Outcome Specialist

Northern Children's Services • Philadelphia, PA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Northern Children's Services (Northern) is seeking a passionate Outcome Specialist to join their team and contribute to their mission of helping children, youth, and families achieve a brighter future. The organization values excellence, respect, resilience, cultural humility & justice, healing, and wellness. As an Outcome Specialist, you will have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people and their families, working within a supportive and empowering environment that encourages continuous growth and effective communication.

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, collect 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.
• Requires some flexible work schedule, evening and weekend hours.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree 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 develop individualized skills for successful transition into adulthood.
• Assists clients in obtaining and maintaining safe and suitable housing, continuing education, learning independent living skills, obtaining employment, building a support system, and remaining free from legal involvement.
• Ensures all parenting youth served are provided with supportive resources to pursue education to enhance parenting skills and prepare for self-sufficiency upon aging out of care.
• Establishes effective relationships with the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services, Community Umbrella Agencies (CUAs), Philadelphia Court and Probation systems, and other relevant agencies.
• Develops positive and fruitful relationships with NCS’s residential staff members and staff in other Northern Departments.
• Supervises the planning of high-quality, comprehensive, and effective linkages, resources, and programming for residents and their children, including educational programs, life skills, and parenting.
• Completes assessments and service plans for assigned clients that address unique service needs.
• Implements client service plans, monitors service plan progress, and reviews progress with the Director of Residential and stakeholders.
• Assesses and monitors the safety of clients in current living arrangements and makes recommendations and referrals for appropriate placement.
• Assesses permanency options, recommends permanency plans for clients, and implements plans to achieve permanency.
• Ensures that all residents receive comprehensive behavioral health assessments and are connected to appropriate services.
• Completes quarterly reports, individual service plans, daily progress reports, and incident reports.
• Attends and actively participates in all required trainings and pursues other training for professional development.
• Manages time effectively to complete direct service requirements and required documentation.
• Attends interviews for potential residential residents.
• Plans for processes of supporting mothers in enhancing their overall parenting skills, educational goals, strategies, and daily living skills.
• Plans for effective daily programming for young mothers and their children in conjunction with the Director of Residential Programs and Operations Manager.
• Performs other related tasks as required or assigned.
• Makes frequent reports to the Director of Residential Programs on client services progress and required written reports.
• Provides 24/7 on-call services (rotating on-call at night and on weekends) and responds in person when necessary.
• 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)'s immunization and medical records, and Head Start.
• Assesses and monitors the safety and well-being of children living with clients and makes 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 youth understand the requirements of placement and their ISP and obtains feedback on the placement.
• Ensures that all City, State, 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 maintains a waiting list of potential residents for admissions.
• Communicates daily with Director of Residential Program, Lead Support Aides, and Support Aides regarding current and potential residents.
• Clearly and effectively communicates with outside agency affiliates to assure program expectations are met.
• Regularly communicates with 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.
• Communicates with DHS, CUAs, and other stakeholders when a resident is ready to move to another level of care.
• Completes and maintains 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 clients, family members, and other significant people in the client’s life to maintain contact and develop resources.
• Maintains required contact with relevant family members, assesses their need for services, and works on relationship building between client and family.
• Completes all pre-placement paperwork as required.
• Completes required admission/intake and discharged paperwork.
• 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.
• 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.
• Life Insurance/AD&D and LTD: $20,000 life insurance policy through Mutual of Omaha Company at no cost for full-time employees.
• Mutual of Omaha LTD coverage and AD&D insurance offer financial security.
• Partner insurance company offers a 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 provide valuable support and resources for various legal matters.

What This Job Offers

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