CASEWORKER (Bilingual)

The Caseworker is a professional staff position in the Close to Home Programs division of SCO Family of Services. The position requires an individual who is highly dedicated to the goals and objectives of family involvement, residential group care, and the agency at large.  The caseworker should be committed to the betterment of clients and maintain a philosophy that is goal-directed, child-centered, family-focused and neighborhood-based.  Social work service provision occurs within a context, which promotes the belief that clients have a sense of dignity, which must be restored and maintained, as well as a right to empowerment and self-determination.  Caseworkers work in partnership with families, youth and neighborhood residents.  The work is demanding, highly interactive and diversified and therefore requires flexibility.  Caseworker must be sensitive to the rights, feelings, needs and cultural background of each client and responsive to such in a non-judgmental manner.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

Provide ongoing case management and advocacy services for youth.

• Maintains on-going qualitative social work/child, and social/childcare contacts in accordance with regulatory mandates
• Develop and maintain relationships with families and support family engagement in service planning.
• Maintains regular contact and efficacious working relationships with significant others involved in the service planning and provision process, i.e. childcare staff, educational personnel, court and legal representatives, foster parents, medical personnel and other caseworkers involved.  Participate in interdisciplinary case reviews and service planning meetings.
• Assist with discharge planning and placement coordination.
• Completes and submits all necessary reports (e.g., service plans, permanency hearing reports, progress notes), as required, in a timely fashion
• Advocate for educational, vocational, and supportive services that meet the needs of youth and families.
• Experience working in a residential setting with youth involved in the juvenile justice system
• Valid NY, NJ, CT driver’s license required.
• Bilingual Spanish: Fluent in speaking and writing in Spanish.

EDUCATION:

A bachelor’s degree in social work or related field from an accredited college or university is preferred.  Degrees in other disciplines will be given full consideration