Position Title
Family Visitation Program (FVP) Client Services Coordinator
Application Instructions
Email resume and cover letters to Meg Hollifield at [email protected], or apply on Indeed. Please include a cover letter.
Hours/Schedule
This is a 24hrs/week part-time, non-exempt position Monday through Wednesday. Since families must be served outside of school hours, the schedule generally falls between 12pm and 8pm.
Overall Description
The FVP Client Services Coordinator is responsible for ensuring a high-quality experience for families who use supervised visitation and safe exchange through responsive and pro-active case management and client communication. The Client Services Coordinator is the primary point of contact for all families served by the program.
The Family Visitation Program (FVP) provides children with a safe place to visit and form healthy relationships with their non-custodial parent, or to exchange between parents with joint custody. The Mediation Center serves families with a history of domestic violence, substance abuse, child maltreatment, mental health concerns, child abduction risk, and high-conflict separation/divorce.
Through supervised visitation and safe child exchange, The Mediation Center’s FVP enhances community safety and stops the cycle of abuse and trauma. FVP serves more than 20 families each year with over 450 supervised visits and child exchanges.
Agency Description
The Mediation Center is a 501(3)c nonprofit founded in 1984. We provide mediation, conflict resolution skills training, and supervised child visitation in Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania, and Polk Counties of Western North Carolina. We believe that conflict is a normal part of life, and that people know what’s best in their own lives. By offering non-judgmental and confidential conflict resolution and supervised visitation services we create a safer and more peaceful community for everyone.
The Mediation Center is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Primary Areas of Responsibility
Pro-actively manage all FVP Cases
- Be the first and primary point of contact for all families using FVP
- Ensure consistent and responsive communication with all clients, including rapidly returning all phone calls and e-mails, accurately answering client questions, and clearly communicating program parameters
- Coordinate and negotiate the visit schedules of parents/guardians in high-conflict relationships to find available visit times within the constraints of the FVP schedule
- Work with attorneys, mental health professionals, and court personnel to communicate about client needs and best use of the program
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of all client communication and case interaction
- Work with families to problem-solve barriers to service delivery and to accommodate special needs
- Efficiently and quickly move families from their first contact with FVP to their first visit or exchange, including conducting client intake appointments
- Address client concerns as they arise through creative, thoughtful problem solving
- Employ discerning judgement about what issues may require additional support (In those cases, collaborate with the Center’s Program Director to find a solution.)
Attend daily to the needs, challenges, and logistics of Client Services across three FVP locations
- Explain and enforce complex program policies and procedures to ensure the safety of everyone
- Support visit monitors, staff, interns, volunteers, and security personnel
- Ensure that materials and facilities are sufficient to meet family needs
Other duties as assigned
How we expect you to approach the work
Flexible – Adopts and maintains a positive attitude when changes occur to programming and client needs; initiates efficient and well-reasoned responses to changes, asks for and gives help; remains willing to accept feedback and ideas from other team members; and collaborates with others to solve any new problems that may emerge.
Detail-oriented – Maintains a high level of organization in this multi-faceted role; follows and enforces all FVP rules, regulations, and policies; tracks the specific needs and background of each client/family; sees tasks through to completion; and ensures that all client records and program documentation are orderly, accounted for, and complete.
Dedicated to Best Practices – Remains informed about the experiences that impact the families we work with including domestic violence, child maltreatment, child sexual abuse, trauma, high-conflict divorce, substance abuse, and mental illness; develops and maintains up-to-date knowledge about the field of supervised visitation and safe exchange; and implements best practices with an eye toward continual improvement and safety.
Non-judgmental – Prioritizes safety while building warm, friendly, and impartial relationships with clients; avoids casting judgements or sharing opinions about custody arrangements or what is best for a family; acknowledges the importance of a parent’s role in a child’s life regardless of past family violence, maltreatment, or other events; and aims to facilitate positive interactions between children and their parents/guardians within the confines of the FVP format.
Attentive – Follows and applies all rules, policies, and procedures to ensure the safety of everyone; remains diligent and alert throughout all visits and exchanges; intervenes in parent/child interactions to redirect or stop inappropriate parent behavior; and maintains willingness to jump in anywhere help is needed to ensure high-quality, safe services.
Assertive – Communicate with staff and clients in a clear, direct, and honest manner. Uses good judgment in the moment to make decisions in-the moment with a full understanding of all rules, policies, and procedures. Maintains a proactive, calm, and safety-oriented response.
Supervisory Relationships
The Family Visitation Program Client Services Coordinator reports to The Mediation Center’s Program Director. The FVP Client Services Coordinator works as task supervisor and provides support for a team of staff and intern Visit Monitors.
Location and Travel
This position will be located in Henderson County. Several times a month, you will be expected to travel within Henderson, Transylvania, or Polk County. Work-related mileage (but not commute distance to office) is reimbursed. Occasional out-of-town or overnight travel may be required a few times a year.
Requirements
- A 4-year degree in social work, human services, or a related field from an appropriately accredited college or university OR an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Experience working with families in a human services organization
- Experience working with clients in high conflict situations
- Experience with case management and documentation of case records
- Ability to speak, understand, write, and read English at a professional level
- Ability to see and hear
- Ability to follow written and oral directions
- Ability to life up to 30 pounds on occasion
- An acceptable outcome on a criminal background check (The Mediation Center supports employment opportunities for people with prior justice system involvement and will consider each case individually. However, we are unable to consider employment if you have any convictions for violent or sexual offences, or crimes against women or children.)
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and protect highly sensitive information
- A valid N.C. driver’s license and a car for use on all workdays
- Ability to work efficiently despite frequent interruption
- Excellent written communication skills
- Basic knowledge of parenting skills and child development
- Knowledge of/training in family systems, child abuse, mental health, and domestic violence
- Proficiency in Office Suite; ability to quickly master Office 365, databases, and several cloud-based software systems; ability to do basic trouble-shooting to resolve technology issues and questions.
Desired Characteristics
- Ability to speak, understand, write, and read Spanish at a professional level
- Experience with parenting-skills coaching
- Experience coaching staff, and/or interns
- A general understanding of criminal and civil court systems and the experiences of people involved in them
Application Instructions
Email resume and cover letters to Meg Hollifield at [email protected], or apply on Indeed. Please include a cover letter.
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: $24.00 per hour
Benefits:
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Education:
- High school or equivalent (Required)
Work Location: In person
