Reunification Social Worker (RTFT) - Masters Level

Family and Children s Agency Inc • Norwalk, CT

78d

About The Position

Family & Children’s Agency (FCA) is a nonprofit human service organization that is committed to increasing the social and emotional well-being of our clients – people throughout Fairfield County. Our Agency builds better lives by offering more than 30 programs that meet needs across all ages, delivering services to more than 13,000 people each year. Our clients reside primarily in Norwalk, Wilton, Darien, Westport, Weston, New Canaan, Stamford, and Greenwich. Our Home Care and Foster Care programs provide assistance to residents throughout Fairfield County, and the Adoption program is both nationwide and international. Our Mission is to partner with individuals, families, organizations and communities to build better lives. The Reunification and Therapeutic Family Time worker will provide strength based intensive support for families involved with The Department of Families and Children in the Norwalk and Stamford areas. The worker conducts regular visits with children and parents in client homes, at our offices or in the community. Workers maintain consistent contact with all involved providers and informal systems of support. Services will be provided through 1 – 2 visits per week depending on the stage of the program as well as therapeutic visitation between parent/or caretaker and child(ren). Case load will be determined by program service type being implemented in consultation with supervisor. The purpose of our Reunification and Therapeutic Family Time Services is to engage and support families with children aged birth to 17, who were removed from their home due to protective service concerns, by providing intervention/treatment approaches geared towards the goal of reunification and/or strengthening of parent/child relationships.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work, psychology, counseling, or a closely related field
• At least two years of experience working with children and families
• Awareness of the cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of clients served
• Experience working with diverse populations and a willingness to provide home based supports
• Demonstrate maturity, professionalism and self-awareness, a non-judgmental attitude, the ability to deal with resistance and rejection, cultural competency, and the ability to work independently and under challenging conditions

Responsibilities

• Utilize the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale for General Services (NCFAS - G+R) to inform service delivery
• Utilize a Wrap Around Model approach to engage the family and build their network of supports
• Assess family functioning, explore risk and safety concerns, identify the strengths and needs of families, identify barriers to reunification, and provide feedback and recommendations regarding the family's readiness for reunification
• Provide weekly visits with parents and their children, implementing a Visit Coaching Model to strengthen parenting skills, improve parent/child interactions, and promote attachments
• During weekly Therapeutic Family Time (TFT) visits workers provide direct consultation and assessment, actively work with parent(s) to prepare for a visit and process successes and challenges afterward
• Provide reunification services using a staged model, involving parent/child assessment, preparation work prior to reunification, intensive work following reunification and post reunification work to monitor and provide support to the family
• Participate in scheduled weekly supervision discussing cases
• Participate in bi-monthly Family Support team meetings
• Maintain weekly contact, both verbally and in writing, to DCF, and attend RFTF case reviews at DCF and any other DCF meetings as needed
• Complete and maintain electronic client records, completing documentation within program time guidelines and maintaining client confidentiality
• Assist Family Support Manager and Program Director in outreach efforts including presentations to referral sources
• Provide Transportation for family as part of the reunification treatment goals
• The worker will be responsible for on-call 24 hour/day crisis cell phone as determined by current rotation schedule/arrangement

Benefits

• EAP program
• Summer Fridays
• Employee appreciation events
• Wellness incentives and challenges

What This Job Offers

• Education Level: Master's degree