Job Description
Job Description
About Us
Child and Family Services (C+FS) has been serving children and families in Western New York for more than 150 years. Our Foster Care Program provides safe, nurturing homes for children and supports families on their path to reunification or permanency.
About the Role
We are seeking a Skill Builder to join our Foster Care Program. This role is required under NYS Department of Health 29-I regulations and plays a vital part in helping children and youth in foster care develop the life skills they need to thrive. The Skill Builder works one-on-one with children to build social, emotional, and daily living skills that promote independence, resilience, and success in home, school, and community settings.
The Qualified Candidate will have :
- Master’s degree in social work, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy or related degree. Clinical licensure is strongly preferred.
- Valid New York State driver’s license and insurance and reliable transportation for frequent travel throughout Western New York, primarily Erie County
- Availability to work a flexible schedule that includes regular evening hours for home visits and community events and participation in the program’s telephonic on call rotation
- Accessibility for consultation outside of regular business hours during emergency situations involving children on caseload
- Strong computer / technology skills, attention to detail, and organization
- A calm, compassionate demeanor in person and on virtual platforms and telephone
- Commitment to family-centered, trauma-informed care
- Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with foster parents, program staff, and external healthcare providers.
- Team player mindset with a commitment to working collaboratively within the Foster Care program and across agency departments.
- Ability to work independently with strong organizational and time management skills
Shift Information : Requires the ability to accommodate a flexible schedule that includes both traditional business hours and regular evenings to match the availability of foster parents and children on caseload. Although this occurs infrequently (less than 5 times per year on average) the Skill Builder must be accessible for consultation outside of regular business hours during emergency situations involving children in care.
As a Skill Builder, you can expect to spend approximately 75% of your time out of the office performing Skill Building for children in their home, day care or school settings and transporting children to and from sessions and approximately 25% of your time in the office writing progress notes, assessments, treatment plans and related tasks.
A day on the job as the Licensed Behavioral Health Practitioner- Skill Builder-
Complete assessments and develop treatment plans for children in foster care using available historical information and current input from the parents / caregivers, foster parents, child (as appropriate), daycare, school, medical providersProvide individualized skill-building sessions for children and youth in foster care, following each child’s treatment plan.Teach and reinforce skills such as communication, problem-solving, emotional regulation, conflict resolution, and self-care.Support children in developing healthy peer and adult relationships.Integrate skill building activities with other available community or school resources for the benefit of the child and their foster parents to achieve a stable placement while also focusing on reunificationUtilize interventions drawn from evidence-based psychotherapeutic methodologyStructure interventions to decrease problems and increase developmentally appropriate pro-social behaviorDocument progress and maintain compliance with program, agency, and regulatory standards.Collaborate with case planners, foster parents, and treatment teams to reinforce skill development across environments.Travel within Erie County and surrounding areas to meet with children in homes, schools, and community settingsEngage in clinical supervision with a focus on professional development and working to enhance and improve clinical and engagement skillsPromote cultural sensitivity, inclusion, and trauma-informed care in all interactionsCompetitive Salary range of $55,500 to $60,500 per year based on education and experience
CFS offers full-time employees the below benefits to support our employees and their families and help to create a healthy work environment.
Paid Time Off (PTO)–20 PTO Days (25 Days After Five Years of Employment)
–14 Paid Holidays (includes 2 flex holidays)
– Bereavement : Four Paid Days
– Paid Jury Duty
Employer Paid Life InsuranceMedical, Two Plan OptionsDental, Two Plan OptionsVision InsuranceWellness Program and IncentivesHealth Savings Account (HSA) and Quarterly Employer-ContributionsHealthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA)Dependent Care FSA RetirementEmployee Referral BonusQualifying Employer for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)403(b) Right Away and Employer-Contributions After Two YearsChild & Family Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Child & Family Services provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran or familial status, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Child & Family Services complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer leaves of absence, compensation, and training .