Social Worker - Foster Care
Sacramento, CA
FosterHope Sacramento serves children, youth, and families in a variety of capacities throughout the greater Sacramento area. We are a child and youth centric agency that values collaboration, transparency, and integrity, while utilizing a wholistic approach in the work we do. In this high intensity environment and in recognition of the need for our staff to often go above and beyond, we highly encourage and support self care and work life balance. Staff often report feeling valued and that they enjoy the inclusion in decision making and the flexibility provided as needed.
DESCRIPTION:
The Special Skills Social Workerposition reports to the Supervisor of the Enhanced Care Program. It provides support to FHS Enhanced Emergency Intensive Services Foster Care program (EE-ISFC) and Enhanced Intensive Services Foster Care program (E-ISFC) and will support emergency short-term shelter care and mid-term interim care placements for children and youth with immediate need of out-of-home care with specialized resource families in home-based settings. The Social Worker will collaborate extensively and frequently with the other members of the Foster Hope Enhanced Care team
QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Master’s degree in social work or related human service field from an accredited college or university is required.
2. Strong practical and theoretical foundation in strength-based and trauma informed care practices.
3. Knowledge of local community resources and referral process, child welfare, adoption, familiarity with CPS’s practices and policies such as the California Core Practice Model, foster care regulations and interim licensing.
4. Must possess valid California Driver’s license and state required registration and insurance.
5. Knowledge of best practice standards California Alliance of Child and Family Services (CACFS) and Council on Accreditation (COA)
6. Meet all licensing and regulation clearances and requirements for Resource Family Agencies, including clear CAIC, clear DOJ fingerprints.
7. Willingness to get CPR/First Aid certified, health screening and TB clearance.
8. Willingness to work a flexible schedule.
Job Type: Full Time - In Person. - Exempt Position.
ABILITIES:
1. Ability to evaluate and assess placements crisis situations, develop a response and decision with minimal supervision.
2. Self-motivated and able to work collaboratively with the various county child welfare agencies and social workers, manage program issues, and creative solution finder.
3. Ability to work effectively with staff at all levels, resource families, children and youth, and community resource agencies.
4. Ability to facilitate Child and Family Team Meetings.
5. Ability to closely collaborate on a daily basis with FHS Enhanced Care team.
6. Ability to perform risk assessments, crisis intervention, can navigate challenging family dynamics, and always remain respectful and supportive.
7. Can communicate effectively verbally and written with clients, colleagues, resource families and community partners.
8. Ability to multi-task, work independently, and prioritize assigned tasks effectively, with the flexibility to get work completed on time.
9. Able to identify indicators of quality practice for Quality Assurance Program.
10. Be available and flexible to attend meetings, training courses, and respond to clients as the need arises - be client centered.
11. Is consistently resilient and can model resiliency and healthy emotional responses and build rapport and able to mentor youth.
12. Openness to adapt and practice the Agency’s core values, which involve compassion and humility; inclusiveness and openness to change; respect and integrity; inspiration and empowerment; accountability and excellence.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Direct Service:
1. Be reachable and available to respond to crisis situations and meet all supervision needs of children/youth and provide intensive case management and coordination support for resource parents.
2. Be available for work related needs during some evening and weekend hours.
3. Provide crisis response intervention, behavioral support, and referral services to children/youth and resource families by utilizing a trauma-informed and harm reduction approach, in alignment with the identified safety plan, if applicable.
4. Facilitate regular Child and Family Team meetings.
5. Collaborate extensively and frequently with the FHS Enhanced Care team.
6. Keeps an organized care coordination with child/youth behavioral health support including individual therapist, primary careproviders, etc.
7. Consistent monitoring and follow through of the Initial Psychiatric Evaluations and ongoing medication management provided by a child psychiatrist or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (with proper oversight and supervision by a psychiatrist).
8. Will be part of the Clinical Care Team for a youth when applicable.
Resource Family Recruitment and Approval:
1. Supports in the recruitment and approval processes of specialized Enhanced Care ISFC resource family, ensuring compliance with CCL regulations by fulfilling all initial necessary requirements before placing a child/youth.
2. Ensures that specialized Enhanced Care ISFC resource families have undergone additional training in areas related to trauma and the provision of trauma-informed care and receives increased support from FHS to be able to meet the needs of the children/youth.
3. Provides support in the identification of placement in the least restrictive setting possible in collaboration with CFT members as necessary and to do the initial Community Support Services and Engagement.
4. Provision of individual coaching/supervision and helps in group training and support sessions for all specialized Resource Parents.
5. Ensure legal and placement agreements between FHS and participating resource families are completed, signed, and documented.
6. Ensures all FHS paperwork related to placements are completed timely and correctly.
Community Engagement and Collaboration:
1. Ensure to engage the youth in Pro-Social activities allowing for community positive connection to promote social skills building, providing distraction, and building positive outlets. Pro-social activities may include alternative therapy modalities such as fitness/exercise, dance, music, poetry jams, writing workshop, volunteering.
2. Work collaboratively with all service providers, participating in services when requested, supporting the youths engagement in services, and following through with steps to achieve treatment goals.
3. Work collaboratively with CPS to ensure the child/youth is transported to all necessary appointments (school, therapy, court, medical/dental, court, visitation, outside social activities, etc.)
4. Facilitate mentorship activities for youth to promote and model healthy relationships and develop life skills for long-term healing and success.
5. Provides access to outside specialty behavioral health services and programs such as mindful movement, neurodevelopment strategies, EMDR, Equine- assisted Psychology, healing therapy, and transformative coaching.
Compliance, Documentation, and Reporting:
1. Reports significant incidents immediately including but not limited to mental health crisis, incarcerations, AWOL, and hospitalizations and work as needed to ensure appropriate assessment and intervention is completed.
2. Attends the all-staff and PQI meetings, trainings/meetings on supporting and working with a child/youth with behavioral health, substance use disorder and/or higher acuity need.
3. Complies with licensing regulations in providing intensive case management services with resource families caring for children/youth including participation in MDT/PCFT/CFT when appropriate, participation in services/interventions that are part of a child/youth’s support network such as Wraparound Program, TBS, FIT, etc.
4. Ensures all documents mandated by county or state agencies are completed in an accurate and timely manner.
5. Obtains the medical clearance for all children/youth newly entering care or when necessitated by urgent medical needs that arise during EE-ISFC and/or E-ISFC placement.
6. Ensures that confidentiality of child/youth’s information is maintained. The collection and management of all child/youth level data should be in a secure, encrypted database and must be able to accurately report on all services provided.
7. Keeps a proper and up-to-date documentation of the child/youth’s information/reports/documents to facilitate a smooth transition both to the EE-ISFC and/or E-ISFC home and future placement.
8. Collects and reports data regarding the provision of EE-ISFC and/or E-ISFC services that achieve improved outcome goals related to maintaining children/youth in home-based placements.
9. Develop and implementQuality Assurance and Continuous Quality Improvement processes.
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, and crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 – 40 pounds to lift and carry small children. required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
The employee is expected to possess availability to perform work duties in the evening and occasional weekends.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $69,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Education:
Experience:
- Social Work: 3 years (Required)
Language:
License/Certification:
- Driver's License (Required)
Work Location: Multiple locations
