Therapeutic Foster Care Social Worker

Job Summary:

The Therapeutic Foster Care Social Worker, Master's Level, independently coordinates the placement of children in foster family homes and develops all aspects of the child's program including developing and implementing the child's service plan and setting long and short-term goals. This position also supervises and monitors foster families to ensure they are providing safe and humane service to the children in their home.

Schedule: This position is available rotationally to provide crisis response and must be available to work non-traditional business hours including early mornings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

Responsibilities:

• Independently coordinates youth referrals.
• Screens and assesses child referrals and interviews youth to determine eligibility.
• Schedules pre-placement visits with child and potential foster family and assists in matching youth with an appropriate family.
• Participates in the recruiting and selection process of Foster Parents including home study evaluations.
• Develops the child's program and sets short and long-term goals and objectives for the youth.
• Consults and collaborates with referral source, Foster Parents, teachers, school counselors, and other professionals involved with the youth.
• Assists families with referrals to other community services identified in the plan of service and provides advocacy for the youth and their families to receive entitlements or needed services.
• Prepares intake and discharge summaries, routine progress reports and plans. Evaluates plan and recommends changes.
• Develops and monitors the service plan to include collecting initial and ongoing assessment data, developing the service plan and making modifications as necessary.
• Maintains monthly statistics and data needed for program accountability and billing for client services.
• Conducts periodic consumer evaluations.
• Responds to client emergencies within or outside normal work hours.
• Supervises and develops Foster Parents.
• Meets with Foster Parents following scheduled reporting guidelines, and as needed, to discuss administrative and programmatic issues, review progress, and provide support and guidance in areas of concern.
• Supervises the care and service that the Foster Parents provide including observing their interactions with the foster children and providing them with ongoing feedback on how to best meet their needs.
• Initiates and modifies development plans for each of their foster families to ensure they are aware of their strengths and areas to develop and understand their role as Foster Parents
• Provides ongoing training and teaching to the Foster Parents through formal group training opportunities, web-based learning and one-on-one training in the Foster Parents home.
• Coordinates communication between the child and his/her family.
• Maintains contact with the family and responds to issues/concerns from the family in a supportive and timely fashion.
• Encourages and expects Foster Parents to communicate openly with the family regarding the care and service that they are providing to the child in their home as appropriate.
• Assists with the reunification of child into his/her home communities.
• Assists with follow-up and aftercare services to family as needed.
• Serves as a role model in carrying out the Father Flanagan's Boys' Home mission.
• Directs all activities towards the fulfillment of the Boys Town mission
• Directs all actions to reflect the values and principles of Boys Town
• Establishes and maintains an environment that encourages teamwork, collaboration, and ethical behavior
• Maintains regular, reliable and predictable attendance
• Supports other members of the management team and their work

Other Duties: This job description incorporates the essential functions and duties required for this position. However, other duties may be required and assigned at times and as determined by a supervisor in order to meet the needs of the organization

Skills:

• Experience working with local and state agencies and foster care services.
• Intermediate knowledge of the child welfare system.
• Independent decision-making skills and competencies to work in crisis situations when circumstances warrant such action.
• Ability to work with confrontational clients and their families; necessary temperament to work with children and families experiencing crisis.
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality, professionalism, and role modeling.
• Computer skills in Microsoft Office.
• Ability to communicate with individuals at all levels in the organization and with external contacts in an articulate, profe