Child and Family Specialist

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides intensive Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) services such as individual rehabilitation services, collateral services, and consultation on high need, high risk clients and families.
• Provides Intensive Home-Based Services (IHBS) and Intensive Care Coordination (ICC).
• Provides trauma-informed care within scope of practice and focuses on building Protective Factors.
• Drives to clients' home, school, community or Agency offices to provide field-based services.
• Reinforces and practices skills the client has learned in therapy to assist in decreasing mental health symptoms and behaviors.
• Assists clients to develop skills necessary in improving, maintaining or restoring their functioning.
• Works collaboratively with parents/guardians to ensure treatment progress.
• Works on a multi-disciplinary Treatment team that includes Intensive Services Facilitators, Parent Partners, Psychiatrists, Clinicians, school personnel and support staff.
• Reinforces positive parenting skills to increase the caregiver's ability to manage the behaviors of their child.
• Provides immediate response to a client exhibiting acute psychiatric symptoms and consults with supervisor immediately.
• Links clients to resources needed to support achievement of their goals.
• Performs services which may include crisis counseling, behavioral management, medication education, stress management, mentoring/role model, psychosocial skills training, shadowing, teaching and demonstrating life skills, homemaking, budgeting, case management, translation, helping to access respite care, educational support, parenting support and domestic violence services.
• Participates in the 4 Step Child and Family Team Meeting Model when applicable.
• Follows through with tasks assigned via the Client Treatment Plan and through Child and Family Team meetings.
• Provides flexible services in tune with the needs of the individual families, while maintaining open communication among the team.
• Models ethical and professional behavior at all times.
• Assists in monitoring the children and families to ensure child safety.
• Identifies risk factors for child abuse or neglect, develops treatment plans to lower the risk to children and reports any cases of suspected child abuse or neglect as required by California child abuse reporting law.
• Assists accounting in the collection of complete and accurate information necessary for billing.
• Effectively represents the Agency at community meetings; effectively consults with other agencies such as Department of Children and Family Services, Probation, Department of Mental Health, and schools.
• Carries a caseload of between 10-12 families.
• Performs on-call 24/7 crisis response as needed.
• Attends weekly supervision and team meetings.
• Leads CFT Meetings as needed and if applicable to the program.
• Contacts and collaborates with CSW's, Probation Officers and client Attorney's, obtaining authorizations for treatment, case coordination and to give case updates.
• Travels between Foothill Family sites for training, meetings, and other in-person interactions.
• Attends in-person meetings and events at various locations within the Los Angeles County and surrounding areas.
• Displays sensitivity to the service population's cultural and socioeconomics characteristics.
• Follows all policies, procedures and legal mandates related to HIPAA and maintenance of client files.

Performance Standards

• Provides services as required by the treatment plans for assigned cases.
• Meets productivity standards as set specifically for each Program in Intensive Services.
• Completes all charting and reports for assigned cases within required deadlines.
• Achieves program goals for clientele.
• Communicates effectively with supervisor, DCFS, Probation, Department of Mental Health and community service providers.
• Works primarily in the afternoons and evenings and is available to provide after-hours coverage.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor of Arts in Human Services, Social Work, or Psychology plus a minimum of one year of experience working with high-risk youth; or a high school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) plus a minimum of three years' experience working with high-risk youth.
• Experience providing direct service to individuals, families and groups.
• Experience providing child abuse treatment services.
• Experience working with autism or behavior management.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to work cooperatively as a team member.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred or other language as determined by program need.
• Must not appear on any federal, state, or other applicable sanctions, exclusion, or debarment lists.
• Requires regular and reliable driving throughout Los Angeles County.
• Valid CA Driver's License and maintains insurability on the Agency's auto liability policy (including a minimum of 2 years driving experience) and maintains the California state-required auto insurance liability limits.