Supervising Supportive Visitation Specialist

Position Title : Supervising Supportive Visitation Specialist

Reports to : Associate Director

Broad Function: Supervising Supportive Visitation Specialist will oversee a team of Supportive Visitation Specialists and provide supportive visitation services.

I: CORE VALUES

1. Demonstrates awareness of biases, internalized racial superiority and oppression. Leads with a racial equity lens and actively uses the racial equity tool in meaningful ways,
2. Contributes to valuable and positive cultural humility transformation in individuals, organizations, and social systems to actively progress across the antiracist multicultural institution continuum.
3. Demonstrates cultural humility through an awareness of and sensitivity towards Agency’s clients’ and coworkers’ cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
4. Committed to the value of a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a child and believes in the capacity of people to grow and change.
5. Works from a strength-based perspective.
6. Recognizes that consumers come first and responds to consumers appropriately.
7. Knows and adheres to all FC Policies and Procedures.
8. Participates in a Quality Improvement subcommittee and keeps abreast of and adheres to QI policies and procedures.

II: PROFESSIONALISM:

1. Values and participates in the Team as a proactive member.
2. Respects others’ professional opinions and tolerates a range of feelings.
3. Able to give and receive constructive criticism.
4. Willing to take on extra work as needed (i.e. when there is a vacancy).

III: SUPERVISION:

1. Attends supervision consistently and comes prepared.
2. Able to receive feedback and learn from it.
3. Has insight about self (i.e., strengths and weaknesses) and utilizes that knowledge towards growth and change.

IV: LEADERSHIP: Supervising Supportive Visitation Specialist

1. Maintains and/or develops expertise in the SVS model.
2. Oversees team of Supportive Visitation Specialists.
3. Facilitates and co-facilitates on-boarding and staff training for supportive visitation team.
4. Ensures all vehicle maintenance is completed for supportive visitation specialist’s team fleet in collaboration with Coordinator in accordance with vehicle policies and procedures.
5. Be an active, positive stakeholder in the communication feedback loop among administration, supervising visitation specialists, and all direct service staff. Support a positive relationship between service and administration that is balanced with accountability, positive morale, and support.
6. Support staff’s facilitation and/or documentation of Visit Planning Meetings when assistance is required.
7. Support staff’s completion of caregiver surveys, assists staff with scheduling as needed.
8. Ensures team’s documentation is complete in accordance with the SVS model.
9. Share on-call responsibilities with leadership.
10. Regularly attends chosen sub-committee.

V: DIRECT SERVICE

1. Attends all necessary trainings in compliance with the SVS model.
2. Schedules and conducts visits in the least-restrictive, most home-like location (the first preference being within the family's home) while ensuring the safety of the children.

1. Initiates and maintains ongoing communication with families that is culturally sensitive, utilizing family’s preferred language considering a family’s faith and culture.
2. Ensures the environment for parent-child contact is safe, non-traumatizing, and promotes healthy attachment.
3. Uses strengths-based, solutions-focused, family centered, trauma informed strategies to elicit family input.

1. Advocates for parents/families as necessary and supports them in advocating for themselves. Uses a process to gather information which includes reviewing collateral information and inquiring about family's natural supports.
   1. Completes required assessment tools including but not limited to: Rose Wentz Matrix and SVS Caregiver Surveys .
   2. Documents contacts with families in agency's progress notes and DCP&P contact sheets.
   3. Creates a visitation plan with active familial involvement and updates the plan at regular intervals.
      • Facilitates visit planning meetings and participates in other relevant meetings.
2. Initiates and maintains ongoing communication with DCP&P, other providers, and supports.
   1. Links the family to community resources, formal and informal supports, and coordinates with DCP&P.
   2. Collaborates with and shares relevant information with DCP&P staff, other providers, and supports.
3. Provides support and modeling around appropriate and nurturing parenting.
   1. Enhances parental skills by goal setting, modeling, mentoring, reinforcement and feedback and reflection through a trauma-informed perspective.
   2. Prepares for each visit with caregivers reviewing goals and expectations and encouraging them to be the lead in visit planning.
   3. Debriefs with caregivers after each visit to allow for processing and self-reflection and discussion of strengths and challenges.
   4. Creates an environment that empowers family members, including parents, children, and caregivers to communicate their goals and needs.
   5. Utilizes various interviewing and/or communication techniques in a culturally competent manner.
   6. Recognizes non-verbal communication and maintains good eye contact and posture.

1. Provides in-home aftercare services in the event of reunification of families.
2. Provides transportation for parents and/or children to and from visitation locations.
3. Engages in case presentations and completes timely documentation.
   1. Prepares case presentations and engages in case discussions/consultations.
   2. Maintains electronic health record and completes all internal and external documentation needs in accordance with program guidelines.
4. Perform other duties as assigned.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Education & Experience: Candidates must possess a bachelor’s degree in social work or related field (e.g. counseling or psychology). Candidates will have at least 2 years in the mental health field, including at least 1 year experience working with children and families. Preferred: Candidates will have experience working with families involved in the child welfare system and/or affected by trauma .  *Master’s degree preferred.
Valid New Jersey driver’s license, safe driving record, and vehicle availability are required.

Knowledge: Knowledge of the child welfare system, community resources, social services, and mental health systems. Knowledge of trauma and its effect on children and families. Knowledge of HIPAA compliance. General understanding of mental health diagnoses and substance use disorders. Knowledge of resources and/or services in the community for the target population. Knowledge of trauma and its effects on children and families. Knowledge of infant, child and adolescent stages of growth and development. Knowledge of county’s local and highway roads.

Skills and Abilities: Excellent time management skills. Organizational skills with the ability to manage numerous visiting families and systems of care simultaneously to promote best practices. Outstanding human relations skills and the ability to function autonomously and in a team environment. Effective oral and written communication skills. Effectively solve problems and communicate information, including the identification and communication of problems and/or issues with appropriate team and management staff. Model, coach, support, and mentor parents on the use of nurturing and safe parenting. Excellent computer skills with proficiency and working knowledge of database and reporting tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and/or electronic health record systems. Safely operate a motor vehicle abiding by all applicable traffic laws. Ensure the safety of all passengers through appropriate safety measures including use of seat belts, car and booster seats and/or child safety locks. Comfortability working with families from diverse backgrounds. De-escalation strategies and ability to reach out when support is needed.

Professional Characteristics: Open, warm, empathic, attentive listener, self-aware, ethical, creative, organized, flexible, open to constructive feedback, patient, responsible, able to work independently, mature, self-motivated, dedicated, enthusiastic, willing to take on additional tasks and responsibilities, interested in seeking additional training and skills. Experience/willingness to work with culturally diverse populations.

Salary : $58,000 - $60,000

Vacation & Benefits:

• Vacation: As a full-time employee working generally 35 hours per week, you will be eligible to participate in the Family Connections group benefit plans. Benefits include medical, dental, life insurance, long term disability, retirement plans, and additional supplementary benefits. Yes, you can elect to not enroll into these benefits. You will also be eligible to accrue vacation, personal, and sick days in addition to 12 paid holidays, and summer wellness Fridays.

• Benefits also include professional development assistance, referral program, internal/external trainings, Capella University partnership, 403b retirement plan with employer matching (3% max) (you can enroll in your 403b without a waiting period) , employer-paid life insurance, employer paid Long-term Disability (LTD) insurance, employer paid Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, etc.

Work Environment/Physical Demands: The individual must possess the ability to perform work that requires frequent standing, bending, reaching, squatting, kneeling, moving, and lifting of up to or in excess of 50 pounds. A flexible working schedule with 5 days per week evening availability. Some working time is spent out of the office transporting children and/or parents to and from visits and observing visits in families’ homes or in the community (parks, libraries, restaurants, jails, etc.).

Family Connections is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to excellence. Employment offers are made on the basis of qualifications and without regard to race, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, age veteran status, or sexual orientation or other protected classes under the State and Federal law.

Family Connections participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm authorization to work in the United States.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and eligible for full‑time employment on a W‑2 basis. This role must be performed in a manner that is fully compliant with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, including those of the State of New Jersey. C2C, 1099, or other non‑W‑2 arrangements are not eligible for consideration.