Parenting Support Specialist

Job Title: Parenting Support Specialist
Department: Niagara County Preventive Services

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. 

Agency

New Directions Youth & Family Services 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

• Master's Degree- $24.12 – $25.34/hour
• Bachelor's Degree- $20.14 - $22.20/hour
• Flexible 35-hour schedule
• 105 hours of paid time off in the first year, plus 13 agency holidays
• Medical, dental, and life insurance at affordable rates
• 401k with up to 3% agency match
• A supportive agency culture where over 30% of staff have been with us for 10+ years

Professional Development Opportunities

• Ongoing training and supervision
• Opportunities to strengthen skills in parenting support, crisis management, and trauma-informed care
• Required certifications and continuing education provided or supported by the agency

Position Specific Duties/Responsibilities

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 selfadvocacy 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 

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.

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.