Position: Parenting Support Specialist

Join our team at New Directions as a Parenting Support Specialist. In this role, you'll be directly impacting families by teaching effective parenting techniques, managing cases, and assisting during crises. Engage with up to 13 families, providing weekly supervised visits and tailored support. Your responsibilities will encompass evaluating family needs, crafting future plans, educating in essential skills, connecting with other service professionals, and maintaining detailed records in alignment with our agency's guidelines. We're looking for someone with excellent social skills, who would like a flexible schedule and wants. to be a part of a team that makes a real difference in the community!

New Directions is an equal opportunity employer committed to championing the principles of anti-racism, justice, and equity. We welcome prospective employees from diverse cultures and backgrounds, for all positions, who will uphold our values and contribute to our mission. We aim to have a leadership and workforce that is reflective of the communities we work in partnership with.

Pay and benefits

• Flexible 35 hour schedule with 105 hours of paid time off your first year, not including an additional 13 agency holidays.

• Access to low cost life, dental and medical insurance.

• 401k with up to 3% agency matching.

• Over 30% of our staff have been with us for 10 years or more.

• Pay between $20.14 and $25.34/hr. to start.

Minimum Education and/or Professional Qualifications/Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree in a human services field with two years of experience providing services to children and families.(This or higher required)

OR

• Master’s Degree in a human services field with one year of experience providing services to children and families

• Preferred experience includes: providing parent skills training, supervising visitation, and linking youth/families to a broad range of services essential to functioning successfully within the community and home environment.

We want to emphasize that the preferred qualifications are not required and that we are committed to helping our future colleagues develop these preferred skills. We strongly encourage those who are passionate about fostering a diverse, inclusive and equitable human service organization to apply.

Full Job Description Title: Parenting Support Specialist Department: Niagara County Preventive Services Title of Immediate Supervisor: Parenting Supervisor or Parenting Coordinator POSITION SUMMARY: The role of the Parenting support Specialist is to provide trauma informed, individualized intervention that includes parenting skills assessment and development, family case management, and crisis management. The Parenting support Specialist will provide Supervised Parenting time and Supervised Visitation using the Coached visitation model developed by OCFS. The Parenting support Specialist will meet with families a minimum of once/week for one hour or more based on the individual needs of the family and as identified by Niagara County Department of Social Services (NCDSS). The Parenting support Specialist will carry a caseload ranging from 7-13 families. RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES: Assessment • Engages family in a comprehensive assessment process that helps to identify family strengths, needs, and goals. Reviews family life areas including: educational/vocational, home/parenting, community, medical/mental health/substance abuse, and legal/financial. • Partners with parents to complete self-assessments • Utilizes evidence based assessments as available including AAPI and Ages & Stages Questionnaire Permanency and Care Planning • Support families with identification of additional family resources that can contribute to increased time spent as a family while the children are in care and/or provide alternative discharge resources • Partner with parents to identify goals and methods of achieving goals • Support parents with understanding goals identified by Family Court and Social Services • Works with family to develop a crisis management plan and list of resources to ensure safety of all family members. Intervention and Skill Development • Support parents whose children are placed outside the home with achieving goals that will expedite the children returning home from foster care • Support parents with addressing safety and risk concerns in the home that could prevent their children from returning home, or for children living at home will prevent removal • Provide coaching and feedback during Supervised Parenting sessions and Supervised Family Visitation sessions using the OCFS Coached visitation model • Provides family with information about and linkage/referral to relevant community-based services. • Provides information related to child developmental stages and appropriate expectations/rules/limits, engages family in skill-building activities, and models appropriate interventions. • Provides 24-hour emergency crisis interventions services as necessary and participates in rotating weekend on-call duties. • Advocates on the individual, agency, and system level to secure needed services, supports parents and caregivers with development of self-advocacy skills • Meets with families for a minimum of one hour/week, or more as identified by the permanency plan Communication and Collaboration • Maintains routine contact with NCDSS Case Manager and other service providers. • Attends NC Family Court and periodic FASP Service Plan Reviews as needed. • Supports co-workers with case coverage during absences. Ensures coverage is available for own absences Documentation • Completes well composed progress notes reflecting all contacts in CONNECTIONS utilizing progress note format identified by New Directions. • Completes all documentation in a timely manner consistent with program standards • Maintains and assures the confidentiality of case records and information and obtains releases of information as necessary to ensure coordination of services. Agency Standards/Norms • Participate in regular supervision (per New Directions policy and procedure) • Collaborate with team members for case coverage and consultation • Participate in regularly scheduled team meetings • Maintain a flexible schedule including evening and weekend availability. Communicates schedule to supervisor on a daily basis and updates as applicable • Attend all mandatory in-service trainings as per NDYFS policy and LDSS requirements • Participate in continuing education as needed to maintain a level of expertise in the field. • Adhere to agency and department policies and procedures • Utilize normative culture and trauma informed care • Adhere to the Code of Ethics prescribed by the National Association of Social Workers • Perform all other duties as assigned by immediate supervisor . SKILL, QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITY & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Minimum Education and/or Professional Qualifications/Skills • Bachelor’s Degree in a human services field with experience providing services to children and families or equivalent combination of degree and experience • Preferred experience includes: providing parent skills training, supervising visitation, and linking youth/families to a broad range of services essential to functioning successfully within the community and home environment. Special – Personal Skills, Qualities, Aptitudes and Physical Requirements New Directions Youth & Family Services, Inc is an equal opportunity employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable persons with disabilities to perform essential functions. Individual must possess the following; 1. Ability to role model Agency Norms and policies of New Directions Youth and Family Services. 2. Ability to accept supervision and perform as part of a team. 3. Ability to be flexible and adapt to change. 4. Ability to work effectively with clients, families, staff and community contacts from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. 5. Ability to deal effectively with children/youth with behavioral, emotional and/or mental health challenges and their families. 6. Must meet criteria set forth in the New Directions Driver’s License policy and Auto Insurance policy. 7. Must pass annual physical for Category 1 job classification in accordance with New Directions Employee Health policy. 8. Must comply with Agency safety standards and be responsible for own actions and conduct concerning safety and healthy working conditions