Kinship Preventive Services Caseworker

Gateway-Longview, Inc. • Buffalo, NY

55d • $22 - $26

About The Position

Provide individually tailored, strength-based, and collaborative case planning services that support safety and permanency for families with children in the care of Kinship caregivers.

Department
Gateway Longview’s Behavioral Health & Preventive Services programs supports children and youth ages birth-21 years struggling with behavioral, social, and emotional challenges.

Agency
Gateway Longview 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.

Benefits
Gateway Longview takes pride in offering an amazing benefits package to take care of our most important asset- our employees!
We offer medical, dental and vision plan insurance effective the first of the month following hire date, flexible spending accounts, wellness program, employee assistance program, a 403B retirement plan, flexible working options, & several more offers. In addition to receiving up to 11 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays, employees can earn up to 33 days of PTO each year, with the opportunity to start using PTO after hire date.

Compensation
Bachelor's Degree: $22.30 - $24.38 per hour
Master's Degree: $24.10 - $26.18 per hour
Offers based on education and years of relevant experience

Hours/Schedule
Full-Time
Monday-Friday
Ability to work non-traditional hours, including weekends and evenings, as needed.

Professional Development Opportunities
Gateway Longview has a strong investment in developing the future leaders of the organization through trainings, advancement opportunities, and a formal leadership pipeline.

Requirements

• Must have excellent communication and customer service skills
• Ability to multi-task and be detail oriented
• Ability to work independently and be an enthusiastic team player
• Available to work non-traditional hours, including weekends and evenings to support specific programmatic schedules, crisis intervention needs, and on-call support. Requires transportation of children and families
• Ability to work effectively with clients, staff, families, and community contacts
• Bachelor’s Degree in a Human Services related field
• Valid New York State driver’s license, adequate auto insurance, and reliable transportation to travel locally on a regular basis is required
• Access to personal vehicle for daily travel and client transportation as needed.

Responsibilities

• Provide in-home, case management, education, advocacy, skill building, crisis support, referrals and linkages in order to support the needs of the child(ren), Kinship Caregiver and birth parents that promotes and enhances safety and wellbeing of the children.
• Work closely with referral sources, Family Court, community service providers, and all Kinship family members to ensure collaborative efforts towards established permanency goals. Build upon support networks for each family and ensure adequate and stable supports are in place prior to discharge
• Refer and link all family members to  culturally competent , community based, formal and informal supports that address needs identified in the assessment process and help families meet the expectations of ECDSS and Family Court
• Provide education and link Kinship Caregivers to kinship specific supports and resources in order to enhance understanding and utilization of resources and options to achieve permanency.  Support Kinship Caregivers as they navigate the unique family relationships related to Kinship care.
• Provide ongoing support to all children, parents and caregivers, including a minimum of two face to face contacts with all households, regular phone contact and availability by cell phone for a minimum of 20 hours, per family, per month.
• Ensure accurate, thorough, and timely completion and filing of all required documentation in CONNECTIONS according to program and contractual expectations
• Organize, facilitate, and participate in Mandated Kinship Family Support groups and all other groups to support families
• Actively participate in required/offered trainings and meetings
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• medical, dental and vision plan insurance effective the first of the month following hire date
• flexible spending accounts
• wellness program
• employee assistance program
• a 403B retirement plan
• flexible working options
• up to 11 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays
• employees can earn up to 33 days of PTO each year, with the opportunity to start using PTO after hire date

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees