Program Foster Care Coordinator

Ascentria Care Alliance employees and volunteers take pride in the impact they have on the people they serve. It’s more than just a job, it’s an opportunity our employees have to care for and share in the lives of people who greatly need and appreciate their presence. Ascentria Care Alliance focuses on every child, elder, disabled person, refugee, endangered teen or teenage mom in order to build stronger communities one person at a time. This is an excellent opportunity to enhance the operations of a $150m non-profit social services organization with programs throughout New England.   

Summary:

The Program Coordinator provides support in coordinating day-to-day operations focusing on organizational aspects such as quality control, regulatory reporting and program development.  She/he provides general programmatic and personnel management, including clinical oversight if supervising staff in the service division.  The Program Coordinator provides leadership and program supervision in order to assure the highest quality of services delivery and positive client\family\foster care and programmatic outcome is in accordance with regulatory requirements, best practice and program strategic plans.

The Program Coordinator serves as a role model for the team by displaying a positive and cooperative attitude, and supporting the mission of the program and agency at all times and through the direct work done with families and the community.

Responsibilities may include but are not limited to; coordinating intake, overall support and coordination of the levels of care youth are accessing (ensuring lowest level of care/least restrictive environment is accessed and preserved), supporting staff to meet their job requirements, coordination and support of relevant family members and kin.

Essential Responsibilities:

Clinical

• Assure that the program delivers services that meet performance measures such as identifying appropriate families and services for children and maintaining contractual obligations of foster care
• Demonstrate a Trauma Informed, human centered and strength-based philosophy, by treating all clients, families and collaterals in a non-judgmental and respectful manner while building upon their strengths and experiences
• Develop and maintain expertise in addressing the dynamics involved in placing children in various levels of care and ensuring least restrictive environment
• Consistently demonstrate discretion and independent judgment with regard to assessing and making decisions around the best interest for children and families
• Assure that required documentation is complete and professional, that it is done in a timely manner and meets contractual guidelines
• Support and supervise staff on a weekly basis around service planning, licensing foster homes, contractual documentation, client issues and provide administrative back up as needed for the program.
• Facilitate any needed training for staff,
• Participate in relevant and required trainings as needed
• Maintain program structure\team environment, assure staff satisfaction and positive team atmosphere while supporting individual growth within the structure.
• Provide crisis intervention and on call responsibilities in a calm and professional manner while insuring the safety of the individual involved
• Inform Program Manager of any incidents or concerns while utilizing Professional judgement
• Lead team while insuring the highest quality of services for both clients families, foster families, kin and community members

Administrative

• Assure that program meets all licensing, certifications, contract and regulatory standards, including certification and licensing requirements are met; including corrective action as needed for foster families.
• Active involvement in the everyday operations of the program
• Participate in hiring, supervising and disciplining employees as assigned as well as responsible for the completion of performance evaluations for those that he or she supervises
• Utilize supervision effectively to address any concerns and provide proactive interventions to improve team
• Develop and participate in team building with the Program Manager and Director
• Maintain a positive program presence in the community by participation in promotional events at churches and community forums

Qualifications:

• Depending on scope of work:
• Master’s Degree in Social Work REQUIRED to supervise service division; Bachelor’s degree required to supervise Licensing and Recruitment Division.

• Demonstrated ability to be a leader.
• Knowledge of DCF{MA}, DEEC {MA}, ORR {federal; DCYF {NH}
• Open attitude and ability to manage crisis situations

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Ascentria we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Company Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• FSA and dependent care account
• 3 Weeks PTO and 9 Holidays!
• Tuition Assistance
• And many more!

Ascentria Care Alliance celebrates diversity and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with federal and state employment opportunity laws, qualified applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, pregnancy, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or any other legally-protected category. Candidates who identify as BIPOC, multilingual or have lived experience with immigration or human services are encouraged to apply.