New Job Child Welfare Specialist In New York

THE SELECTED CANDIDATE WILL BE OFFERED A SALARY BETWEEN $51,999 - $55,590.

*THIS POSITION IS OPEN ONLY TO CANDIDATES CURRENTLY SERVING IN THE PERMANENT TITLE OF CHILD WELFARE SPECIALIST*

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of New York City’s children and families by providing child welfare, juvenile justice, and early care services. In child welfare, ACS contracts with private nonprofit organizations to support and stabilize families at risk of a crisis through preventive services and provides foster care services for children not able to safely remain at home. Each year, the agency’s Division of Child Protection responds to more than 50,000 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. In juvenile justice, ACS manages and funds services including detention and placement, intensive community-based alternatives for youth, and support services for families. ACS is also a key part of NYCs early childhood and education continuum, providing childcare assistance to thousands of child welfare involved and low-income children so they can access safe, affordable, quality care.

The Specialized Care Unit (SCU) has oversight for and is responsible for permanency planning, management and provision of services to foster children who are placed outside of the continuum of care and who are placed in facilities operated by the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), as well as the Office of Mental Health (OMH); Skilled Nursing Facilities; Psychiatric Hospital (state); and Special and Residential Schools in New York and other States. SCU accepts referrals from the Division of Child Protection (DCP) as well as from foster care providers. SCU collaborates with Family Court Legal Services attorneys, Office of Placement Services, Child and Family Health and the Mental health Coordination Unit to ensure that efforts for replacement are coordinated and responded to timely, concurrent permanency planning is being addressed and admissions, progress and discharges from medical and psychiatric hospitals are monitored and tracked. The Child Welfare Specialist (CWS) is responsible for and maintains direct case planning and management for special needs children in foster care who are in highly specialized settings - usually residential treatment facilities and private non-contracted providers. These children/youth usually reside in long term and/or permanent clinical treatment settings including facilities operated by the Office of Persons with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), Office of Mental Health (OMH), Skilled Nursing Facilities and Specialized Schools. Some of these facilities are located upstate or in other states. These children/youth are not connected to a foster care provider agency.

The CWS is responsible for the range of case planning and management activities such as but not limited to:

• Complete all required/appropriate casework contacts including, but not limited to initial/ongoing contacts with child/youth, parents, other family members and additional permanency/other resources. These contacts may be conducted in home, agency, school and other settings.
• Attend case and family team conferences to plan and coordinate services for the child.
• Attend family court permanency hearings and providing reports to court.
• Explore and developing family and other resources supporting permanency.
• Pursue concurrent and permanency planning as well as supervising services provided to children/youth and their families.
• Complete timely, relevant Documentation in Connections such as progress notes, FASPs and Permanency Hearing Reports.
• Coordinate inter-/intra-agency collaboration supporting child/family safety, permanency and well-being, e.g. regular in-person, telephonic and email consultations with relevant staff on service/tx/permanency planning progress at facilities where SCU children/youth reside. In-person visits may require occasional travel outside New York City/State and extended workdays.
• Coordinate discharge and post-discharge planning including but not limited to:
• OPWDD applications; applications for supportive housing, adult residential care, etc.
• Benefits, e.g. SSI, PA, etc.
• Vital documents

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college including or supplemented by 24 semester credits in one or a combination of the following fields: social work, psychology, sociology, human services, criminal justice, education (including early childhood), nursing, or cultural anthropology, with at least 12 of these credits in one discipline.

Requirements for Assignment Level II
a. Upon satisfactory completion of six months of training and experience at Assignment Level I, an employee shall be assigned to Assignment Level II.
b. Upon completion of one year of satisfactory experience at Assignment Level II of Child Welfare Specialist and satisfactory completion of the probationary period an employee shall receive no less than the minimum salary after 18 months in title.
c. To be appointed directly to Assignment Level II, a candidate must have, in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements set forth above, one year of satisfactory child welfare casework experience.

Section 424-A of the New York Social Services Law requires an authorized agency to inquire whether a candidate for employment with child-caring responsibilities has been the subject of a child abuse and maltreatment report.

APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY USING ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW:

For current city employees, go to Employee Self Service (ESS), Recruiting Activities, Careers and search for Job ID# #584273
For all other applicants go to www.nyc.gov/careers and search for Job ID# 584273. Click on the "Apply" button.

If you do not have access to a computer, most public libraries have computers available for use.

Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

New York City Residency is not required for this position