social Sciences, Human Services, or related field of study from an accredited college with at least two (2) years of experience working with children and families or a Master's degree in Social Work, Human Services, or related field of study from an accredited college with experience working with children and families;
Demonstrated experience working with children and families from diverse cultures with sensitivity to cultural differences and norms;
Demonstrated ability with providing excellent clinical and crisis intervention skills;
Knowledge of state, community and agency resources;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
Capacity to engage, respect, and serve a wide range of clients with a nonjudgmental attitude, while empowering the clients served;
Must have an ability to provide excellent and compassionate customer service;
Ability to work independently and exercise a high level of confidentiality;
Must be willing and able to work outside of normal business hours to include some evenings, weekends, and holidays to address client issues as they arise;
Must live within sixty minutes of proximity to most families being served;
Computer skills sufficient to perform essential functions including knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite;
Must be 21 years old with a valid driver's license with at least 3 years driving experience in the U.S. to operate a vehicle on behalf of Bethany;
Must pass a Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) check and maintain a reliable vehicle with proof of adequate coverage;
Pass a criminal history screen, including state and local child protection agency registries;
Subscription to and integration of the agency Statement of Faith, Mission Statement, and Commitment to Unity.

Responsibilities

Conduct clinical interventions that are consistent with PACT standards, while using a range of clinical, concrete, and advocacy services to family members;
Conduct data collection, and reporting in a thorough and timely manner;
Provide client-interactive, comprehensive, strength and behavior-focused assessments;
Work collaboratively with family members and referents in developing intervention goals and service plans directly related to the risk of out-of-home placement, while monitoring the progress, analyze barriers to goal achievement, and help families revise goals or plans as needed;
Serve as a client and family advocate, while also providing concrete goods and services such as transportation as it relates to the family's goals and teach them how to meet these needs on their own;
Serve as a back-up and support other specialists, as needed;
Comply with service definition and guidelines outlined in the PACT standards for services;
Assess the safety and structure of the home environment and use clinical strategies that promote safety;
Maintain clear and concise documentation of treatment efforts;
Available to clients 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, while also arranging the appropriate coverage, when needed;
Keep up-to-date and accurate client progress notes for all clinical and counseling related activities and submit weekly production reports to supervisor in a timely manner in accordance with contract requirement, agency expectations, and program policy;
Effectively utilize appropriate systems for data gathering, submission, and tracking client services rendered in accordance with time-bound expectations based on contract requirements, agency expectations, and program policy;
Conduct weekly sessions with families as outlined in the PACT standards;
Work collaboratively with direct supervisor to implement quality enhancement or quality improvements plans;
Establish and maintain referral and community resources;
Facilitate flexible appointment times outside of regular business hours, and work non-traditional hours in the community, as needed;
Attend weekly meetings with supervisor to review case plan and direction, and to evaluate client participation and progress;
Attend weekly group consultation with PACT team to consult on cases;
Keep abreast of community resources and refer families for support, as needed;
Stay abreast of all agency, federal, and state regulatory requirements related to social services;
Stay up-to-date on treatment modalities and complete trainings as required by funding sources, by attending conferences, seminars and journal reading;
Complete other duties as assigned.
Essential job responsibilities may vary based on the specific needs of each program/department;
May be required or asked to participate in a Bethany sponsored event;
Complete other duties as assigned.