Permanency Specialist II Youth

Job Summary

The Hillside Institute for Family Connections® is currently hiring a Permanency Specialist who will be working with youth and families participating in services with the Residential Treatment Facility on the Crestwood Campus. The Permanency Specialist is responsible for individualized permanency planning, which includes the delivery of Family Finding services, where extended relatives and fictive kin will be sought and gathered to support youths’ legal, emotional and relational permanency. The person in this position will have continuous collaboration with the Residential clinical team and community partners, with the purpose of urgently locating and engaging family members and other significant adults, in order to build a lifetime network of supportive, caring people for each youth and family.

This is a Full Time position - 40 hours per week. Hours will vary throughout the week.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Assess and address the permanency needs of children/youth, and/or partnering with families who want to provide permanency for children/youth.
• Increase supports for youth and families enrolled in services within the Institute for Family Connections (IFC). For youth, this entails creating a lifetime network of support by locating and engaging family members and other significant adults to provide on-going support for the youth to achieve positive and successful permanency outcomes.
• Create a strength-based permanency plan that includes home time, identifying and coordinating potential permanency resources and other natural supports, recognizing gaps and needs, assessing results and providing on-going communication with the youth and family’s treatment team.
• Active participation in agency Permanency Roundtables and serve as a Permanency Consultant to multidisciplinary treatment teams.

Requirements : Associate degree in Human Services or a related field of study is required. Minimum two years relevant experience required. All candidates must have a valid NYS Driver’s License and must meet agency driving and insurance standards.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

In addition to demonstrating the Hillside Professional Competencies of Communicates Effectively, Personal Excellence, Cultural Competence, Builds and Leverages Relationships, and Optimizes Decision Making, the following occupational competencies must be demonstrated:

• Ability to impact the philosophy of youth permanency for colleagues and teams.
• Ability to implement and facilitate Permanency Round Table and Model meetings.
• Knowledge of the legal and social rights of children, youth and parents to assure that these rights are understood and protected.
• Ability to use problem solving skills to positively impact decision making.
• Ability to be independent and self-directed

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to work a variable scheduling including evenings and weekends
• The following daily physical demands are required:
  • Sitting (up to 6 hours)
  • Occasional standing (up to 2 hour)
  • Occasional walking (up to 2.5 hours)
  • Driving (several times a week up to 6 hours)
  • Continuous balancing (up to 8 hours)
  • Occasional balancing, bending, stooping, climbing, kneeling, pushing, pulling, reaching forward or down, reaching overhead, running, and twisting (up to 2.5 hours)
  • Weekly lifting up to 10-15 lbs. on a daily basis
  • Manual dexterity is required, including the frequent ability to grasp in both hands and continuous use of fine manipulation skills in both hands (approximately 1-2.5 hrs.)
  • Occasional exposure to dust, fumes, gases, chemicals, or smoke is apparent
  • Ability to change positions as needed

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

While Hillside is a restraint free environment, there may be times in a “life or limb” situation, that staff may be required to physically restrain clients weighing between 50 lbs. and 300 lbs. and guide them safely to the floor. In some circumstances, restraints can last up to 15 minutes and may require repetition as necessary.