Permanency - Family Connections Specialist, RTF

Company Overview

The Child Center of NY strengthens children and families with skills, opportunities, and emotional support to build healthy, successful lives. Founded in 1953, The Child Center of NY has become a powerful community presence throughout the city. With 50 locations and 100 programs in NYC’s most under-served communities, our 1,000+ results-oriented professionals make a difference for more than 40,000 children and their families each year.

The Child Center Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) is a coeducational program in a warm, supportive environment that serves young people ages 12-18 who have had multiple psychiatric hospital placements or have been involved with the juvenile justice system. It is the only downstate RTF in the state that is a dual NYS Office of Mental Health/Office of Children and Family Services facility. We never consider it too late to give young people the help they need, and we are pleased to partner with these two agencies to ensure the young people in our care have the skills and support they need to achieve long-term success. Reflecting The Child Center’s dedication to comprehensive care, the RTF is staffed by clinical coordinators, psychiatric providers, a pediatrician, and 24-hour nursing staff, 24 hour youth advocates. Supports are individualized and tailored to the needs of the young people.

Position Summary

Permanency - Family Connections Specialist, RTF promotes timely, successful discharge planning and permanency for youth in the Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) program by utilizing the Family Finding model to identify, engage, and strengthen lifelong family and supportive adult connections. Through collaboration with youth, families, Parent Peer Advocates, Care Coordinators, county and community partners, and interdisciplinary team members, this role helps build sustainable support networks that foster long-term stability, resilience, and successful community integration.

The Specialist also expands community and family resources to better serve youth in the Brooklyn RTF program, provides supervision and support to the Family Peer Advocate, and partners with Transitional Coordinators to enhance services for children with complex psychiatric and behavioral health needs.

Essential Functions

• Works to secure additional service resources in a timely manner to expedite (a discharge resource) physical and emotional permanency to RTF recipients.
• Assists the transitional coordinator with the facilitation of community resources to prepare the home of the parent, family members and or non-relative individual receiving the youth.
• Provide therapeutic support sessions with RTF recipient and parent, family members or non-relative individual receiving the youth post discharge.
• When family reunification is not possible, assists the transitional coordinator with additional resources for emotional permanency.
• Submits, monitors, and follows up with the needs of the RTF clients with respect to family connection and permanency.
• Provides linkage support between transitional coordinators, staff, and community providers to expedite and finalize the permanency process; ensures all necessary actions and reviews have taken place to facilitate positive permanency outcomes.
• Complete timely and accurate documentation.
• All other duties as assigned.

Hours

Tuesday – Saturday

Supervisory Responsibilities

Permanency - Family Connections Specialist, RTF will supervise the Family Peer Advocate.

Qualifications

• Master’ degree in a social worker or Humans services related field. (LMFT, LMSW, LMHC)
• Master in Social Work (Preferred)
• Bilingual English/Spanish (Preferred)
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of OCFS and OMH policies and procedures
• Experience working with adolescent youth with psychiatric disorders
• Work under a Wraparound Services model
• Follow a strengths-based, person-centered model
• At least 3 years of experience working with a diverse client caseload, including youth with Psychiatric Disorder and/or Emotional and Behavioral Disorders and their families
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Proficient in the use of a computer to complete all documentation required to complete required duties.
• Experience in a variety of settings preferred: Residential and or hospital

We Also Offer

• Generous Paid Time Off
• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
• 401k Pension and Employer Contribution
• Flexible Spending and Commuter Benefits Accounts
• Employer paid short-term & long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program