Outcome Specialist

Northern Children's Services Wins the 2026 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Award and the 2026 Top Workplaces Professional Development Award For more information, visit https://topworkplaces.com/company/northern-children-s-serv/

Join Our Team as an Outcome Specialist and help make a difference in the lives of children, youth, and families! 

Job Summary 

Are you passionate about supporting the healthy development of children, youth, and families for a brighter future?
Look no further! At Northern Children’s Services (Northern), every role in the organization contributes to helping us achieve our mission and vision.
We believe that every child and youth has the potential to transform themselves – no matter their background or life situation.
We work to “walk the talk” when it comes to our organizational values: Excellence, Respect, Resilience, Cultural Humility & Justice, Healing, and Wellness. 

Why Choose Us? As an Outcome Specialist, you’ll embark on a fulfilling journey. 

• Leadership Opportunity
• Supportive Environment
• Empowerment and Progress
• Effective Communication
• Empowerment Through Planning
• Continuous Monitoring and Progress
• Documentation Excellence
• Networking and Collaboration

Benefits: 

• We offer comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance for full-time employees.
• Life Insurance/AD&D and LTD: We provide full-time employees with a $20,000 life insurance policy through Mutual of Omaha Company at no cost. Additionally, Mutual of Omaha LTD coverage and AD&D insurance offer financial security to our employees and their families.
• A partner insurance company offers a range of self-funded insurance plans, including accident insurance, cancer insurance, life insurance, critical illness coverage, and short-term disability insurance, providing additional financial protection to our employees.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan: We offer a 401(k)-savings plan with a generous matching contribution after one year of employment.
• Paid Leave: Employees have access to generous paid time off or sick leave, allowing them to prioritize their health and well-being.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Our EAP offers confidential referral and counseling services to help employees and their families manage life's challenges, including stress management, legal and financial concerns, depression, and substance abuse.
• Legal Services: Self-funded legal services provide valuable support and resources for various legal matters.

Qualifications You Bring: 

• Expertise
• Physical Capabilities
• Trauma-Informed Approach

At Northern Children’s Services, Inc., we value diversity, inclusion, and the well-being of every individual. Join us in our mission to empower children and families, one meaningful interaction at a time. Apply today and be a part of something truly extraordinary! 

Job Description

As part of a team, the Outcome Specialist provides direct individual and family services to facilitate healing through trauma-informed services and Positive Youth Development. The Outcome Specialist is responsible for ensuring connections to services, programs, activities, and resources that lead to positive short and long-term outcomes for program participants. 

Outcome Specialist helps pregnant, expecting and parenting adolescent females between the ages of 13-20 stabilize and needing individualized skill development and support to transition successfully into adulthood. This includes obtaining and maintaining safe and suitable housing, continuing education, learning independent living skills, obtaining employment, building a support system, and remaining free from legal involvement. In addition, he/she will ensure all parenting youth served are provided with supportive resources to pursue education to enhance parenting skills and to prepare youth for self-sufficiency upon aging out of care. Residential serves sixteen pregnant, expecting or parenting adolescent who are under the care of the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS), either directly through DHS or through a Community Umbrella Agency (CUA), and also possibly through involvement in the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice system. The Outcome Specialist will be responsible for a total of eight residents and their children (two Specialists will serve 16 residents).  Regulatory compliance and reporting is a fundamental requirement for this position.

S/he establishes effective relationships with the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services, all ten Community Umbrella Agencies (CUAs), the Philadelphia Court and Probation systems, and other systems and agencies, including the 5^th Police District for the City of Philadelphia, and the School District of Philadelphia. Under the Supervision of the Director of Residential Programs, Outcome Specialist develop positive and fruitful relationships with NCS’s residential staff members as well as staff in other Northern Departments.  S/he works closely with these parties to ensure quality service delivery and an appropriate level of supports for each resident.   S/he supervises the planning of high-quality, comprehensive, and effective linkages, resources, and programming for the residents and their children including effective and appropriate educational programs life skills, and parenting.  Importantly, s/he completes as required, assessments and service plans for assigned clients that adequately and appropriately address the client/family’s unique service needs. Implements client service plans, monitors service plan progress, and reviews progress with the Director of Residential and stakeholders as required. Demonstrates insight regarding client strengths and needs and incorporates this into service planning and assessments. Assesses and monitors the safety of clients in current living arrangement and makes any needed recommendations and referrals for appropriate placement.  Assesses permanency options; recommends permanency plan for clients; and implements plan to achieve permanency for clients. The Outcome Specialist ensures that all residents receive comprehensive behavioral health assessments, and that those in need of behavioral health services be connected to the appropriate services upon entry in the program, or as possible new issues arises during their time at Northern.  These services may be delivered at Northern through 1:1 or group activities, or through an external provider.  Through these efforts, our young residents will be provided with a highly structured and supportive community, which will motivate them to make positive choices, and will prepare them for successful independence.

Documentation is critical to the success of the program and includes but is not limited to the completion of quarterly reports, individual service plans, daily progress, incident reports, etc.

Evidence- and strength-based models are integrated into the design and implementation of administration and services.  Northern incorporates strength-based, recovery and resilience-focused and Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) principles across all its programs. They are child-centered, family-focused, community-based, multi-systemic, culturally-competent and least-restrictive. These services are individualized to meet the needs of the child and work with the family as a partner in the development of goals and the planning of services.   It is expected that all programs and program staff adhere to this approach.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THIS POSITION

Planning

• Attends and actively participates in all required trainings and pursues other training for professional development.
• Manages time effectively in order to complete direct service requirements and required documentation. (I.e., ISP, Quarterly report, maintains updated dentals, physicals, educational documents etc.)
• Attend interviews for potential residential residents.
• Plan for processes of supporting the mothers in enhancing their overall parenting skills, educational goals and strategies and daily living skills.
• In conjunction with the Director of Residential Programs and Operations Manager, s/he plans for effective daily programming for young mothers and their children.
• Performs other related tasks as required or assigned.
• Makes frequent reports to the Director of Residential Programs on progress of client services, as well as required written reports.
• Provides 24/7 on call services (rotating on-call at night and on weekends) and responds in person at any time when it is determined to be necessary by the Director of Residential Programs and Clinical Director.
• Provides individualized education to teen parents regarding developmental expectations, health and safety issues, and infant/child bonding.
• Assists clients in obtaining daycare, WIC, their child(ren) immunization and medical records, and Head Start.
• Assesses and monitors the safety and well-being of children living with clients and makes any needed re commendations and referrals for appropriate placement and services.
• Provides case management services to clients in residential settings when assigned.

Monitoring

• Maintains the appropriate number of training hours as required by local, state and federal regulations.
• Monitors the goals and objectives in the Individual Service Plan and Single case Plan.
• Tracks performance indicators/outcomes for each resident
• Ensures that the youth understands the requirements of placement and their ISP and to obtain feedback on the placement.
• Ensures that all City, State and County and funding requirements and standards are effectively and efficiently met.

Intake:

• Consults and collaborates with Philadelphia County DHS Central Referral Unit (CRU) to coordinate Intake /Admission for the residential department.
• Maintains full capacity for residential programs
• Remains in contact with CRU staff and maintain a waiting list of potential residents for admissions

Communication

• Communicates daily with Director of Residential Program, Lead Support Aides, and Support Aides in regard to current and potential residents.
• Clearly and effectively communicates with outside agency affiliates to assure that program expectations are met.
• Regularly communicates with the DHS CRU, Achieving Independence Center (AIC), CUA Case Managers and Supervisors, Juvenile Probation, the Philadelphia Court System, Public Defender’s Office, Child Advocates, and other stakeholders to receive potential residents for admission and to collaborate on the discharge planning and process.
• Communicates with DHS, CUAs, and other stakeholders when a resident is ready to move on to another level of care, either more restrictive or less restrictive, depending on their acclimation and learning curve while living in a residential setting.
• Complete and maintain all relevant information pertaining to residents and City and State compliance.

Networking

• Maintains contact with consumers, referral sources, agents of the court, internal and external resources.
• Maintains weekly and when appropriate more frequent client face-to-face contact through required dorm and office visits.
• Engages resistant clients in services.
• Provides outreach to client, family members and other significant people in the client’s life to maintain contact and to develop resources for the client.
• Maintains required contact with relevant family members, assesses their need for services, and works on relationship building between client and family.
• Completes other duties as assigned.

Documentation:

• Completes all pre-placement paperwork as required.
• Completes required admission/intake and discharged paperwork (placement and discharge memos and census reports)
• Completes Individual Service Plans (ISP), Quarterly Progress Reports, and Discharge Summaries according to the 3800 regulations timeline
• Maintains a Daily Contact log and reports of weekly contacts with residents
• Documents all contacts involved in the child’s placement and maintains the child’s confidential case record, consistent with Northern Children’s Services and Department of Human Service contract standards.
• Maintains current data related to goals and achievement of program and contractual outcomes for residents.

III.  BASIC SKILL SETS

• Ability to communicate and interact with all staff
• Ability to assess consumer treatment needs and apply appropriate therapeutic intervention.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from consumers, and collateral agencies
• Ability to accurately calculate figures such as addition, subtraction and percentages
• Ability to give clear and concise, oral and written instructions
• Working knowledge of Child Welfare system and ability to navigate other systems
• Ability to read and understand complex instructions such as regulatory policies
• Working knowledge of the use of computers and pertinent software programs

 QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Master’s degree preferred in social work, child welfare, or other social service field; Minimum-Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services, Social Service or related work area required.

• Experience: 5 years’ experience in Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, or related social service field.
• Demonstrated understanding of trauma-informed practice
• Develops a working knowledge of community parenting resources, which may be used in serving clients and maintains close working relationship with these resources.
• Demonstrated understanding of Positive Youth Development.
• Demonstrates accountability for results and keeps commitments to others
• Demonstrates openness and respect for cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of clients and coworkers.

BASIC SKILL SETS

• Ability to communicate and interact with all staff.
• Ability to define problems collects data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to effectively present information and communicate with varied groups.
• Ability to accurately calculate numbers such as in addition, subtraction and percentages.
• Ability to give clear and concise oral and written instructions.
• Strong written and verbal skills.
• Excellent working knowledge of the Behavioral Health system.  Knowledge of and ability to navigate other support systems.
• Ability to read and understand complex instructions such as regulatory policies. Competence in the use of computers and pertinent software programs.
• Working knowledge of the use of computers and pertinent software programs.

PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Ability to walk up and down stairs.
• Ability to lift 20 lbs.
• Ability to operate a computer
• Current valid driver’s license and the willingness to transport children in accordance with NCS and 3800 regulations.
• Requires some flexible work schedule, evening and weekend hours.

• Use emotional intelligence: Respond with empathy and awareness, even in difficult situations.
• Communicate effectively: Listen actively, ask clarifying questions, and avoid judgmental language.
• Understand trauma’s impact: Be aware that clients or colleagues may react based on past experiences, not just the present moment.
• Apply person-first, strengths-based language: Focus on people’s strengths and abilities rather than defining them by their challenges (e.g., saying "a person experiencing homelessness" instead of "a homeless person").

Americans with Disabilities: As with all positions at Northern Children’s Services, Inc. we recognize the importance of accommodations individuals with disabilities. In that, we are committed to every extent possible accommodating disabled individual. We recognize the American With Disabilities Act of 1991 and understand the need to reasonably accommodate employees. All accommodation will be evaluated on a case- by case basis, evaluating the essential functions of the positions.

DISCRIMINATION IS PROHIBITED IN EMPLOYMENT, PROMOTION, ASSIGNMENT OR DISMISSAL, ON THE BASIS OF RACE, RELIGION, COLOR, AGE, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, and HANDICAP, OR RECEIPT OF SERVICES FOR MENTAL DISABILITY.