Case Planner - Watertown

Summary/Objective:

Under the supervision of the Casework Coordinator, the Foster Care Case Planner provides foster care services to their assigned caseload. The Case Planner works as a member of the youth and family’s treatment team to meet the established permanency planning goal. They provide support, guidance, and mentoring to youth in foster care, their birth families and/or discharge resources, and to certified foster parents. In collaboration with service providers, family members, and CHJC’s clinical staff, the Case Planner completes a strength-based assessment and develops individualized treatment plans. As needed, the Case Planner links and refers the youth and/or family members to community-based support services/resources.

As a CHJC employee, the Foster Care Case Planner is committed to CHJC’s mission of “Creating opportunities to Enhance Lives One Relationship at a Time.” Additionally, the Foster Care Case Planner places focus and emphasis on the following values: safety and permanency for each client served, respect and compassion at the forefront of every interaction, integrity threaded through every decision made, excellence as an expectation and standard that will never be lowered, and stewardship carried out for the benefit of our clients and community.

Essential Functions:

1. Completes strength-based assessment of family members.
2. As they relate to required/recommended services, maintains contact with service providers regarding participant’s attendance and progress toward goal achievement.
3. Coordinates visitation for each youth with an identified resource; provides supervision for visitation regularly to assess the family’s progress.
4. Meets and/or maintain contact with each youth, family member, and foster parent in accordance with the initial Level Agreement, LDSS contract, and NYS regulations.
5. Works as a member of a Treatment Team, including the child and family, to develop an Individualized Treatment Plan and assists with identifying goals for each member of the family.
6. Provides supportive counseling to the youth, birth parents, and foster parents.
7. Participates in regularly scheduled Treatment Team Meetings.
8. Works with community agencies, organizations, and systems for long-term planning and support of the families and children served to include recruitment and retention of foster homes.
9. Attends all Family Court hearings, aides in the preparation of necessary court documentation, and provides testimony.
10. Represents CHJC as a liaison with various private as well as public service providers and resource agencies.
11. Completes all New York State mandated and CHJC reports and forms in a timely fashion.
12. Views all foster homes for health and safety compliance, addresses safety concerns as they arise.
13. Ensures the health and safety of each youth while in the birth home, foster home, and community, creates and modifies safety plans as needed.
14. Provides thorough documentation in regard to all Casework activities including but not limited to face-to-face contacts, phone calls, case conferences, court appearances, visitation, noted incidents, home inspections.
15. Maintains complete and organized case files in accordance with OCFS and CHJC policies.
16. Works in partnership with assigned Care Coordinators to ensure the following services are provided:
17. Coordination of health care services including but not limited to medical, dental, and vision care.
18. Submits necessary referrals for services for youth and birth parents including but not limited to mental health counseling, family counseling, and chemical dependency services.
19. Completes school enrollment and monitors all educational programming, develops and maintains working relationships with local schools to ensure a positive education and experience for each child, and obtains regular updates from the school regarding the youth’s academic progress Provides on-going written and verbal notification to each certified foster family as needed.
20. Maintains case records and prepares on-going reports on all children and families receiving services through the CHJC Foster Care Program
21. Aids in the facilitation of Life Skills Instruction
22. Participates in the on-call rotation.
23. Handles other duties as assigned.

Work Environment:

Works in a regular office environment as well as field work

Must be able to work a flexible work schedule in order to meet the needs of the program.

May be authorized to work remotely.

Physical Demands:

Standing, walking, memory, concentration, sitting for long periods of time, hearing, carrying, speaking, writing, bending, pulling, problem solving, lifting, reaching, kneeling, running, seeing, reading, climbing, pushing, and driving.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

Full-Time/ 37.5 hours per week

Essential

Non-Exempt Position

Travel:

Travel required.

Required Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or related Human Service discipline required. Two years’ experience working with youth at risk and families preferred. Experience in child welfare, mental health, and casework preferred.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

Successful completion of routine pre-employment requirements as mandated by the New York State Department of Health, Office of Mental Health and Office of Children and Family Services along with ongoing clearances and exclusion checks. These requirements are to include employment health requirements, Covid-19 vaccination or exemption, reference checks, criminal background checks/fingerprinting, State Central Registry clearance and your eligibility to work in the United States. Valid NYS driver’s license required with a good driving record.