Permanency Specialist II Youth - Western & Southern Tier IFC/TFC

Job Summary

Hillside Institute for Family Connections™ is currently hiring for a Permanency Specialist who will be working with youth and families receiving services within Hillside’s Therapeutic Foster Care Program across counties in Western and Southern Tier New York. The Permanency Specialist is responsible for individualized permanency planning, which includes the delivery of Family Finding services, where family and fictive kin will be sought and gathered to support youths’ legal, emotional and relational permanency. The person in this position will have continuous collaboration with family members, non-relative resources, County and community partners, Care Coordinators, and team members, with the purpose of urgently locating and engaging family members and other adults, in order to build a lifetime network of supportive, caring people for each youth and family.  

This is a Full Time position - 40 hours per week.  Hours will vary throughout the week. Regular use of one's personal vehicle on the job is required, with mileage eligible for a generous reimbursement.

Essential Job functions

• Implement the Family Finding and/or Child-focused Recruitment Model to fidelity with assigned youth. 
• Facilitate, scribe, and/or coordinate Permanency Roundtables for referred youth.
• Engage youth, caregivers, relatives, fictive kin and/or other appropriate adults to increase connections and build a lifetime network of support for each youth and their families.   
• Support teams in determining the type of permanency intervention needed for youth.
• Educate youth, families, providers, and strategic partners (i.e. DSS, OCFS) about the positive impact of Family Finding and/or Wendy’s Wonderful Kids permanency services. 
• Participate and provide expertise in Service Plan Reviews, Treatment Conferences, and Benchmark team meetings as it relates to permanency. 

• Develop, maintain, and update all required documentation in a timely manner utilizing effective written and oral communication.

   

• Assess and address the permanency needs of children/youth.
• Partner with individuals who want to provide permanency for children/youth.
• Increase supports for youth and families enrolled in services within the Institute for Family Connections (IFC).  For youth, this entails creating a lifetime network of support by locating and engaging family members and other significant adults to provide on-going support for the youth to achieve positive and successful permanency outcomes.
• Create a strength-based permanency plan that includes home time, identifying and coordinating potential permanency resources and other natural supports, recognizing gaps and needs, assessing results and providing on-going communication with the youth’s treatment team.
• Active participation in agency Permanency Roundtables and serve as a Permanency Consultant to multidisciplinary treatment teams.
• While this job description covers many aspects of the role, employees may be required to perform other duties as assigned.
   

Education & Experience

• Associate’s degree in human services or a related field with minimum 2 of years relevant experience; OR

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, or human services required; OR

• Bachelor’s degree in any field with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience required
   

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Unrestricted, valid NYS driver’s license for minimum of 1 year with a clean driving record and minimum insurance coverage that meets agency standards. 
   

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

In addition to demonstrating the Hillside Professional Competencies of Communicates Effectively, Personal Excellence, Cultural Competence, Builds and Leverages Relationships, and Optimizes Decision Making, the following occupational competencies must be demonstrated:

• Ability to impact the philosophy of youth permanency for colleagues and teams.
• Ability to implement and facilitate Permanency Round Table and Model meetings.
• Knowledge of the legal and social rights of children, youth and parents to assure that these rights are understood and protected.
• Ability to use problem solving skills to positively impact decision making.
• Ability to be independent and self-directed
   

Physical Demands & Work Environment

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.

• Must be able to work a variable scheduling including evenings and weekends
• The following daily physical demands are required:
  • Sitting (up to 6 hours)
  • Occasional standing (up to 2 hour)
  • Occasional walking (up to 2.5 hours)
  • Driving (several times a week up to 6 hours)
  • Continuous balancing (up to 8 hours)
  • Occasional balancing, bending, stooping, climbing, kneeling, pushing, pulling, reaching forward or down, reaching overhead, running, and twisting (up to 2.5 hours)
  • Weekly lifting up to 10-15 lbs. on a daily basis
  • Manual dexterity is required, including the frequent ability to grasp in both hands and continuous use of fine manipulation skills in both hands (approximately 1-2.5 hrs.)
  • Occasional exposure to dust, fumes, gases, chemicals, or smoke is apparent  
  • Ability to change positions as needed
     

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

While Hillside is a restraint free environment, there may be times in a “life or limb” situation, that staff may be required to physically restrain clients weighing between 50 lbs. and 300 lbs. and guide them safely to the floor. In some circumstances, restraints can last up to 15 minutes and may require repetition as necessary. 

$21.40 Minimum pay rate, $31.00 Maximum pay rate, based on experience.

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