Supportive Visitation Specialist

Family Connections, Inc. • East Orange, NJ

11d

About The Position

Provide supportive visitation services.

Requirements

• Candidates must possess a bachelor’s degree in social work or related field (e.g. counseling or psychology).
• Candidates will have at least 1 year in the mental health field, including at least 1 year experience working with children and families.
• Valid New Jersey driver’s license, safe driving record, and vehicle availability are required.
• Knowledge of the child welfare system, community resources, social services, and mental health systems.
• Knowledge of trauma and its effect on children and families.
• Knowledge of HIPAA compliance.
• General understanding of mental health diagnoses and substance use disorders.
• Knowledge of resources and/or services in the community for the target population.
• Knowledge of trauma and its effects on children and families.
• Knowledge of infant, child and adolescent stages of growth and development.
• Knowledge of county’s local and highway roads.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Organizational skills with the ability to manage numerous visiting families and systems of care simultaneously to promote best practices.
• Outstanding human relations skills and the ability to function autonomously and in a team environment.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Effectively solve problems and communicate information, including the identification and communication of problems and/or issues with appropriate team and management staff.
• Model, coach, support, and mentor parents on the use of nurturing and safe parenting.
• Excellent computer skills with proficiency and working knowledge of database and reporting tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and/or electronic health record systems.
• Safely operate a motor vehicle abiding by all applicable traffic laws.
• Ensure the safety of all passengers through appropriate safety measures including use of seat belts, car and booster seats and/or child safety locks.
• Comfortability working with families from diverse backgrounds.
• De-escalation strategies and ability to reach out when support is needed.
• Open, warm, empathic, attentive listener, self-aware, ethical, creative, organized, flexible, open to constructive feedback, patient, responsible, able to work independently, mature, self-motivated, dedicated, enthusiastic, willing to take on additional tasks and responsibilities, interested in seeking additional training and skills.
• Experience/willingness to work with culturally diverse populations.

Nice To Haves

• Candidates will have experience working with families involved in the child welfare system and and/or affected by trauma.
• Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Attends all necessary trainings in compliance with the SVS model.
• Schedules and conducts visits in the least-restrictive, most home-like location (the first preference being within the family's home) while ensuring the safety of the children.
• Initiates and maintains ongoing communication with families that is culturally sensitive, utilizing family’s preferred language considering a family’s faith and culture.
• Ensures the environment for parent-child contact is safe, non-traumatizing, and promotes healthy attachment.
• Uses strengths-based, solutions-focused, family centered, trauma informed strategies to elicit family input.
• Advocates for parents/families as necessary and supports them in advocating for themselves.
• Uses a process to gather information which includes reviewing collateral information and inquiring about family's natural supports.
• Completes required assessment tools including but not limited to: Rose Wentz Matrix and SVS Caregiver Surveys.
• Documents contacts with families in agency's progress notes and DCP&P contact sheets.
• Creates a visitation plan with active familial involvement and updates the plan at regular intervals.
• Facilitates visit planning meetings and participates in other relevant meetings.
• Initiates and maintains ongoing communication with DCP&P, other providers, and supports.
• Links the family to community resources, formal and informal supports, and coordinates with DCP&P.
• Collaborates with and shares relevant information with DCP&P staff, other providers, and supports.
• Provides support and modeling around appropriate and nurturing parenting.
• Enhances parental skills by goal setting, modeling, mentoring, reinforcement and feedback and reflection through a trauma-informed perspective.
• Prepares for each visit with caregivers reviewing goals and expectations and encouraging them to be the lead in visit planning.
• Debriefs with caregivers after each visit to allow for processing and self-reflection and discussion of strengths and challenges.
• Creates an environment that empowers family members, including parents, children, and caregivers to communicate their goals and needs.
• Utilizes various interviewing and/or communication techniques in a culturally competent manner.
• Recognizes non-verbal communication and maintains good eye contact and posture.
• Provides in-home aftercare services in the event of reunification of families.
• Provides transportation for parents and/or children to and from visitation location.
• Engages in case presentations and completes timely documentation.
• Prepares case presentations and engages in case discussions/consultations.
• Maintains electronic health record and completes all internal and external documentation needs in accordance with program guidelines.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Benefits include medical, dental, life insurance, long term disability, retirement plans, and additional supplementary benefits.
• You will also be eligible to accrue vacation, personal, and sick days in addition to 12 paid holidays, and summer wellness Fridays.
• Benefits also include professional development assistance, referral program, internal/external trainings, Capella University partnership, 403b retirement plan with employer matching (3% max) (you can enroll in your 403b without a waiting period) , employer-paid life insurance, employer paid Long-term Disability (LTD) insurance, employer paid Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, etc.

What This Job Offers

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