About Graham Windham:
In full partnership with families and communities, Graham Windham strives to make a life-altering difference with children, youth, and families who are overcoming some of life’s most difficult challenges and obstacles, by helping to build a strong foundation for life: a safe, loving, permanent family and the opportunity and preparation to thrive in school and in the world. With over 500 full-time employees serving children and families in multiple programs throughout the Bronx, Brooklyn and Harlem, Graham Windham provides an exciting and enriching work experience.
At Graham Windham our Family Foster Care programs help children to get back to their families, adopted into a new family or connected to someone who is willing to be an anchor for children, throughout their childhood and into adulthood. To help us do that, we have hundreds of loving & highly qualified foster parents primarily in Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester County- who serve as our foster children's substitute family.
The Enhanced Family Foster Program provides support for Family Foster Care services which extends this support along with additional services to children and youth with specialized emotional, mental health and/or other developmental needs.
Position Overview:
Graham Windham seeks an experienced LMSW to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Enhanced Family Foster Care Services. With the Clinical Director’s strong administrative and operational oversight, we will successfully execute quality care and healing to Graham Windham’s children and ensure that every one of the children is living in a nurturing, safe, and permanent family as quickly as possible.
Position Responsibilities:
Ensures the safety and stability of all children receiving EFFC services within the home and communities.
- Using the Solution Based Casework approach ensures the socio-therapist are creating, with families, Child Well-Being Outcomes that are inclusive of their input; build on client strengths; that are realistic, culturally competent, provide meaningful assistance, and are in accordance with City, State and Federal Regulations.
- Develops and maintains a positive working relationship with the child, natural and foster parents. Through the Unit Supervisor, it assures that the Socio-Therapists are making prescribed contacts with children and families, and collateral service providers. Assures that the socio-therapist team is proactive in addressing early signs of disruption to prevent placement moves.
Makes certain that that every child is engaged in effective treatment:
- Ensures that foster parents and program staff are well trained and equipped to manage behavior using practice models implemented within the program (SBC, TST, PST, ABS)
- Ensure that each child is receiving the appropriate medical and mental health care, a strong education, pro-social and extra-curricular enrichment, and preparation for adulthood; that each child has a relevant treatment and behavior plan.
- Effectively manages EFFC intake, responding to ACS/OPA in a reasonable timeframe to accept or decline referral packages; maintains good tracking system of responses to referrals.
- Schedule and facilitate all new admissions ITT meetings within 60days of placement.
- Complete ITT summaries and document in CONNX within 5 business days of the conference.
- Schedule and facilitate ITT meetings quarterly for all youth approved for EFFC services.
Ensures appropriate record keeping:
- Reviews, approves and submits required documentation on time.
- Ensure that units are keeping CNNX consistent and up to date.
- Ensures that units are submitting STATs in a timely fashion.
Provides excellent program leadership through creating and maintaining a supportive working and learning environment.
- Facilitate clinical training for all staff.
- Provides formal and informal supportive, programmatic and clinical supervision to supervisors; holds formal individual supervision at least bi-weekly (or more often when warranted/directed) and team meetings monthly.
- Evaluates staff performance, accurately assessing the strengths and developmental needs of team members. Plays an active role in staff’s development and growth.
- Holds staff accountable for strong performance.
- Recruits, hires, and trains staff with assistance from agency administration
- Champions best practices adopted by OCFS, ACS and Graham Windham
- Participates in Division’s strategic planning, policy making and training curriculum development.
- Represents the agency in public functions, in meetings and other forums with government and private funders.
- Responds to child and family emergencies during and outside of scheduled work hours.
- Assists in preparation for audits and accreditation
- Oversee the function of the office site including staff coverage, use of agency vehicles and other resources.
- Works collaboratively with colleagues within the agency, within the community and at ACS/OCFS to achieve and maintain favorable results for children and families.
Position Requirements:
- Master’s degree in social work, Education, Psychology or related field
- 5 + years’ experience in home finding; 3 Years of Supervisory/Management experience
- Knowledge of internal and external State and City regulations and policies applicable to foster care and adoption, including foster home certification/approval and re-certification/re-approval.
- Computer literate and familiar with the NYS OCFS’s CONNECTIONS system.
- Excellent communication skills, oral and written; good public presentation skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills; team oriented; ability to work with diverse populations
- Spanish fluency a plus.
Other Requirements:
- Genuine love of working with children, teens, families and foster families.
- Passionate and demonstrated commitment to child safety and permanency.
- Willingness and demonstrated ability to teach, train and coach team members, commitment to staff development.
- Certified in Solutions Based Casework or able to be certified upon hire.
- Demonstrated ability to build a team and function in a team setting.
- Ability to work well with people from many cultures including recent immigrants, non-English speakers; and LGBTQ children, youth parents and foster parents.
- Understanding of and ability to navigate health, mental health, education, housing, MR/DD and other social service systems.
- Demonstrated ability to manage deadlines, to make decisions and remain composed under stress, and manage crisis situations.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Willingness to travel within the 5 boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and Westchester Co.
- High level of energy and creative initiative
Salary & Compensation:
- Base pay range $103,157.00/yr + Potential to Earn Performance Based Merit Award for Eligible Staff + Comprehensive Benefits + Professional Development Opportunities)
- Medical Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Pension plan
- Holiday pay
EEO Statement
The Equal Employment Opportunity Policy of Graham Windham (GW) is to provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all associates and job applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability. GW hires and promotes individuals solely based on their qualifications for the job to be filled.
Graham Windham believes that associates should be provided with a working environment which enables each associate to be productive and to work to the best of his or her ability. We do not condone or tolerate an atmosphere of intimidation or harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability.
We expect and require the cooperation of all associates in maintaining a discrimination and harassment-free atmosphere.
