Position Summary: The Family Allies Care Manager adheres to the FPOCF System of Care principles of practice and provides family cantered strength-based assessment, planning, linkage, coordination, and advocacy for children and families. The Care Manager works as a team member with key partners including parents, family members, foster parents, caregivers, guardian ad litem, DCF Protective Investigators, CLS attorneys, therapists, providers, and other appropriate professionals. The Care Manager will train and become proficient in identifying and assessing child and family needs with the ultimate goal of achieving permanency.
Must successfully complete Child Protection Certification training and examination, then a considerable period of monitored field practice under close supervision and the associated field case assessment process.
Technical/Functional Expectations:
- Complete required certification - essential function: Attend Child Protection Certification training (pre-service) and successfully attain a passing score on the required examination.
- Safety - essential function: Conduct family function and child safety assessments; develop, monitor, and manage required safety plans.
- Permanency - essential function: Identify and develop plan to successfully achieve permanency for children placed in out -of-home care.
- Service Delivery - essential function: Assess child and family needs; develop service plans; coordinate the delivery of services; ensure all referrals and linkages to children/parents/caregivers are completed.
- Reports -essential function: Prepare all required court reports and submit within the required timeframes; make recommendations; testify at court hearings regarding reunification, permanent guardianship, termination of parental rights, or other case management activities; ensure court orders are completed within required timeframes.
- Documentation –essential function: Develop and maintain case and program documentation according to contract; ensure documentation occurs within the SACWIS system and other related systems within required timeframes.
- Engagement -essential function: Adherence to the local SOC values, goals and priorities for Brevard’s children, youth and families; Utilize a family centered strength based approach to care; Monitor quality of care by conducting face-to-face home visits with children minimally every 30 days, or with increased frequency as determined by case situations and supervisory direction; facilitate, monitor, and assess visitation between children, parents, and siblings to ensure safety and observe interactions.
- Support - essential function: Provide support to children, caregivers and family members to assure stable placement and timely achievement of permanency; Coordinate cases with supervisor, team members, providers, DCF and attorneys as needed.
- Court Appearance and Preparation - essential function: Review case information prior to every hearing in order to be prepared to answer any questions from the Court regarding the status of the case, services, and progress towards permanency; Dress appropriately for Court appearances and ensure all court hearings are attended timely.
- Initiatives - essential function: Embraces and participates in initiatives and programs designed to enhance the System of Care.
- On Call - essential function: This position is required to participate in the on-call function on nights and weekends once provisional certification has been achieved.
- Other duties as required: Job performance requires fulfilling other incidental or related duties as assigned, assisting and training others, and performing duties of higher rated positions from time to time for developmental purposes.
Behavioral Competencies:
- Trust and Respect: Able to demonstrate and treat others in an honest and straightforward manner; keep dealings with others confidential; keep word and follow through on commitments.
- Prioritizing: Able to quickly focus on what is important; establish a sequence of tasks and completion dates; set priorities and allocate time and resources when faced with competing demands.
- Sensitivity: Work effectively with and show sensitivity to cultural differences and various socio- economic backgrounds of others.
- Ethics: Adhere to and model principles and values of Agency and System of Care by being strength- based and solution-focused; maintains highest level of integrity and ethical standards and work; ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
- Partnership: collaboratively with employees, partners, stakeholders and clients in all interactions.
- Communication: Able to confidently present information to children, parents, partners, court, etc. and speak to individuals and co-workers in an effective and persuasive manner.
- Flexibility - Able to perform job duties at a high level of autonomy or with minimal supervision; able to set appropriate limits and boundaries with children and families; able to travel and make home visits; able to work flexible hours as required.
Business Experience:
- Valid Driver's License - Essential: A valid driver's license is required in order to attend meetings and other activities throughout the County and State.
- Possess an operational private vehicle for the use of daily work activities. Proof of registration and insurance coverage is required.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills: Strong communication skills are essential in order to clearly and concisely articulate programs, proposals, write policies and respond to program inquiries in a professional manner.
- Collaborative, solution-focused approach: A collaborative, solution-focused approach is essential in order to foster and develop relationships and to build consensus among parties with conflicting positions and opinions.
- Computer literacy: Intermediate skill in Word, Excel, SACWIS system are required
Educational and Experience Requirements:
- A high school diploma or GED equivalent (official transcripts required) AND four or more years of full time social work or human services experience.
- An associate degree from an accredited college or 60+ college credits from an accredited college AND two years of full-time social work or human services experience or two years of professional work experience. Examples of work experience could be, but are not limited to:
- Guardian Ad Litem or similar child advocate role
- Family Support Worker
- Group Home Staff
- Teacher’s assistant/aide
- Childcare provider/staff
- Therapeutic Assistant
- Behavioral health technician
- Family intervention specialist
- Home health aide
- Nurse (LPN or RN) or similar profession
- Nursing facility assistance
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS
- Other professional jobs that require an assessment of factors that can contribute to trauma or protective capacities with children and families.
- Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a social work or related area of study from an accredited college or university. (Related degrees are Criminology, Psychology, Sociology, Counselling, Special Education, Education, Human Development, Child Development, Family Development, Marriage and Family Therapy although other degrees may apply.
- Two years’ experience working with at risk children and families preferred.
- You must obtain a Child Welfare Case Manager Certification within 12 months of completion of paid pre-service training.
Physical Requirements:
For more information regarding our screening process please visit Clearinghouse.com .
Family Partnerships of Central Florida is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. These employers also maintain Drug-Free Workplaces. Requests for Auxiliary Aids for Hearing Impaired or Limited English Proficiency Candidates may be made with a minimum of five (5) days notice to C. Hernandez at (321) 752-4650.
