The Family Engagement Specialist is primarily responsible for involving and engaging the birth family in the treatment process when a child has been placed in the foster care program and Child & Family Services. Seeking to expedite permanency for the child, the Family Engagement Specialist encourages familial involvement in child’s treatment and helps strengthen parenting skills. The engagement specialist plays a critical role in identifying family resources for children that come into care.

Major Responsibilities/Activities:

• Conduct Ice Breaker meeting between birth family and foster family
• Completion of family genograms and Ecomaps
• Conduct home visits at the residence of respondent parents and family members
• Identify and promote the involvement of family members (immediate and extended) in a child’s treatment and permanency planning
• Conduct family searches, complete mobility mapping, and collaborate with all members of a child’s immediate and extended family to identify potential discharge resources and expedite permanency for a child’s future
• Advocate for the needs and concerns of a child’s birth family
• Facilitate Permanency Round Tables
• Work in collaboration with the case planner in supporting resource parent’s capacity to meet the needs of the child/children in their home
• Maintain all resources on the CONNECTIONS database to include progress notes and collaboration with case planner on the FASPs and Permanency Hearing documents
• Schedule and organize birth family events and support groups that provide support, education and intervention services to families with children in care
• Ensure services are delivered in accordance with program and agency policy and procedures, local district requirements as well as New York State laws and regulations
• Provide 3 months of aftercare services for children and families which involves phone calls and home visitation to clients and families
• Assist family in maintaining linkages to services post discharge
• Model and practice sensitivity, fair treatment and acceptance of diversity in all interpersonal interactions
• Show willingness to learn about and implement skills related to diversity
• Participate and contribute to program Quality Improvement process
• Maintain positive working relationships with birth families, resource parents, program staff and others within the agency
• Maintain and submit all required documents and comply with all aspects of the Vehicle Safety and Usage Policy
• Participate in a department on-call rotation and provide crisis management skills

Minimum Requirements:

• Associates Degree in related field
• Two (2) years experience in foster care/adoption preferred
• Excellent writing and presentation skills
• Excellent interviewing and assessment skills
• Flexibility to work evening and weekend hours as needed

CMS Mandate requires that all employees at Child & Family Services must be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus by the date of hire.

Diversity Statement:

Within our agency and in the communities that we serve, C&FS is committed to diversity and inclusion with race equity at the center. Every day we work to promote safety, health, and wellness. We will not stop until black, indigenous and people of color are free from racism and experience peace, prosperity and well-being.

Child & Family Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer:

Child & Family Services provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran or familial status, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Child & Family Services complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)