Case Manager - Unaccompanied Children

Position has a Vaccination requirement Covid, Flu, TDAP, Varicella, MMR Do you have a Bachelors degree in social services, social work or related field? Spanish Bilingual Preferred! Must be 21 years old or older at the time of application. Hybrid Remote Work Environment. Day Shift, Monday -Friday 8:30AM to 5:00PM Some on call work may be required. Annual Salary $50,112.00 Case management for unaccompanied minors. Caseloads in Lansing, Ann Arbor, Detroit About the Team The long term foster care program is designed to provide safe, loving care for unaccompanied minors who have come to the US in search of safety, arriving from countries all over the world, but the majority are Central American countries. Youth in this program do not usually have a family member living in the US with whom they can reunify. Staff in this program work to ensure youth thrive in their foster homes, providing case management, clinical support, educational and life skills support, and specialized training for foster homes. Youth in this program are typically between 12 and 17 years old. Samaritas provides services to youth who have traveled to the US for safety apart from their family or guardians. These youth are given status in the United States as Unaccompanied Children (UC). The children you will be serving will come from diverse and oftentimes traumatic backgrounds, and are placed in both foster home and group home settings where Samaritas provides case management, therapy, and other supportive services.

The program also helps these youth adjust to the customs and culture of the United States while pursuing their goals of education, English-language learning, and independence. As an Unaccompanied Children (UC) Foster Care Case Manager, you will be responsible for providing casework and supportive services to children in foster care, which includes facilitating any family members identified or referred for potential sponsorship and assisting with sponsorship applications as needed. In addition to casework and supportive services, you will also be responsible for communicating with stakeholders in an effective and timely manner to ensure case continuity.

This position is expected to function effectively with moderate supervision while following the guidelines given on procedures, along with agency, state, and federal regulatory requirements. 

Duties and Responsibilities 

1. Ensure that all assigned youth on your caseload and under your supervision receive mandatory services while in care to include but not limited to mental health, medical, recreational, educational, and other supportive services in accordance with the time and documentation expectations of the program
2. Develop and completes assessments, service and treatment plans, progress notes, incident reports and any other necessary documentation in a timely manner. Create a trusting and safe relationship with the client and encourage personal growth of the client
3. Maintain accurate and current information on foster children in care, while ensuring contractor and the program’s internal documentation practices and reporting requirements are met
4. Actively participate in weekly staff meetings with the clinical team and stakeholders
5. Attend, facilitate, and assist with providing on-going education and support services to foster parents
6. Attend weekly meetings with supervisor to consult on cases, to review case plan and direction and to evaluate client participation and progress
7. Schedule meetings with foster parents and foster children on at least a monthly basis and address any concerns in service delivery
8. Translate both written and verbal communication for program clientele and staff, if bi-lingual
9. Maintain effective communication with community agencies or individuals involved in service provision
10. Attend internal and external training and apply newly gained knowledge in providing service 
11. Attend and prepare for required court hearings (if applicable)
12. Transport clients on an as needed basis
13. Explore potential community resources and refer Case Managers and families for support, as needed
14. Knowledge of and adherence to federal, state, program and agency regulations
15. Ability to work flexible hours and work independently within the field

Job Qualifications 

Education, Training, and Licensure/Certification 

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Services or related field of study from an accredited college required
• Master’s degree in Social Services or related field of study from an accredited college, preferred

Experience 

• At least two (2) years of experience in child welfare/case management, strongly preferred
• Prior experience working with refugee and/or immigrant populations preferred
• Bi-lingual English and Spanish strongly preferred; additional compensation for bilingual 

Additional Work Requirements 

• Participate in a system of 24 hour availability to clients, foster and adoptive parents, as required
• Unrestricted valid driver’s license with good driving record. Reliable personal transportation suitable for safely transporting persons served; proof of current automobile insurance
• Vaccine Requirement
  • Flu
  • Covid
  • TDAP
•  
• And can prove immunity (either with vaccination record or titers) to
  • MMR
  • Varicella

#socialservices #fosterwork #hispanic

Samaritas is a state-wide human service organization that connects people with families and communities, empowers them to live their fullest life possible, and creates a ripple effect of transformation. Since 1934 - when were named Lutheran Charities - Samaritas has been committed to providing a safe and healthy pathway to brighter futures. In 1959, the organization merged with a similar group and was renamed Lutheran Social Services of Michigan. In 2016, in light of the growing diversity of our services, stakeholders, donors, congregational support and community partners, the organization re-branded to Samaritas. The reference to the work of the Good Samaritan in our name is especially fitting as it is consistent with our mission, values and the services we provide. Since 1934, Samaritas has served others as an expression of the love of Christ with programs to help Michigan’s troubled families and disadvantaged individuals thrive. Samaritas is the state’s largest foster care agency with a full suite of family preservation programs and options like Substance Use Disorder (SUD) services to keep families together. Samaritas also manages five senior living facilities with a variety of geriatric care options. Additionally, Samaritas has resettlement services for refugees, housing solutions for adults with developmental disabilities and homeless families and Affordable Living communities for those who qualify for HUD housing. Visit samaritas.org for more information. Follow us on Facebook @IAmSamaritas, Twitter @IAmSamaritas or on Instagram @WeAreSamaritas.