Family Visitation Specialist

Child and Family Services of Erie County, Inc.•Buffalo, NY

1d•$48,000 - $50,500•Hybrid

About The Position

The Family Visitation Specialist coordinates and delivers a coached family visitation program for parents working toward reunification with their children who are currently placed with relatives or other caregivers. Through structured visits, the Family Visitation Specialist helps parents build effective parenting skills and strengthen healthy, positive relationships with their children with the goal of supporting family progress toward less restrictive levels of supervision and increased independence.

Requirements

Minimum of bachelor’s degree in social work or related field required
Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills
Ability to accept feedback and directives from program management and agency leadership
Be a highly organized, motivated, self-starter
Strong organization and time management skills, including timely completion of progress notes, billing documentation, transportation documentation, and other required records to support program compliance and service reimbursement.
Proficient in verbal and written communication and has a calm, compassionate demeanor in person and on virtual platforms and telephone
Demonstrated commitment to a team atmosphere and willingness to roll up their sleeves to assist others
Available to regularly work evening and weekend hours to meet the scheduling needs of families referred to the program
Must possess a valid New York State driver’s license and have access to a reliable personal vehicle for work-related transportation needs. While agency vehicles are typically provided for the transportation of children, staff may occasionally be required to use their personal vehicle when an agency vehicle is unavailable.

Nice To Haves

One (1) year of experience in child welfare or related field is preferred

Responsibilities

Facilitate initial meetings with parents to explain visit coaching, establish visit schedule, identify child[ren]’s needs and develop a preliminary visit plan
Supervise visits to ensure safety and well-being of children and to ensure that children’s needs are the primary focus of each visit
Meet with parents before each visit to review visit plan and rehearse as needed; meet with parents after each visit to review and develop plans for the next visit
Use coaching, modeling, praising/cheering, rehearsal, and focusing on strengths to assist the parent in recognizing and meeting the needs of their children
Provide coaching and support to improve relationships between parents and kinship caregivers
Frequently provide transportation of children to visits
Ensure the timely completion of progress notes in the electronic case record following each visit
Oversee scheduling of visitation rooms and ensure that rooms are maintained in a clean and tidy manner
Maintain positive working relationships with parents, family resources, children, program staff and others within the agency. Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills during interactions with internal and external customers.
Maintain and submit all required documents and comply with all aspects of the Vehicle Safety and Usage Policy
Responsible for maintaining a dynamic caseload and meeting established monthly billable service targets. Caseload composition may vary based on family needs, visit frequency, level of supervision, transportation requirements, and service progression.
Prepare, complete and submit required reports and statistical data on client population in a timely manner.