Therapeutic Visitation Specialist

Family Connections, Inc.•East Orange, NJ

1d•$68,000 - $68,000

About The Position

The Therapeutic Visitation Specialist provides therapeutic visitation services to families. The role involves planning and facilitating visits that support healthy parent-child relationships and attachment, promote safe and nurturing parenting, and address the effects of trauma. Visits are conducted in the least-restrictive, most home-like setting that can ensure children’s safety, with the family home preferred. The specialist may also provide in-home aftercare following reunification and transport parents and/or children to and from visits. The specialist works collaboratively with families, the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P), other providers, and natural supports. The role uses culturally sensitive, family-centered, strengths-based, solutions-focused, and trauma-informed approaches, and includes assessments, case presentations, visit planning, ongoing communication, and timely documentation. The position requires consistent participation in supervision and training, professional teamwork, openness to feedback, and the ability to work independently and take on additional duties as needed.

Requirements

Master’s degree in social work or a related field, such as counseling.
Valid professional license: LPC, LCSW, LAC, LSW, or CSW.
Valid New Jersey driver’s license and a safe driving record.
At least one year of work experience with children and families, particularly families involved with the child welfare system and/or affected by trauma.
Experience working with diverse populations or willingness to do so.
Knowledge of the child welfare system, community resources, social services, and mental health systems.
Knowledge of appropriate therapeutic interventions in crisis and non-crisis situations.
Knowledge of infant, child, and adolescent growth and development.
Knowledge of trauma and its effects on children and families.
Knowledge of county local and highway roads.
Strong time-management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple visiting families and systems of care simultaneously.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work both autonomously and as part of a team.
Effective oral and written communication skills, including the ability to identify and communicate problems or issues to appropriate team and management staff.
Ability to use therapeutic approaches with children and families and to model, coach, support, and mentor parents in nurturing and safe parenting.
Ability to deliver and score assessment tools.
Computer skills and working knowledge of database and reporting tools, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and/or electronic health record systems.
Ability to safely operate a motor vehicle in accordance with traffic laws and ensure passenger safety using seat belts, car seats, booster seats, and/or child safety locks.
Professional characteristics including empathy, attentiveness, self-awareness, ethical conduct, creativity, organization, flexibility, patience, responsibility, independence, maturity, self-motivation, dedication, enthusiasm, and openness to constructive feedback and additional training.
Ability to work a flexible schedule with evening availability five days per week.
Ability to perform frequent standing, bending, reaching, squatting, kneeling, moving, and lifting of up to or in excess of 50 pounds.

Responsibilities

Participate proactively as a member of the team, respect colleagues’ professional opinions, give and receive constructive feedback, and take on additional work as needed.
Attend supervision consistently, come prepared, use feedback for learning, and apply self-awareness toward professional growth.
Attend trainings required by the SVS model.
Schedule and conduct visits in the least-restrictive, most home-like location possible, preferably in the family’s home, while ensuring children’s safety.
Maintain ongoing, culturally sensitive communication with families, considering their preferred language, faith, and culture.
Ensure parent-child contact takes place in a safe, non-traumatizing environment that promotes healthy attachment.
Use strengths-based, solutions-focused, family-centered, and trauma-informed strategies to elicit family input and support family advocacy.
Gather information by reviewing collateral information and inquiring about families’ natural supports.
Complete required assessment tools, including bio-psychosocial assessments, the Rose Wentz Matrix, and SVS Caregiver Surveys.
Document family contacts in agency progress notes and DCP&P contact sheets.
Create visitation plans with active family involvement and update them regularly.
Facilitate visit-planning meetings and participate in other relevant meetings.
Communicate and collaborate with DCP&P, other providers, and supports; share relevant information and coordinate services.
Link families with community resources and formal and informal supports.
Provide therapeutic support and model appropriate, nurturing parenting.
Use clinical interventions and trauma-informed approaches, including education, modeling, reinforcement, and empowerment, to promote behavioral change in caregivers and children.
Use interventions such as family counseling, play therapy, art therapy, and/or individual therapy to improve parenting skills, attunement, and family communication.
Intervene when safety issues arise and incorporate trauma-informed care throughout treatment.
Create an environment that empowers parents, children, and caregivers to communicate their goals and needs.
Use interviewing and communication techniques in a culturally competent manner; recognize non-verbal communication and maintain appropriate eye contact and posture.
Enhance parental skills through goal setting, modeling, mentoring, reinforcement, feedback, and reflection from a trauma-informed perspective.
Prepare for visits by reviewing goals and expectations with caregivers and encouraging them to lead visit planning.
Debrief with caregivers after visits to support processing, self-reflection, and discussion of strengths and challenges.
Provide in-home aftercare services following family reunification.
Transport parents and/or children to and from visitation locations, operating vehicles safely and using appropriate passenger safety measures.
Prepare case presentations, participate in case discussions and consultations, and complete documentation in a timely manner.
Maintain the electronic health record and complete internal and external documentation in accordance with program guidelines.
Perform other duties as assigned.