Job Information
St. Catherine's Center for Children Family Specialist, Foster Care - Albany in Albany, New York
FAMILY SPECIALIST, FOSTER CARE - ALBANY, NY
Program: Foster Care
Type: Full-time/ Non-Exempt
Pay Range: $22.06 – $25.18 (hourly)
Location: Albany, NY
Job Ref. #: 124
Schedule: Monday - Friday, 9am – 5pm w/additional flex-time to accommodate client schedules
Candidate should also be available to participate in the 24-hour on-call rotation schedule
Our Mission:
St. Catherine's Center for Children provides a comprehensive range of human services designed to offer hope, foster growth, and improve the lives of the children, families and adults we serve.
Our Vision:
St. Catherine’s willingness to embrace change and develop new services is, and will remain, our guiding philosophy as we support the human service needs of children, families, and adults throughout the region.
About Us:
St. Catherine’s Center for Children is a non-profit organization located in the Greater Capital Region of New York. We offer a wide array of human services designed to meet the needs of vulnerable children, families and adults, including residential and therapeutic foster care programs for children and youth, Kinship support, homeless and community-based services for adults and families, a special education elementary school for ages 5-13, and so much more. St. Catherine’s is committed to cultivating a culture where all employees feel safe to bring their authentic and best selves to the workplace. Our DEIB initiatives are designed to foster an equitable, inclusive and diversified workplace; collaboratively embracing mindfulness, relevance, respect and solidarity.
If you would like to learn more about us, please visit our website at: www.st-cath.org
Position Overview :
The Foster Care Family Specialist provides support services and psycho-educational counseling and skill building to our client children and their family members, in addition to the support services provided to the treatment families, from admissions through discharge.
The Family Specialist is the linkage between the treatment team and all community services (educational, clinical, occupational, etc.) involved with the child. The caseload for each Family Specialist is between 10-12 children, along with their respective foster families and respite families.
Position Requirements & Specifications:
Ability to work: Monday - Friday, 9am – 5pm w/ additional flex-time to accommodate client schedules.
Must be available to participate in on-call rotation schedule.
Bachelor’s Degree in a human service area with a demonstrated capacity to work with a wide range of people from various populations; will consider a combination of education and prior experience in lieu of Bachelor’s degree.
Ability to work flexible hours to accommodate client schedules, which may include evening hours.
A Clean and Valid New York State Driver’s License (actively licensed at least one year) and a reliable vehicle for transporting clients to community resources, meetings, etc. - is required.
Staff in driving positions must be able to meet agency’s minimum requirements of our insurance policy for authorized drivers; including, but not limited to the minimum age of 21 at time of hire.
Knowledge of community resources is beneficial.
Previous experience working in a human services agency is a plus!
Proficient computer skills: Microsoft Office Suite; Google Business Workspace Suite; and use secure Internet practices.
Prior experience with the NYS “Connections” computer software is a plus!
Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills; Capable of building strong working relationships with regulatory bodies.
Self-motivated and engaged, with a strong attention to detail; Excellent writing aptitude.
A compassionate, warm and caring mindset; Capable of exhibiting empathy for those in crisis.
A professional record of integrity, proven reliability and dependability; Qualities of positivity, flexibility and adaptability.
Capable of exercising ethical, independent judgment and discretion while handling sensitive data with strict confidentiality.
Ability to pass background checks, including fingerprinting.
Some Essential Duties & Responsibilities include:
Oversee development of admission note and initial Service Plan in conjunction with the Program Supervisor and others involved with the child’s placement and treatment.
Schedule and attend quarterly Service Plan Reviews, revising the Service Plan to meet the child’s current treatment needs.
Provide consultation and supervision to foster parents to assure that effective treatment procedures are followed through home visits and weekly phone consultation. In Specialized Foster Care Program, a minimum of one home visit per month is required. In Family Focused Therapeutic Foster Care, a minimum of two home visits per month are required.
Evaluate treatment, parenting and care of the child and maintain records on each placement.
Incorporate ongoing training with the program supervisor to professional parents into cluster meetings.
Maintain contact with child’s birth family; arrange child visits.
Coordinate services and advocate for the child with community agencies, schools, and mental health agencies.
Document caseworker contacts and treatment progress in progress notes and FASPS in the New York State “Connections” computer system.
Using strength-based approaches, develop partnerships with the children's families.
Assess for family needs and make appropriate referrals for the child’s birth family or legal guardian.
Facilitate relationships between foster parents and birth parents.
Convene and facilitate parent groups for both birth and professional parents.
Provide 24-hour on-call availability for foster parents on a rotating basis.
Work closely with clinical consultants, psychiatrists and other service professionals.
Attend psychiatric medication reviews and update the psychiatrist on the child's functioning.
Supervised visits using the “Coached Family Visits Model”.
Other position-related duties as assigned by the Program Supervisor or Director.
What We Offer You*:
Competitive Pay with an Excellent Benefits Package
Health Insurance options*: Medical, Dental and Vision
$600 Well-being Reimbursement Benefit*
Generous Combined Leave Time (CLT) and Paid Holidays*!
$500 Employee Referral Bonus*
We are a 501(c) (3) agency, which is a qualifying employer for eligible staff under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program*
Pension Plan with Generous Agency Contribution*
403b Retirement Savings Plan*
Life Insurance* – Automatic Benefit at no cost to employee
Paid Training, including TCI and CPR/AED/First Aid Certification & Update courses, if role appropriate
Tuition Reimbursement* & Travel/ Mileage Reimbursement*
Professional Development & Career Growth Opportunities
The Comfort of a Business Casual Environment
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging.
*To qualify, certain conditions may apply
EEO Statement: St. Catherine’s Center for Children is committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, reproductive health and pregnancy, family history and genetics, disability, age, military status, veteran status, politics, or other beliefs, and any other characteristics protected by law.
Background Checks : We are required to run a thorough and complete background check on All Candidates being considered for any position within our agency. Whether you are going to be a Permanent Employee, work with us through a staffing agency as a Temp, completing an Internship or perhaps you will be Volunteering with us. The background check includes Criminal Background Check (CBC) fingerprinting for the NYS Justice Center (NYS/JC). All candidates must successfully clear the background check process, following NYS/DOJ requirements. We pay for all our background checks!