Here at the Presbyterian Home for Children(PHFC), we’re not just filling a position; we’re finding the next hero in our mission to provide healing and hope to at-risk children and families. If you’re ready to be a part of something bigger, read on to see if this is your next great opportunity!
The Presbyterian Home for Children, a ministry of the Presbyterian Churches of Alabama, cares for boys and girls of all ages and their female caregivers who find themselves homeless because of poverty, abuse, or abandonment. The Home is accredited by EAGLE, the world’s only faith-based accrediting body for ministry to children. In 2024, the Presbyterian Home partnered with Everstand to start the Caminos® program in the State of Alabama. This position plays a key role in this program.
What is Caminos Nacional?
Caminos Nacional is a federal grant managed by Everstand to provide residential services for children who enter the United States without a guardian. This population is commonly referred to as recently migrated youth. The grant is funded by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Delivering this service helps PHFC fulfill its purpose to enrich communities, one family at a time.
How We Serve Recently Migrated Youth
Recently migrated youth are at significant risk of exploitation, including human trafficking. ORR partners with residential providers like PHFC to deliver best practice and trauma informed child welfare services. Some of these services include temporary shelter, education, medical and mental health care, and, most importantly, vetting of a suitable sponsor or foster care placement for the child.
Recently migrated youth who arrive in the United States are often referred for home study and post releases services. They are, in essence, the most vulnerable youth within an already vulnerable population. Many of these children experience multiple spheres of marginality, including vulnerability to trafficking, abuse, forced labor, and exploitation. Recently migrated youth are commonly susceptible to becoming or are already victims of trafficking, child abuse, neglect, and/or have a diagnosed disability.
These vulnerabilities, coupled with the challenging task of having to unify with family in a new country and new community, present the critical need for quality home study assessments followed by comprehensive post-release services provided by organizations with strong child welfare experience and knowledge of trauma-responsive practices.
What Does HS/PRS Do?
- The benefits of Post Release Services are substantial. Comprehensive PRS programming can create a pathway for youth to successfully integrate into a new community, school, and family setting. By offering Post Release Services, PHFC ensures that the foundational needs of youth and families are being met in a way that addresses the lingering effects of past traumatic experiences and promotes healing and recovery.
- PHFC programs strive to provide services in a manner that recognizes the cultural needs of all youth and families. Many services are provided in Spanish, and our programs offer all youth access to communicate in their native language via the use of interpretation services.
- PHFC employs a team-based, collaborative planning case management model to develop and implement individualized care plans for youth and families. The goals of Post Release Services include:
- A child-centered approach that strives to address the needs prioritized by the youth and family.
- The improvement of skills and confidence for youth and families to connect to local support networks and access culturally appropriate community services.
- Developing and strengthening natural support systems for youth and families.
- Providing holistic care that integrates the efforts of available services and programs into one streamlined approach.
- Post-Release Services involve connecting recently migrated youth clients to critical community resources and components such as:
- Placement Stability and Safety
- Immigration Proceedings
- Guardianship (if applicable)
- Legal Service Referrals
- School Enrollment
- Connection to Educational Support & Mentoring Programs
- Medical Services
- Individual Mental Health Services
- Family Stabilization and Family Counseling
- Substance Abuse Treatment Resources
- Gang Prevention
- Trafficking Victim Assistance Programs
- Safety Planning
- Transportation
- Other Identified Needs of Youth (e.g., connections to extracurricular activities, hobbies, faith communities, etc.)
Job description:
A Home Studies & Post-Release Services (HS/PRS) Case Manager is responsible for assessing the needs of the released child and their sponsor, providing case management services through referrals and connections to community resources, for the duration of their PRS case based on PRS level (1 or 2). A HS/PRS Case Manager also conducts home studies and writes professional, thorough assessment reports.
Essential Functions:
Home Study Services
- Model and act in accordance with the Presbyterian Home for Children (PHFC)’s core values.
- Conduct the home study process through a combination of in-home visits and interviews, phone calls, and other investigative activities with the goal of producing a comprehensive assessment of a potential sponsor’s ability to provide a safe living environment that meets the youth’s needs.
- Utilizes information gathered through investigative interviews with shelter staff, clients, and prospective sponsors, home visit observations and the review of informational documents, including background investigations for all adults living in the potential sponsor’s home for the purpose of making determinations and recommendations.
- Conduct a collaborative psycho-educational process with the youth and sponsor designed to identify areas where support, resources or information are needed to ensure successful reunification.
- Educate and prepare the prospective sponsor for reunification with the youth, assisting with accessing needed support and services.
- Produce a comprehensive written report containing the home study findings and recommendations within 10 days of case assignment.
- Post Release Services
- Conduct home visits and phone contacts with the dual purpose of assessing safety and appropriateness of the youth’s placement with his/her sponsor and connecting the youth to services in the community to address risk factors.
- Perform ongoing case management with a focus on screening and making appropriate referrals to address the youth’s needs in the following domains: safety, placement stability, guardianship, education, health and medical, individual mental health and family stabilization, legal/immigration proceedings, substance abuse, gang prevention, independent living, juvenile/criminal justice, trafficking assistance (as applicable) and child enrichment activities.
- Facilitate the development of a youth and family care plan, ensuring that the plan demonstrates youth and family voice and includes clear needs statements, strength-based strategies, and outcomes that are measurable and specific.
- Collaborate with youth and sponsors, as well as available informal supports, to develop a crisis and safety plan to ensure the safety of the youth, family, and community.
- Provide crisis intervention services directly, as needed, or connect the family to services to ensure the youth’s safety and well-being in a crisis situation.
- Facilitation of case management meetings with youth and sponsor, as well as applicable informal supports and external providers, that continually reassess the needs of the youth and family and ensure that services in place are effective.
- Evaluate the youth and family’s progress towards goal achievement and keep applicable internal and external stakeholders informed with regard to progress toward achieving care plan goals.
- Motivate and support family involvement through the identification and inclusion of informal supports.
- Evaluate the youth and family’s progress towards goal achievement and keep all parties informed with regard to progress toward achieving care plan goals.
- Ability to contact shelter, youth and sponsor immediately after case assignment or within 24 hours as of case assignment if immediate contact was unable and communicated with supervisor.
- Facilitate an in-home visit with the youth and the sponsor within 7 days of case assignment.
- Adherence to EVERSTAND established performance metrics related to best practice contact requirements for youth and family, including phone and in-person, face-to-face visitation requirements.
- Submit detailed and thorough documentation in compliance with EVERSTAND and Office of Refuge Resettlement (ORR) requirements and reporting deadlines, including but not limited to case notes, federal and agency data collection, programmatic reporting, assessments, care plan documentation, transition/discharge planning, and post-discharge follow-up.
- Overall Responsibilities
- Acts as a primary point of contact and liaison for the youth, family, sponsors, and external agencies.
- Active participation in agency and community efforts to build culturally competent outreach, education, and interventions for the immigrant and refugee community.
- Complete required documentation and reports within the defined timelines including case notes as soon as you finish contact with the families, sponsor, shelter or any stakeholder related to the case, federal and agency data collection and applicable programmatic reporting. Documentation requirements are both rigorous and extensive.
- Coordinate with the Everstand staff members and community resources to address the youths service needs.
- Maintain effective working relationships with families, youth, colleagues, consultants and community agencies.
- Demonstrates knowledge of and familiarity with both Everstand and ORR Policy and Procedures relating to services for Unaccompanied Children. This includes knowledge of legal background and authority governing the practice as related to working with Unaccompanied Children.
- Demonstrates knowledge of and ability to identify community social service resources and the processes required to connect youth and families to available social service benefits and programs.
- Demonstrates an understanding of the value of cultural diversity, including the ability to develop systems and practices that are inclusive of diverse staff members and responsive to the cultural needs of the client population served.
- Identify supervision and/or professional training needs to supervisor as they arise.
- Demonstrate the ability to effectively express ideas clearly and concisely, orally and in writing.
- Demonstrate the ability to engage youth and families in a positive therapeutic alliance.
- Demonstrate progress during training, on-the-job training, shadowing, and accepting and working with cases.
Work Environment/ Remote Office Requirements:
This position requires the ability to operate both in a professional office environment as well as a remote work capacity. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, keyboard and mouse, dual monitors, phones, hot spot/phone case, headset, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines. Remote duties require the ability to procure fast, reliable internet service (15 Mbps minimum download speed required) at the remote office location. Remote workspace must allow phone and video calls without interruption, maintain the confidentiality of protected health information, and store equipment securely when not in use. PHFC will provide a laptop and cell phone.
Documentation Demands:
HS/PRS Case Managers must be skilled at writing professional, thorough reports. HS/PRS Case Managers are expected to begin documentation during the home visit to facilitate timely completion and accuracy. All required documentation for the Home Study and Post-Release Services (HSPRS) program must be completed within 24 hours of the home visit. If more time is required to complete documentation, the HS/PRS Case Manager must seek prior authorization from the PRS Case Manager Supervisor or Program Director.
Once documentation is finalized, it should be submitted to the PRS Case Manager Supervisor or Program Director for review within 48 to 72 hours following the home visit. This ensures that records are up-to-date and meet HSPRS/ORR standards, supporting quality and continuity in service for children and families.
Teamwork Expectations:
HS/PRS Case Managers are expected to maintain a spirit of collaboration and mutual support within the team. This includes:
- Actively participating in team meetings and training sessions.
- Sharing knowledge, resources, and strategies that enhance quality-of-service delivery.
- Demonstrating respect, reliability, and a positive attitude when working with colleagues, both within and outside the program.
- Offering assistance to other team members as needed to ensure that program objectives are met and clients are served effectively.
Communication Expectations:
Open and consistent communication is critical to the success of our team and our mission. HS/PRS Case Managers are expected to:
- Check-in and Check-out Daily: Communicate with the PRS Case Manager, Supervisor, or Program Director at the start and end of each day to confirm availability and task priorities.
- Daily Work Task Reporting: Provide daily updates on completed tasks, current challenges, and any questions or needs for additional support.
- Addressing Challenges and Sharing Successes: Report any obstacles faced during client interactions or case management processes and share successful outcomes and positive stories that contribute to team morale and learning.
- Proactive Communication: Raise questions or concerns promptly, particularly if they relate to the well-being of clients or program compliance.
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:
This is a full-time position. The schedule requires flexibility based on the availability of youth and families served. This position regularly requires on-call duty (excluding overnight on-calls), and cases are accepted from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. During these hours, CM is expected to respond to the PRS Case Manager Supervisor, or Program Director to accept the case and proceed with case acceptance. Long hours and weekend work are required. Eligible for flex schedule.
Travel:
Travel is required and will include local, out-of-area, and overnight travel. Frequent local travel will be required to serve the home communities of youth and families served by the program. When travel is required, the HS/PRS CM must coordinate travel arrangements within 24 hrs. of case assignment. Must be able and willing to travel to other cities by flying on commercial airlines, driving a rental car, and/or using other transportation, and staying overnight in hotels.
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those required of an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; and taste or smell. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree, ideally in the behavioral sciences, human services or social services fields.
- Candidates whose degrees were earned outside of the United States must obtain a credential evaluation from an accredited agency to verify U.S. educational equivalency, in accordance with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Grants Policy and 2 CFR 200.430. The evaluation must be completed prior to hire and is the responsibility of the candidate.
- Be highly proficient in the native or preferred language of children in their caseload or have access to qualified interpreters.
- Knowledgeable about local community social services.
- Knowledgeable about family preservation, kinship care, and general child welfare.
- Specialized experience working with immigrant populations.
- Experience conducting HS and must be skilled at writing professional, thorough assessment reports.
- Child welfare and/or case management experience is strongly encouraged.
Additional Eligibility Qualifications
- Able to learn and effectively utilize different technology platforms.
- Excellent computer-use knowledge with Microsoft Windows 10 and 365 Office products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Outlook.
- Proven effective time management, planning, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to problem-solve.
- Ability to work independently.
- Ability to keep an electronic calendar (Outlook).
Added Personnel requirements:
Due to federal requirements of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and Presbyterian Home for Children, and the nature of this position, the Employee must be able to:
- Pass a criminal background check that includes a history of conviction for child and sexual abuse, both prior to employment and per the schedule outlined by HR thereafter.
- Pass Federal, state, and local background checks, both prior to employment and per the schedule outlined by HR thereafter. Which include:
- FBI fingerprinting,
- Child Abuse & Neglect (CA/N) check,
- DHR background check both prior to employment and per the schedule outlined by HR thereafter,
- Driving Clearance, both prior to employment and per the schedule outlined by HR thereafter.
- Pass a drug screen via urinalysis both prior to employment and randomly thereafter.
- Pass CPR/First aid certification both at employee orientation and per the schedule outlined by HR thereafter.
- Pass a work-readiness physical performed by a certified medical professional both prior to employment and per the schedule outlined by HR thereafter.
Other Information:
PHFC is an equal opportunity employer where employment is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination because of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected characteristics as established by law.
Tipo de puesto: Tiempo completo
Sueldo: A partir de $61,100.00 al año
Beneficios:
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Pregunta(s) de postulación:
- Do you meet one of the following requirements?
- A Master’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Counseling, or another relevant behavioral science from an accredited college or university, with the required direct clinical experience; or
- A Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Counseling, or another relevant behavioral science, with at least one year of experience providing direct services to children, youth, and families.
- This is a hybrid position based in our Birmingham, AL office. Do you live within a four (4) hour radius of Birmingham, AL, or are you willing and able to relocate?
- Are you fluent in both English and Spanish? (This is a requirement for this position.)
If yes, please describe your level of proficiency in both languages (e.g., conversational, professional, native/bilingual):
- Do you have experience working with ORR programs (e.g., HS/PRS, UC Program) and/or with refugee, immigrant, asylum seeker, or unaccompanied children populations?
If yes, please describe your experience in detail, including the program(s), population(s) served, and your role/responsibilities:
Lugar de trabajo: Híbrido en Jackson, MS 39212
