Foster Care Case Manager

New Directions Youth & Family Services • Buffalo, NY

2d • $24 - $25

About The Position

The Foster Care Case Manager provides individual and family case management services to therapeutic foster care cases as well as individualized services to youth to support independent living, coping, and socialization skills. This role partners with clinicians for “special” or “exceptional” cases and manages case dynamics for “regular” rate cases. The Case Manager meets regularly with clinicians and the Clinical Director for oversight and provides thorough documentation, including FASP’s, PHRs, court reports, correspondence, and progress notes. In the absence of the Clinical Worker, the Case Manager maintains all case activities under close supervision of the Clinical Director.

New Directions Youth & Family Services’ Foster Care and SILP (Supervised Independent Living Program) teams provide individualized case management and therapeutic support to youth and families, fostering connections, independence, and long-term stability.

New Directions Youth & Family Services is an equal opportunity employer committed to championing the principles of anti-racism, justice, and equity. We welcome prospective employees from diverse cultures and backgrounds, for all positions, who will uphold our values and contribute to our mission. We aim to have a leadership and workforce that is reflective of the communities we work in partnership with.

Requirements

• Strong advocacy and case management skills
• Ability to work effectively with youth, families, staff, and community partners from diverse backgrounds
• Knowledge of community resources and ability to access specialized services for youth
• Strong written, verbal, and documentation skills
• Flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic environment
• Ability to collaborate within a treatment team and accept supervision
• Organizational skills to manage multiple case responsibilities
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Services or related field (required)
• Valid NYS driver’s license, adequate auto insurance, and ability to meet agency driving criteria (required)
• Ability to pass an annual physical per agency health policy (Category 2 classification)
• Compliance with agency safety standards and healthy work environment practices

Nice To Haves

• Two (2) years of experience in human services (preferred)

Responsibilities

• Serve as a member of the treatment team with the clinical worker to support children’s emotional care, monitor needs, and provide therapeutic activities
• Facilitate life skill and socialization experiences to support mastery of independence
• Foster visitation and reunification of children with natural, fictive, or SILP families
• Provide on-call support in emergencies per the crisis matrix
• Cover cases in the absence of co-workers due to vacation or other leave
• Utilize supervision and training to support professional development
• Represent the agency in the community as a liaison and ambassador
• Participate in and provide foster parent training as needed
• Attend case-related conferences, meetings, and provide documentation
• Conduct Ansel Casey Life Skills Assessments for youth 8+ and create Independent Living (IL) plans
• Monitor foster parent training and complete annual re-certifications
• Assist in gathering data and completing exceptional rate forms in collaboration with clinicians
• Maintain required certifications including TCI, First Aid/CPR, and agency-provided trainings
• Attend mandatory trainings and supervision
• Perform additional duties as assigned by supervisors

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and life insurance
• 401k with up to 3% agency match
• 105 hours of paid time off in the first year, plus 13 agency holidays
• Flexible scheduling
• Opportunities for professional development and advancement
• A supportive agency culture where over 30% of staff have been with us for 10+ years

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level