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Position Title: Case Manager (Foster Care)

Department: Foster Care (FC)

Reports to: Foster Case Supervisor

Position Summary:

As part of a team, the Case Manager provides direct individual and family casework services to facilitate healing through trauma Informed services and Positive Youth Development. Utilizing UCAN's Clinical Philosophy, the Case Manager provides support and education to enhance parenting skills and to prepare youth for self-sufficiency upon emancipation.

Essential Responsibilities:

Assessment and Service Planning

• Completes as required, assessments and service plans for assigned clients that adequately and appropriately address the client/family's unique service needs.
• Implements client service plans, monitors service plan progress, and reviews progress with supervisor and DCFS as required.
• Demonstrates insight regarding client strengths and needs and incorporates this into service planning and assessment.
• Assesses and monitors the safety of clients in current living arrangement and makes any needed recommendations and referrals for appropriate placement.
• Assesses permanency options; recommends permanency plan for clients; and implements plan to achieve permanency for clients.

Organization and Service Delivery

• Develops a working knowledge of community resources to use in serving clients and maintains productive working relationship with these resources.
• Provides referral and linkage to appropriate resources; secures all written agreements in accordance with guidelines established by contracting agencies and other outside sources.
• Recommends and obtains supervisor approval of limited financial assistance for client needs.
• Creates organized plans so that all casework tasks can be completed as required.
• Responds in a timely manner to all written correspondence, email and phone call inquiries regarding clients.
• Contacts courts, DCFS, and other service providers or community organizations to coordinate client services or to make referrals.

Documentation and Reporting

• Makes frequent reports to supervisor on progress of client services, as well as required written reports.
• Maintains accurate, complete and timely client records and data as required by UCAN and IDCFS.
• Reports client progress in court proceedings through clear written reports submitted as required, and through accurate verbal testimony.
• Reports all possible critical incidents and unusual incidents to supervisor, management, or DCFS as required by UCAN or by mandated reporting law.

Client Outreach and Engagement

• Maintains client face-to-face contact through required number of home and office visits.
• Engages resistant and/or mandated clients in services.
• Provides outreach to client, family members and other significant people in the client's life to maintain contact and to develop resources for the client.
• Develops effective helping relationships with clients and their families.
• Maintains required contact with relevant family members, assesses their need for services, and works on relationship building between client and family.
• Plans, coordinates and supervises required family or sibling visits.

Supports Parenting Skills and Child Development

• Completes required parenting assessments and child development screens of assigned clients and their child(ren).
• Provides individualized education to teen parents regarding developmental expectations, health and safety issues, and infant/child bonding.
• Assists clients in understanding and following through with recommendations made by their children's service providers when necessary.
• Assists clients in obtaining daycare, WIC, their child(ren)'s immunization and medical records, and Head Start.
• Develops a working knowledge of community parenting resources, which may be used in serving clients and maintains close working relationship with these resources.
• Models appropriate adult/child interactions at all times for the benefit of the children and to create learning opportunities for the teen parents.
• Assesses and monitors the safety of children living with clients and makes any needed recommendations and referrals for appropriate placement and services.

Professionalism and Work Conduct

• Behaves with integrity, demonstrates high ethical standards, and displays a positive image of UCAN.
• Acts in a professional manner at all times and maintains appropriate boundaries with clients.
• Demonstrates accountability for results and keeps commitments to others.
• Reports to work, meetings, training, and job related activities prepared and as scheduled.
• Demonstrates openness and respect for cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of clients and coworkers.
• Responds to clients and their families, UCAN staff, IDCFS, service providers and other stakeholders in a timely manner and ensures follow up to adequately address their need.
• Performs other related tasks as required or assigned.

Education/Job Experience/Certification:

• SW or BS/BA in Human Service field required.
• Licensed Child Welfare Services Employee or license eligible.
• 0-2 years of experience working in human services, child welfare, or crisis intervention.