Family Counselor – Brooklyn Transitions FT/R Program - Good Shepherd Services

Good Shepherd Services is a leading multi-service agency with more than 85 programs that serve over 30,000 youth and families each year – and builds on their strengths to help them gain skills for success.  At Good Shepherd we respect the dignity and worth of every person and reject intolerance, inequity and injustice in whatever form it may take. Voted one of the top 100 places to work in NYC by Crain’s New York, Good Shepherd Services offers a fantastic work environment, a collaborative team dedicated to fulfilling our mission, and an amazing array of benefits. Join our team and help make a difference! 

For Full Time Employees Benefits/Perks:

• Tuition Assistance Program
• Generous paid time off (Including 5 Self-Care Days/Floating Holidays, 12 Sick Days, 15 Vacation Days, and 11 Holidays)
• Healthcare Plans (Medical, Dental, Vision, and Pet Care)
• 403(b) Plan (GSS contributes 3% of your salary to your 403(b) plan after 3 years of service, with contributions increasing over time)
• Candidates hired in this position will work in person but may have the flexibility to work a hybrid schedule at program/management discretion. 

Brooklyn Transitions Family Treatment/Rehabilitation program offers counseling for families facing child welfare-related challenges caused by substance use and/or mental health issues who want to address critical needs, repair and improve family relationships, and ensure the safety and well-being of children so that their family can safely stay together. The Family Counselor provides direct counseling and casework services to their assigned families utilizing the Solution-Based Casework (SBC) model. The Family Counselor will meet or exceed expected agency standards of professionalism and adhere to Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) policies and contractual commitments.

Location:                  503 5^th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Hours:                       35 hours- Non Exempt (Position requires Staff to be onsite. Hybrid schedules are at discretion) 

Salary:                       $50,000 - $55,000 Annually Based on Relevant Experience******

Our superstar Case Worker candidate is:

• Passionate about providing high quality services to families in child welfare
• A lifetime learner, continuously developing their clinical skills
• Dedicated to modeling strength-based, trauma-informed practice with families and colleagues.
• Culturally humble with a commitment to the Good Shepherd Services mission, vision, and values

Major Duties of Case Worker:

Direct Work with Families

• Provide home-based and on-site individual, family, and group counseling, as well as short-term crisis intervention, including advocacy and outreach for designated caseload of eight (8) families.
• Engage families immediately upon referral, at times participating in Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) Child Safety Conferences.
• Implement and integrate the principles and procedures of Solution-Based Casework (SBC): assessment, family and individual level outcomes, action plans, and documentation and celebration.
• Handle case-related crises with professionalism, urgency, and care, including incidents involving reports to the State Central Registry.
• Conduct screenings and assessments for substance use, mental illness, and child safety and well-being, including assessing caregiver capacity, home environment and conditions, discipline methods, etc.
• Integrate the practices of SBC into every counseling session.
• Ensure that every child has been seen and properly assessed every month.
• Meet appropriate case work contacts for each phase of treatment: Initial, Baseline, and Stabilization.
• Represent participant needs, concerns, and perspectives at all required ACS and GSS meetings and trainings.

 Administrative and Advocacy Role

• Collaborate closely with ACS, alcohol and other drug treatment providers, schools, medical and mental health clinics, and other resources serving family members.
• Provide consultation to and collaborate with Family Workers as needed to ensure high quality services to families.
• Collaborate with ACS Family Services Unit (FSU) staff, Family Court Legal Services (FCLS) staff and other service providers in making safety and treatment decisions.
• Attend and participate in Family Court hearings for families involved with ACS FSU.
• Facilitate referrals to alcohol and substance abuse treatment facilities, mental health treatment providers, and other service providers, including escorts to appointments as needed.
• Actively participate in Clinical Diagnostic Team meetings (CDTs) to provide case information, updates, and assessments in order to obtain recommendations for continued case practice or case termination.
• Participate in case consultation, continued SBC training, and the SBC certification process.
• Prepare and maintain FASP documentation, monthly statistical reports, and case work notes in adherence with agency policy.
• Provide Court reports as needed to inform as to families’ progress or lack of progress in achieving outcomes.
• Maintain appropriate utilization of state and city databases including PROMIS and Connections, as well as other agency databases as needed.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required in (Social Work; Human Services, Psychology, Sociology, Counseling and Humanities degrees considered)
• Child welfare experience required
• Bilingual - English/Spanish preferred
• Must have strong organizational, interpersonal, and counseling skills
• Must be able to work at least 2 evenings per week to accommodate working families’ schedules
• Must have strong inquiry skills and ability to seek and share internal and external best practices
• Must have a commitment to work from a strength based, trauma-informed & youth and family development perspective
• SBC trained and/or SBC certified a plus

Good Shepherd Services is an equal opportunity employer that is proudly committed to becoming an anti-racist and multicultural organization that stands up for justice and equity. We welcome prospective employees from diverse backgrounds, for administrative support and direct service and leadership roles, who will join us on that journey, uphold our values and approach, and believe in our mission. Additionally, we aim to have a racially representative leadership and workforce that is reflective of the communities we work in partnership with.

Good Shepherd Services is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, participants, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of our activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and termination of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services.

We are committed to providing a workplace that is accessible and accommodating to employees with disabilities. As part of our commitment to providing a barrier-free recruitment and selection process, we will provide reasonable accommodations upon request for candidates with disabilities. If you require any accommodations to participate in the hiring process, please inform us of your needs in advance. We value diversity and inclusivity in our workplace and encourage applicants of all abilities to apply.