Homefinding Supervisor, Enhanced Family Foster Care

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.

Position Overview :

Graham Windham’s seeks a home finding Supervisor to lead and manage the organization’s work to, assess, onboard and develop a strong pool of foster and adoptive parents.

The Home finding Supervisor will ensure compliance with regulatory standards promulgated by the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) thorough and timely certification and recertification including background checks, home safety assessments and continuous trainings.

Using the Solutions Based Casework practice model as a frame of reference, the Home-finding Supervisor will ensure that foster and adoptive parents attend to the physical and emotional well-being of the children placed in their homes and that children are placed appropriately in safe, nurturing foster homes based on their development needs.

Together with the Family Foster Care & Adoption Program’s Case Management team, Homefinders, will ensure foster parents provide excellent care for the children in their care as demonstrated by a quality family life, safety, education, prompt medical care, good nutrition, routines and structure.

The Home finding Supervisor will also support the Foster Parent recruitment team and the RDS Director as needed.

Position Responsibilities :

Ensuring that that every foster parent who is brought into the program :

• Is a safe caregiver for foster children.
• Is a nurturing caregiver
• Is deeply invested in partnering with the agency, case planners, and biological families.
• Is now, or is capable of becoming, and effective manager of child behavior
• Effectively assesses quality of applicant’s prior caregiving and ability to provide safe care in the future

Approving foster parent applications and re-certifications :

• Ensure that every foster parent licensed with the agency is a capable, caring paren
• Ensure that every foster home meets OCFS and ACS standards for physical and family safety
• Perform all CONNECTIONS authorization functions including Review / approving home studies, assignment / Approval of recertification.
• Ensure that initial certifications are conducted expeditiously, with a goal of approving homes within 90 days of the initial inquiry.
• Screen and process all initial Foster Parent applications.
• Ensure that all re-certifications are completed on time.
• Review all foster parents records quarterly to ensure they meet ACS / OCFS regulations.

Coordinating foster parent training :

• Deliver TRIPP, Deciding Together, and individual Foster Parent training as needed
• With assistance of case aide, track required training for all foster parents. Ensure that each foster parent is sufficiently trained
• Coordinate with the training team to Identify and schedule training specific to the needs of children in foster care, including child development, adolescent behavior, behavior management, navigation of DOE and OMH programs, parenting children / youth with mental / behavioral health disorders, etc.

Ensures that Vacancy Control is up to date

Coordinate with the placement / Intake team, acceptance of children and the identification of new homes for children in need of replacement.

• Supports the placement / Intake team in ensuring that an Intake staff is available to respond to OPA placement requests.
• Supports placement / Intake staff in setting priorities for work during crisis replacements
• Coordinate with the placement / Intake team to ensure consistent decisions regarding acceptance of children are made with honest and respectful communication with foster parents
• Ensures that home finding staff complete check requests, required intake documentation, etc., as required for initial placements and additions of children to the case

Providing excellent individual and team supervision :

• Creates and maintains a supportive working and learning environment
• Provides formal and informal supportive, programmatic & clinical supervision to each team member; holds individual supervision on a bi-weekly basis and team meetings monthly.
• Evaluates staff performance & accurately assesses the strengths and developmental needs of team members and plays an active role in their development and growth.

Holds staff accountable for strong performance.

Model and promote dependable, responsible, professional and accountable behavior; promotes positive program norms and teamwork primacy;

supports program mission and philosophy; effectively integrates with other disciplines; models enthusiasm and participation in program activities.

• Tracks unit productivity to ensure that the program has a sufficient supply of capable foster parents
• Ensures that electronic and physical foster parent case records are complete and accurate and assists the Director of RDS in ensuring through periodic record audits that foster parent files are uniformly maintained.

Provides task supervision regarding kinship tracking, safety assessment tracking, transfer homes, training tracking, recertification tracking, close homes, transfer home, prepare monthly reports which are submitted to director for review and guidance.

Collaborate with colleagues in developing recruitment and sustainment strategies and works with recruiters in meeting target recruitment goals.

Works collaboratively and communicates clearly and respectfully with staff and stakeholders in all of Graham Windham’s branches

Serves as a liaison between Home finding and ACS. Participates in Home finding related committees and meetings e.g. Collaboration of Voluntary Foster Care Agencies , trading consortium, and CDHS Foster Parent Trainers Network.

Serve on Quality Improvement teams and staff committees as requested and necessary.

Contacts other foster care agencies and facilitate the trading of foster homes by ensuring that records traded / received are complete and that the required foster parent agreements are obtained.

Tracking homes traded / received.

Carries a reduced foster parent home study and re-certification / re-approval workload if needed .

Position Requirements :

• Master’s degree in social work, Education, Psychology or related field
• Five (5) + years’ experience in Home finding.
• Knowledge of Trauma Informed Partnerships in Parenting (TRIPP) and Mini-MAPP curricula.
• Knowledge of internal and external regulations and policies applicable to foster care and adoption.
• Computer literate and familiar with the NYS OCFS’s CONNECTIONS system.
• Strong knowledge of State and City regulations relating to the foster care system, and to foster home certification / approval and re-certification / re-approval.
• Good command of oral and written English; good public presentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications & Experience

• Three (3) Years of Supervisory / Management experience
• TRIPP and MAPP Leader Certified
• Knowledge of Intake and Foster Parent Recruitment
• Spanish fluency a plus.

Competencies / Behavioral Characteristics :

• Ability to interact in a manner sensitive to the cultural and socio-economic characteristics of Foster Parents and of the client / service population.
• Good interpersonal skills and able to work as part of a team.
• Maintains a positive, respectful demeanor on all communications with staff and all stakeholders including the public
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines.

Salary & Compensation :

• Base pay range $65,000 / 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.

About Graham Windham :

About the CompanyIn full partnership with families & communities, Graham Windham strives to make a life-altering difference to children, youth and families affected by abuse, neglect and delinquency by providing each child we serve with 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 400 full-time, part-time and On-call employees serving children and families in multiple programs throughout Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Harlem, Graham Windham provides an exciting & enriching work experience.

Graham has pioneered programs for New York City’s children, families and communities for over 200 years. Today, Graham is one of New York City’s leading social services organizations, providing educational and social services to over 4,000 children, young people, and parents throughout NYC.