Family Care Manager I - Child Welfare

Turn your associates degree and experience in childcare or education into a long-term career in human services - become a Case Manager with Kids Central Inc. 

This position is responsible for providing safety management services and case management to ensure that appropriate interventions and services are provided to address caregiver protective capacities while ensuring the child’s safety permanency and well-being in relation to the identified needs of the family. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty listed below satisfactorily.   The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Manage and monitor the progress and safety from intake to permanency.
• Following Case Transfer Staffing (CTS) and case assignment, the FCM will become familiar with the case in its entirety by reading through all documentation provided through the staffing and detailed in FSFN.
• Complete all required court reports and documentation in accordance with the time frames established through Chapter 39, Administrative Codes, CFOPs, Court orders and/or agency policy and contract to include but not limited to case plans, predisposition studies, judicial review report, status updates, and home studies. Attend all court hearings and proceedings.
• Provide referrals, as delineated in the case plan, to parents in a timely manner (within 5 work days of identified need for the referral) in an effort to facilitate case plan goal and permanency for the child.
• Maintain monthly contact with all service providers and courtesy/secondary workers involved with the family and report progress to the courts.
• Prepare complete and thorough packets for out of county service (OCS) and interstate compact (ICPC) for the placement of children with all required attachments within 30 days of identified need.
• Maintain all case files and ensures all required documents are obtained and placed in the case record to facilitate timely transfer of cases to other agencies and for internal or external case audits.
• Refer children to medical, dental, vision, and therapeutic services and ensure follow up with recommended treatment.
• Maintain educational records in the case file i.e. report cards, IEP, 504 Plan, disciplinary issues.    Update the education tab in FSFN on all school aged children at the beginning and end of the school year and as needed throughout the school year.   Submit ESSA Placement form as required within 48 hours of the placement change.  Make appropriate notifications for the ESSA staffing and participate in the ESSA Staffing.
• Complete and submit incident reports within one business day of notice or sooner on critical incidents.
• Complete all runaway reports timely.
• Complete exit interviews within 5 days of child’s movement in licensed care.
• Complete exit interviews within 5 days of child’s movement in licensed care.
• Facilitate parent and sibling visit in compliance with court orders taking into account the need to facilitate the parent/child bond.
• Maintain monthly contact with birth parents (mother and father) to promote case progress and identify strengths, barriers and solutions.
• For all children, in out of home care, complete a relative search to develop family connections through the use of a diligent search or family tree.
• Attendance and participation at all staffing and family meetings ensuring that all critical parties related to the case are notified in advance and invited to participate.
• Participate with supervisor reviews/consults of all case records as required by the agency.
• Complete follow up items from supervisor reviews/consults, permanency staffing and court hearings within 30 days.
• All children will be seen in accordance with Florida Administrative Code and Statue policy.
• For all children placed out of state, monthly contact will be maintained with the child/caregiver/placement resource and the local worker.
• Maintain face to face contact with all children on assigned caseload in their residence in accordance with Florida Administrative Code and Statue.
• Enter and maintain required FSFN screens and modules with current information to include but not limited to case notes, medical and education modules, results of court hearing, change of placement. All data must be updated within 48 hours of occurrence.
• Complete all case closure documentation and provide to supervisor within five (5) days of receipt of court order closing case.
• Participate in agency's internal peer reviews.
• Submit completed client satisfaction surveys monthly.
• Attend monthly All Staff meetings.
• Participate in agency on call rotation as assigned.
• Notify primary FCM of any case related incidents that occurs during on call rotation.
•  

This list of functions is not intended to be exhaustive.  Kids Central reserves the right to revise this job description as needed to comply with actual job requirements.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education/Experience

• Master’s degree preferred. Bachelor’s and/or associate's degree in human services or related field.  If degree is in an unrelated field, must be eligible for a waiver. Eligible college or university degrees must be awarded by an institution accredited by an accreditation body recognized by the Federal Department of Education and/or Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The college or university must have been accredited at the time the degree was awarded. 
• One year of relevant social service experience with children and families for FCM I.
• Two years of relevant social service experience in current program, DCF or YFA transfer to be considered eligible for FCM II.
• Four years of relevant social service experience in current program, DCF or YFA transfer to be considered eligible for FCM III.  

• Licensure/Certifications

• Child Welfare Certification preferred but not required at time of hire. Must obtain and maintain certification in good standings within one year of employment. Must maintain and show proof of the appropriate automobile insurance limits ($100,000/$300,000) per Florida Statutes.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Ability to work in a highly visible position and use effective interpersonal communication skills to respond to children and their families, and legal entities (i.e. judges, law enforcement, CLS etc.). 
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret professional journals, procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Ability to write concise reports within 24 hours of event or as required by program. 
• Must be able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of instructions and deal with abstract and concrete variables. 
• Ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. 
• General office equipment such as phone, copier, computer, etc.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is generally in home, but may also be required to visit other settings such as schools, courts, civic meetings or other agencies. The employee may be sitting for extended periods of time or may walk the halls escorting clients to and from sessions.  The noise level is usually moderate.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and to reach with hands and arms.  The employee must also frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. The employee is regularly required to bend/stoop and kneel. Repetitive motion is also required. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Employees must have the ability to move rapidly to get out of the way of an agitated client and to access client homes over difficult terrain, including the possibility of climbing steps or moving about homes that may not be in good condition.

 ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE:

Our mission is, “Protecting Children, Supporting Families, and Engaging Communities”. Kids Central, Inc. is the lead Community Based Care agency for child welfare in Circuit 5, which encompasses Marion, Lake, Hernando, Sumter, and Citrus Counties. We maintain a system of care for children and families that have experienced or are at-risk of experiencing child abuse or neglect. Kids Central, Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, disability, or veteran status as those terms are defined under applicable law. Kids Central is a Drug-Free Workplace, Equal Employment Opportunity and E-Verify Employer.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

Kids Central, Inc. provides a comprehensive compensation package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) with company match, and a generous paid time off allotment.

Employer is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V