Lead Family Specialist, Foster Parent Trainer (HYBRID)

St Catherine s Center for Children•Village of Colonie, NY

1d•$24 - $26•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Family Specialist & Foster Parent Trainer provides support services, psycho-educational counseling and skill-building to children and their families, as well as, assist the Home Finding Supervisor in manage training needs of families in the Foster Care and Kinship Program. The Lead family Specialist & Foster Parent Trainer carry a small caseload up to three in order to meet the demands training families for delivery of our families within Foster Care and Kinship. The Lead Family Specialist & Foster Parent Trainer is the linkage between the treatment team and community services (educational, clinical, occupational, etc.) supporting the child and family members. In addition, the Lead Family Specialist & Foster Parent Trainer work along with the Supervisor of Home Finding, Supervisor of Foster Care, and Director of Foster Care & Kinship Care to ensure quality services are provided to children/youth in care, as well as, maintain numbers of families to retain the integrity of foster parent professional development. This position is split 50/50 between Lead Family Specialist and Foster Parent Trainer in order to meet the duties and responsibilities within the program. This position is directly supervised by the Supervisor of Home Finding.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in a human service area with a demonstrated capacity to work with a diverse range of people.
A Clean & Valid New York State Driver’s License (actively licensed at least one year) and reliable vehicle for transporting clients - is required.
The capacity to enter the lives of clients and accept their limitations, is a prerequisite.
Experience working in a Human Services agency.
Ability to collaborate with other team members.
Basic computer skills are highly desirable.
Ability to work flexible hours to accommodate client schedules, which may include evening and/or weekend hours.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong working relationships with regulatory bodies.
Excellent organization, planning and time management skills.
Proficiency in various computer applications: Microsoft Office Suite, Google Business Workspace Suite, and use secure Internet practices.
Self-motivated and engaged, with a strong attention to detail; Excellent writing aptitude.
A kind, warm and caring mindset; Capable of exhibiting empathy for those in need.
Ability to nurture and show compassion and understanding for clients/children in crisis.
Have a professional record of integrity, proven reliability and dependability, with qualities of positivity, flexibility and adaptability to day-to-day changes with client needs and functioning.
Capable of exercising ethical, independent judgment and discretion; handle sensitive family and individual data with strict confidentiality.
Staff in driving positions must be able to meet the agency’s minimum requirements of our insurance policy for authorized drivers; including, but not limited to the minimum age of 21 at time of hire, and the ability to maintain insurability throughout employment.
Ability to drive a properly insured motor vehicle for home visits to client, foster and birth family homes, and other on-site contacts, as well as transporting clients to referring agencies, collaborative agencies, appointments, various activities, etc.
Ability to complete written documentation as required by St. Catherine’s policy and as required by regulating agencies that have oversight responsibility for St. Catherine’s programs.
Ability to assess and develop written treatment plans, utilizing the Sanctuary model and other models of care adopted by the agency.
Ability and capacity to provide on-call coverage for emergency and crisis situations.
Physical capacity to complete activities with children.
Ability to supervise, counsel, and provide emotional support to foster parents.
Ability to identify children’s mental health needs and relay those areas of need to others on the treatment team.
Ability to work flexible hours, outside of regularly scheduled work hours.
Ability to relate to and communicate with a wide range of people. This includes but is not limited to a broad range of people who are culturally and socio-economically diverse, as well as people with various developmental and functional levels.
Ability to manage one’s own emotional reactivity in order to make appropriate professional judgments under stressful circumstances; separate personal matters from client issues.
Ability to understand, represent, and uphold the mission, values, and philosophy of St. Catherine’s Center for Children, while strictly adhering to agency policies, operational protocols, state laws, and accrediting body regulations.
Excellent communication skills (written/verbal); Outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong working relationships with other agency staff, outside service providers and professionals, and other regulatory bodies.
Value a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a person; have confidence in the principle that people have the capacity to grow and change at their own pace and motivation.
Ability and conceptualizations necessary to embrace and work effectively within a therapeutic-based program.
Work effectively in a shared decision-making model as a team member; which includes the ability to listen attentively to others’ opinions and perspectives, and to resolve disagreements respectfully.
The ability to establish and maintain a respectful relationship with persons-served, helping them gain skills and confidence, empowering them to solve their own problems.
Knowing when to intervene appropriately to assist in meeting service goals, while also setting appropriate limits and boundaries.
Ability to function well in a high-paced and, at times, stressful environment.
Ability to collaborate effectively as a team member within a shared decision-making model—listening attentively to diverse perspectives, resolving disagreements respectfully, and partnering seamlessly with internal personnel and external service providers.
Excellent organization, planning and time management skills; Ability to effectively manage (in a timely manner) the varied tasks of the position.
This position has access to client Protected Health Information (PHI) in order to carry out necessary duties and responsibilities for the role. This may include: Treatment Plans, Intake and Assessment information, Psychological and Psychiatric reports. The individual in this role will comprehend and actively institute safeguards to protect client and family confidentiality in all aspects of their work. Therefore, the ability to meet HIPAA requirements and maintain strict client confidentiality is essential

Nice To Haves

Basic computer skills are highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Regularly take the lead in updating the agency’s Family Specialist Training Manual. As assigned by the foster care director, provide training sessions linked to the manual and its incorporation into day-to-day operations.
Provide follow-up 1:1 support linked to case documentation for newly hired family specialists with the State CONNECTIONS system and with St. Catherine’s AWARDS electronic record system. Ensure that family specialists can navigate the systems and document case information efficiently.
Oversee development of admission note and initial Service Plan in conjunction with the Program Supervisor and others involved with the child’s placement and treatment.
Schedule and attend quarterly Service Plan Reviews, revising the Service Plan to meet the child’s current treatment needs.
Provide consultation and supervision to foster parents to assure that effective treatment procedures are followed through home visits and weekly phone consultation.
Evaluate treatment, parenting and care of the child and maintain records on each placement.
Incorporate ongoing training with the program supervisor to professional parents into cluster meetings.
Collect and review documentation records kept by foster parents.
Maintain contact with child’s birth family and arrange the child’s visits with their family.
Coordinate services and advocate for the child with community agencies, schools, and mental health agencies.
Document caseworker contacts and treatment progress in progress notes and FASPS in the New York State “Connections” computer system.
Using strength-based approaches, engage with the child's family to develop a partnership.
Assess for family needs and make appropriate referrals for the child’s birth family or legal guardian.
Facilitate the relationship between foster parents and birth parents.
Convene and facilitate parent groups for both birth and professional parents.
Provide 24-hour on-call availability for foster parents on a rotating basis.
Work closely with clinical consultants, psychiatrist and other professionals providing services to the child.
Prepare written Discharge Summaries when client children are discharged from the Therapeutic Family Programs.
Able to react to change productively and to handle other tasks as assigned.
With the nursing department and the foster parent, coordinate the child's medical care. This may include assisting the foster parents and transportation to/from medical appointments.
Supervised visits using the “Coached Family Visits Model”.
Attend psychiatric medication reviews, providing updates to the psychiatric professionals on the child's functioning.
Coordinate all aspects of the recruitment for Therapeutic Foster Care and Kinship Program of professional foster parents with the assistance of the Supervisor of Home Finding and Director.
Ability to present Therapeutic Foster Care and Kinship Programs and to describe the job of professional foster parents for both programs to groups.
Ability to specifically reach out and recruit families as part of the Home Finding Recruitment and Retention plan.
Be familiar with and understand regulations for OMH, DSS, and OCFS.
Ensures all homes are in alignment with current and new OFCS administrative directives.
Screening of Prospective Professional Foster Care Parents.
Assist with certification process of new foster/kinship family homes in the Specialized and Therapeutic Programs.
Coordinate with Family Specialist’s in both programs to identify Kinship Relative/Non Relative’s to increase number of homes.
Conducting initial face-to-face interview and orientation with parent applicants in both programs.
Follow up contacts with parent applicants.
Under the supervision of the Supervisor of Home Finding, approve homes and appropriately investigate Professional Parents, including home inspections and the completion of all application materials, including but not limited to the writing of a home study.
Assist and train in NTDC preparation and training for Professional Foster Parents.
Assist and train in Deciding Together, Care for Our Own, and KinGap training for Professional Foster/Kinship Parents.
Implement preplacement training program for Professional Foster Parents
Plan foster parent meetings and training, along with Lead Home Finder.
Track training hours of all Foster/Kinship Boarding homes to ensure training requirements are being met.
Ensure CPR training is up-to-date to current and new foster families.
Evaluate and support treatment, foster parenting, and care of the child; maintain accurate, up-to-date records for each placement.
Facilitate the relationship between foster parents and birth parents so that there is a healthy dynamic.
Convene and facilitate parent groups for both birth and professional parents, as called upon.
Provide 24-hour on-call availability for foster parents on a rotating basis, per the director’s on-call schedule for the department.
Complete other position-related duties and responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor and director.

Benefits

Pension Plan: Secure your future with a retirement pension plan featuring a generous agency contribution.
403(b) Retirement Savings: Pre-tax savings options to further build your nest egg.
Student Loan Forgiveness: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency, employment here qualifies eligible staff for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.
Expense Reimbursements: Travel and mileage reimbursements for any role-related transit.
Comprehensive Health Insurance: Choice of robust Medical, Dental, and Vision plans to fit your needs.
Well-being Reimbursement: A $600 annual benefit dedicated to supporting your personal wellness journey.
Work-Life Balance: Generous Combined Leave Time (CLT) plus paid holidays so you can rest and recharge.
Life Insurance: Fully employer-paid, automatic life insurance coverage at no cost to you.
Paid Certifications & Training: Fully covered training updates, including Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) and CPR/AED/First Aid.
Tuition Assistance: Financial support for continuing education and tuition reimbursement opportunities.
Career Advancement: Clear pathways for professional development and internal career growth.
Our Culture: Enjoy the comfort of a welcoming, business-casual work environment rooted in our core values of Mindfulness, Relevance, Respect, and Solidarity.