Parent Partner/Family Preservationalist (2019-108)

GENERAL NATURE OF POSITION: Support foster/resource parents to ensure a healthy and successful placement for Unaccompanied Refugee Minor foster youth through individualized coaching, training, supportive services and intervention sessions. Utilize a strengths-based, family centered, client flexible approach to client services approach.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Direct Services to Foster/Resource Families:

• Serve as the foster/resource parent advocate within the Refugee Foster Care (RFC) program

• Maintain regular contact with all foster/resource parents

• Conduct bi-annual home visits with all foster/resource parents

• Conduct multi-level family assessments and develop an intervention plan when needed

• Meet face-to-face with families in their home and in the community as needed for the provision of services including, but not limited to: new placements, placement disruptions, resource parent approval, crisis intervention needed to stabilize placement, ongoing support as needed to maintain placement and approval as a resource parent

• Provide pre-placement coaching and support to families to prepare for placement

• Assist in providing family bonding sessions to new arrival youth and their families

• Conduct Comprehensive Family Assessments (home studies) and annual updates as assigned, to determine the suitability of potential resource families and foster care placement

• Participate in After-Hours On-Call Rotation as assigned

• Organize and facilitate parent support group

• Coordinate and facilitate Foster Parent Council meetings

• Collect feedback from foster/resource parents about RFC program policies and practices

Training and Program Coordination:

• Assist in developing and conducting training and psycho-education for foster/resource parents

• Develop and utilize tools to assess the strengths and needs of foster/resource parents and families and design individualized services, coaching and interventions accordingly

• Lead foster/resource parent pre-certification trainings and participate in the screening process including panel interviews and home studies as assigned.

• Participate in the implementation of the Service Plan for each client as it pertains to family support and maintaining placement stability

• Collaborate with social workers to develop and implement family interventions in support of the stability and growth of the youth and foster/resource family

• Maintain documentation, record of work and intervention plans according to agency standards

• Participate in mandatory team meetings and trainings

• Participate in weekly Placement Team meetings and make recommendations for placement

• Attend and participate in Child and Family Team Meetings and Team Decision Making Meetings as needed

• Support with administrative tasks related to foster/resource family certification including, but not limited to, data entry, respite requests, resources needed to assist families with maintaining approval status, and compliance with CCL regulations

• Create monthly foster/resource parent e-newsletter

Community Resourcing and Referrals:

• Build and maintain relationships with community partners and agencies

• Maintain and update parent handbook for foster/resource parents

• Develop, maintain and organize community resource binders for each county of program operation

• Identify, refer and connect foster/resource parents to culturally competent and trauma-informed community resources and services as needed

• Other duties as assigned

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Masters in social work, sociology, psychology, education or other human services related fields

• At least 2 years working in a child welfare setting

• Experience working with refugee and immigrant families, multi-racial/multicultural families

• Experience with parent education, training, and coaching

• Experience and training in working with children and youth with a history of trauma; knowledge of Trauma-Informed Care

• Be able to meet core competency requirements, including having necessary knowledge and skills, as specified in CCL Interim Standards Section 88364(d) through on the job training.

• Automobile and valid CA driver’s license

• Auto liability coverage according to agency requirements

• Excellent computer skills: MS Office (all apps) and Google Suite apps

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience in developing and presenting parenting classes and workshops

• Certification in evidence-based parenting (such as Triple P)

• Multi-lingual in a language commonly spoken by refugees and immigrants (Arabic, French, Spanish, Tigrinya, Burmese, Hindi, Farsi, Nepali, Kiswahili, etc.)

• Experience working with Resource Parents/Families or within an FFA

• Excellent cross-cultural experience and ability to work well with diverse population

HOURS: Full time. Hours will be based on client and Foster/Resource Family availability. All program staff might be expected to work at least one Tuesday night per month and at least one Saturday per month.

TRAVEL: Bay Area and occasional out-of-state travel required.

This position description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities. The order in which duties and responsibilities are listed is not significant. Because of a need to remain responsive to the needs of our clients and our Agency’s operations, responsibilities may be modified at any time.

Catholic Charities is a non-profit, non-discriminatory service organization and employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability. Persons receiving services in our programs are entitled to freedom from harassment and retaliation and reasonable accommodation for qualified disabilities.