Children's Corps: Child Welfare Positions
Children’s Corps: Child Welfare Positions
(BA & MSW/MA degrees eligible)
Job Description:
Children’s Corps is a program of Fostering Change for Children that recruits, trains and supports individuals who are passionate about working with children and families involved in the child welfare system. Its mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable children by building a highly skilled and dedicated workforce that has the potential to become leaders in the field. Children’s Corps, its members, and alumni are building a community of leaders committed to advocating for and leading efforts to create positive changes in the child welfare system and improve outcomes for children.
Children’s Corps offers full-time employment opportunities at child welfare agencies in New York City and Westchester for individuals who want to gain valuable experience and make a difference in the lives of families. Children’s Corps places members at partner agencies that provide them with full salary and benefits.
The available positions at Children’s Corps partner agencies include:
1. Foster Care Case Planner (BA & MA degrees)
2. Therapeutic Foster Care Socio-therapist (BA degree)
3. Therapeutic Foster Care Social Worker (MSW required)
4. Preventive Evidenced-based Family Therapist (MSW or Clinical MA degree required)
5. Preventive Evidence-based program Interventionist (BA level)
6. General Preventive Case Planner or Social Worker (BA or MSW degrees)
All positions entail providing support and managing services for families to ensure children’s safety, permanency, and well-being. It is not essential to have prior knowledge, but rather the openness, patience, and persistence to learn.
Children’s Corps requires its members to commit to a minimum of two years working at their placement agency. Once accepted into the program, members are required to participate in a 4-week, pre-service, Summer Training Academy. The training brings together “real world” experience and classroom learning, while also building a community of support. During members’ two-year commitment, the program provides monthly meetings, peer-to-peer support, individual staff support, professional mentors, and networking opportunities. Children’s Corps strives to fully support its members and enable them to grow professionally and personally as they undertake this rewarding and challenging work.
Job responsibilities/activities vary depending on the specific placement, but may include:
• Overseeing a caseload of children and/or families.
• Visiting parents, kids and families in their homes at least once per month.
• Researching and referring parents and children to appropriate community-based services to support families, e.g. mental health programs, DV programs, education, employment preparation, activities for adolescents etc.
• Advocating for families’ needs and efforts to secure important services.
• Supporting and strengthening families in their permanency goals, e.g. stabilization, reunification, adoptions, etc.
• Accompanying families to required programs or service appointments as necessary, e.g. drug treatment, medical, school, housing, public assistance, immigration, etc.
• Conducting assessments for safety and risk.
• Engaging and collaborating with families, other key participants, and relevant system in goal setting, treatment and/or specific evidence-based treatment practices.
• Coordinating and supervising family visits at the agency and/or in the community in order for children and parents in foster care to maintain relationships.
• Participating in family team conferences, agency meetings and training, or model consultations.
• Attending and testifying at court hearings.
• Responding to crisis when it arises and following agency protocols.
• Maintaining clear documentation on all case activity.
• Traveling across NYC’s boroughs as necessary in order to meet needs of families.
• All positions will include other tasks as needed.
* Please note that traveling to families’ communities/homes and other agency offices is required in all weather conditions. This entails commuting via subways, buses, and by foot, and/or by car. Walking up stairs/hills is necessary to get to some locations.
Job Qualifications:
• Completion of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree before June 2020.
• US citizen/national, permanent resident, DACA, or other valid two-year work authorization.
• Ability to commit 2 years to the work, starting in July 2020.
Children’s Corps seeks candidates who are:
• Passionate about and dedicated to supporting vulnerable families.
• Flexible in a changing work environment.
• Unafraid of facing challenges or asking for help.
• Compassionate, energetic, self-motivated, persistent and resilient.
• Organized, detail-oriented, able to set priorities and multi-task.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Confident and motivated to make a 2-year commitment to working in child welfare.
Benefits:
• A close and supportive network of professionals, peers, and alumni.
• A dynamic and comprehensive pre-service training and on-going support.
• A full-time job in NYC with salary and benefits.
• Professional skill building.
• Clinical supervision hours for eligible MSW or MHC degrees.
How to Apply:
Handshake will redirect applicants to our online application system. Please note that resumes will not suffice as an application.
For questions, please contact childrenscorps@fosteringchangeforchildren.org