Conference Facilitator

About the role

THE SELECTED CANDIDATE WILL BE OFFERED A SALARY BETWEEN $84,863.00 - $97,593.00.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU TAKE AND PASS THE NEXT OPEN COMPETITIVE EXAM FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE TITLE TO AVOID BEING "BUMPED" OUT OF YOUR POSITION WHEN THE ELIGIBLE LIST FOR THIS TITLE IS ESTABLISHED. PERMANENT CHILD AND FAMILY SPECIALISTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.

The Administration for Children's Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. ACS manages community-based supports and foster care services and provides subsidized childcare vouchers. ACS child protection staff respond to allegations of child maltreatment. In juvenile justice, ACS oversees detention, placement, and programs for youth in the community.

The Office of Family Team Conferencing primary function is the facilitation of a continuum of conferences and other related duties as required in support of Child Protection divisional best practices which may include the processing of out of home foster care placements for children deemed unsafe or at risk to remain in their natural environment. CFS focuses on, family support, well-being, child safety, risk, and permanency.

The facilitated Child Safety Conference is to ensure the most appropriate safety decisions and safety plans are developed to prevent removal when safe to do so and/or decide on the best suitable out of home placement that will keep the child safe from imminent danger and harm through the exploration of familial and fictive kin resources to help expedite and support placement and permanency.

The Child and Family Specialist candidate will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following:

• Attend and facilitate all FTC's that are scheduled focusing on child safety, risk and well-being, permanency, family support, and ensure that placement and discharge decisions reflect Children's Service's commitments, values and principles.
• Address critical issues, concerns of the child and family, the provider agencies, divisional partners and Family Court during these conferences.
• Candidates will use the decision-making process involving key stakeholders, children, families, service providers and community resources and shall make recommendations for referrals and resources when appropriate.
• The candidate will prepare and complete administrative functions including timely documentation of conference, data, action plans and all other reports related to Family Team Conferencing.
• Complete Expedited Home study packages (5300 series) with kinship resources in the community (resource homes)
• Make DOAS requests for items to support child(ren) in kinship resources home
• Request Emergency Funds/Miscellaneous Reimbursement Payments for kin resources to care for Child(ren) in their care.
• The candidate will interface with interagency critical support resources i.e. clinical consultation team.

MCHU, Investigative Consultants, et all, all of whom seek to identify critical issues, barriers and concerns specific to children's safety

• Provide case conferencing and consultation to reexamine and ensure appropriateness of decision and service plan; consult with FCLS attorney for guidance on the legal posture of cases as well as relevant court orders when assessing familial readiness for change and caretaker's protective capacity.
• The candidate will provide conferencing in the family's natural community when appropriate, necessary, and safe.

Qualifications & Requirements

A Masters Degree in Social Work from an accredited school of social work and

• A valid New York State Registration as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and at least one year of full-time, satisfactory, post-graduate experience that includes substantial experience in one or more of the following modalities of practice: facilitation of family team conferences or family group decision-making meetings utilizing a conferencing model which emphasizes family engagement and consensus based decision-making; clinical group work with children, youth, parents or individual families; or the conduct of professional training on topics related to child and family services; or
• A valid New York State Registration as a Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) and at least three years of the experience required in "1" above. Up to two years of this experience may have been in the supervision of social work practice areas described in "1" above; or
• At least three years of the experience required in "1" above. A valid New York State Registration as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Master of Social Work license (LMSW) must be obtained within one year of appointment.

Additional information

Note: Employees who fail to obtain their LCSW or LMSW within one year after appointment may have their probationary periods extended for no more than six months. Failure to obtain the LCSW or LMSW by the end of the probationary period will result in dismissal.

Note: At least one year of the required experience described in "1", "2" and "3" above must have been obtained in the last five years..