Outcome Specialist

Northern Children Services • Philadelphia, PA

12d • Onsite

About The Position

Are you passionate about supporting the healthy development of children, youth, and families for a brighter future? Look no further! At Northern Children’s Services (Northern), every role in the organization contributes to helping us achieve our mission and vision. We believe that every child and youth has the potential to transform themselves – no matter their background or life situation. We work to “walk the talk” when it comes to our organizational values: Excellence, Respect, Resilience, Cultural Humility & Justice, Healing, and Wellness.

Requirements

• Master’s degree preferred in social work, child welfare, or other social service field; Minimum-Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services, Social Service or related work area required.
• 5 years’ experience in Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, or related social service field.
• Demonstrated understanding of trauma-informed practice.
• Develops a working knowledge of community parenting resources, which may be used in serving clients and maintains close working relationship with these resources.
• Demonstrated understanding of Positive Youth Development.
• Demonstrates accountability for results and keeps commitments to others.
• Demonstrates openness and respect for cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of clients and coworkers.
• Ability to communicate and interact with all staff.
• Ability to define problems collects data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to effectively present information and communicate with varied groups.
• Ability to accurately calculate numbers such as in addition, subtraction and percentages.
• Ability to give clear and concise oral and written instructions.
• Strong written and verbal skills.
• Excellent working knowledge of the Behavioral Health system.
• Knowledge of and ability to navigate other support systems.
• Ability to read and understand complex instructions such as regulatory policies.
• Competence in the use of computers and pertinent software programs.
• Working knowledge of the use of computers and pertinent software programs.
• Ability to walk up and down stairs.
• Ability to lift 20 lbs.
• Ability to operate a computer.
• Current valid driver’s license and the willingness to transport children in accordance with NCS and 3800 regulations.
• Use emotional intelligence: Respond with empathy and awareness, even in difficult situations.
• Communicate effectively: Listen actively, ask clarifying questions, and avoid judgmental language.
• Understand trauma’s impact: Be aware that clients or colleagues may react based on past experiences, not just the present moment.
• Apply person-first, strengths-based language: Focus on people’s strengths and abilities rather than defining them by their challenges (e.g., saying "a person experiencing homelessness" instead of "a homeless person").

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred in social work, child welfare, or other social service field

Responsibilities

• Provides direct individual and family services to facilitate healing through trauma-informed services and Positive Youth Development.
• Ensures connections to services, programs, activities, and resources that lead to positive short and long-term outcomes for program participants.
• Helps pregnant, expecting and parenting adolescent females between the ages of 13-20 stabilize and needing individualized skill development and support to transition successfully into adulthood.
• Ensures all parenting youth served are provided with supportive resources to pursue education to enhance parenting skills and to prepare youth for self-sufficiency upon aging out of care.
• Responsible for a total of eight residents and their children (two Specialists will serve 16 residents).
• Ensures regulatory compliance and reporting is a fundamental requirement for this position.
• Establishes effective relationships with the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services, all ten Community Umbrella Agencies (CUAs), the Philadelphia Court and Probation systems, and other systems and agencies, including the 5th Police District for the City of Philadelphia, and the School District of Philadelphia.
• Develops positive and fruitful relationships with NCS’s residential staff members as well as staff in other Northern Departments.
• Works closely with these parties to ensure quality service delivery and an appropriate level of supports for each resident.
• Supervises the planning of high-quality, comprehensive, and effective linkages, resources, and programming for the residents and their children including effective and appropriate educational programs life skills, and parenting.
• Completes as required, assessments and service plans for assigned clients that adequately and appropriately address the client/family’s unique service needs.
• Implements client service plans, monitors service plan progress, and reviews progress with the Director of Residential and stakeholders as required.
• Demonstrates insight regarding client strengths and needs and incorporates this into service planning and assessments.
• Assesses and monitors the safety of clients in current living arrangement and makes any needed recommendations and referrals for appropriate placement.
• Assesses permanency options; recommends permanency plan for clients; and implements plan to achieve permanency for clients.
• Ensures that all residents receive comprehensive behavioral health assessments, and that those in need of behavioral health services be connected to the appropriate services upon entry in the program, or as possible new issues arises during their time at Northern.
• Completes documentation including quarterly reports, individual service plans, daily progress, incident reports, etc.
• Attends and actively participates in all required trainings and pursues other training for professional development.
• Manages time effectively in order to complete direct service requirements and required documentation.
• Attends interviews for potential residential residents.
• Plans for processes of supporting the mothers in enhancing their overall parenting skills, educational goals and strategies and daily living skills.
• Plans for effective daily programming for young mothers and their children.
• Performs other related tasks as required or assigned.
• Makes frequent reports to the Director of Residential Programs on progress of client services, as well as required written reports.
• Provides 24/7 on call services (rotating on-call at night and on weekends) and responds in person at any time when it is determined to be necessary by the Director of Residential Programs and Clinical Director.
• Provides individualized education to teen parents regarding developmental expectations, health and safety issues, and infant/child bonding.
• Assists clients in obtaining daycare, WIC, their child(ren) immunization and medical records, and Head Start.
• Assesses and monitors the safety and well-being of children living with clients and makes any needed recommendations and referrals for appropriate placement and services.
• Provides case management services to clients in residential settings when assigned.
• Maintains the appropriate number of training hours as required by local, state and federal regulations.
• Monitors the goals and objectives in the Individual Service Plan and Single case Plan.
• Tracks performance indicators/outcomes for each resident.
• Ensures that the youth understands the requirements of placement and their ISP and to obtain feedback on the placement.
• Ensures that all City, State and County and funding requirements and standards are effectively and efficiently met.
• Consults and collaborates with Philadelphia County DHS Central Referral Unit (CRU) to coordinate Intake /Admission for the residential department.
• Maintains full capacity for residential programs.
• Remains in contact with CRU staff and maintain a waiting list of potential residents for admissions.
• Communicates daily with Director of Residential Program, Lead Support Aides, and Support Aides in regard to current and potential residents.
• Clearly and effectively communicates with outside agency affiliates to assure that program expectations are met.
• Regularly communicates with the DHS CRU, Achieving Independence Center (AIC), CUA Case Managers and Supervisors, Juvenile Probation, the Philadelphia Court System, Public Defender’s Office, Child Advocates, and other stakeholders to receive potential residents for admission and to collaborate on the discharge planning and process.
• Communicates with DHS, CUAs, and other stakeholders when a resident is ready to move on to another level of care, either more restrictive or less restrictive, depending on their acclimation and learning curve while living in a residential setting.
• Completes and maintain all relevant information pertaining to residents and City and State compliance.
• Maintains contact with consumers, referral sources, agents of the court, internal and external resources.
• Maintains weekly and when appropriate more frequent client face-to-face contact through required dorm and office visits.
• Engages resistant clients in services.
• Provides outreach to client, family members and other significant people in the client’s life to maintain contact and to develop resources for the client.
• Maintains required contact with relevant family members, assesses their need for services, and works on relationship building between client and family.
• Completes other duties as assigned.
• Completes all pre-placement paperwork as required.
• Completes required admission/intake and discharged paperwork (placement and discharge memos and census reports).
• Completes Individual Service Plans (ISP), Quarterly Progress Reports, and Discharge Summaries according to the 3800 regulations timeline.
• Maintains a Daily Contact log and reports of weekly contacts with residents.
• Documents all contacts involved in the child’s placement and maintains the child’s confidential case record, consistent with Northern Children’s Services and Department of Human Service contract standards.
• Maintains current data related to goals and achievement of program and contractual outcomes for residents.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance for full-time employees.
• $20,000 life insurance policy through Mutual of Omaha Company at no cost.
• Mutual of Omaha LTD coverage and AD&D insurance.
• Range of self-funded insurance plans, including accident insurance, cancer insurance, life insurance, critical illness coverage, and short-term disability insurance.
• 401(k)-savings plan with a generous matching contribution after one year of employment.
• Generous paid time off or sick leave.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers confidential referral and counseling services.
• Self-funded legal services.

What This Job Offers

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