Family Engagement Specialist, School-Based Mental Health

Family Engagement Specialist, School-Based (Lansingburgh)

Office Location: Albany & Troy, NY

Program: Lansingburgh School-Based Mental Health

Type: Full-time / Non-Exempt

Pay Range: $22.06 - $25.69/hour

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am – 4pm w/ flexibility as needed.

Our Mission:

St. Catherine's Center for Children provides a comprehensive range of human services designed to offer hope, foster growth, and improve the lives of the children, families and adults we serve.

Our Vision:

St. Catherine's willingness to embrace change and develop new services is, and will remain, our guiding philosophy as we support the human service needs of children, families, and adults throughout the region.

Position Overview:

The Family Engagement Specialist ("Specialist") will work closely with the Lansingburgh Central School District and be part of a collaborative school-based interdisciplinary team aimed to provide comprehensive mental health support to the students and families of the district. The Family Engagement Specialist will be a resource for students and their families by being an agent for needs assessment and a vital linkage to community-based services.

The Specialist will work with an eye toward identifying and addressing the Social Determinants of Health needs impacting the youth and their families in order to improve health and educational outcomes. The Specialist will also provide Children's Health Home Care Management as a form of after-care for those youth who qualify. As such, the position requires cross-training in that program.

Requirements:

• MSW or Master's Degree in human service field preferred. BSW or Bachelor's Degree in human service field with at least two years' experience in service planning or care coordination, will be accepted.
• Must have a professional record of integrity and strong advocacy for at-risk families within a community setting.
• Competent clerical, organizational, and project management skills.
• Ability to navigate electronic health record, adding documentation with high accuracy.
• Local travel is required; A Clean & Valid New York State Driver's License (actively licensed at least one year) and reliable vehicle for transporting clients to community resources, meetings, etc. is required*.
• Previous experience working in a human services agency is a plus!
• Strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to build strong working relationships with collaborative partners including school district personnel, community agencies, and social service providers.
• Proficiency in various computer applications: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Business Workspace Suite (Gmail, Google Docs, Meet, Sheets, etc.); and use secure Internet practices.
• Eagerness to learn new theories and practice models to enhance job effectiveness and to achieve program outcomes is highly desired.
• Capable of exercising ethical, independent judgment and discretion, and handle sensitive data with strict confidentiality.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities include:

• Accept referrals from the school and engage with families within 24 hours.
• Conduct Social Determinants of Health assessments to identify factors impacting physical and mental health.
• Develop home-based Crisis and Safety Plans that align with existing safety plans, treatment plans and/or school-based support plans (i.e. IEP, 504 plans).
• Conduct ACE Screenings on youth and other family members, when appropriate.
• Link families with supports within the community.
• Meet with families in their homes or in neutral settings (coffee shops, parks, playgrounds); Frequency will be determined by the needs of the family.
• Transport families to and from appointments, when needed.
• Attend school-based events (in-person and on-line) for parents to promote the service and encourage family participation.
• Attend school-based planning meetings for youth as part of an interdisciplinary education and care team.
• Collaborate closely with school personnel to ensure a coordinated approach to support the youth and their family. This will include regular and timely in-person communication, phone and email communications, and written summaries as requested.
• Collaborate closely with other providers including home-based services, and health and mental health providers.
• Document all contacts and significant case events in the agency's EHR following all agency guidelines.
• Carry out all of the responsibilities of the Children's Health Home Care Manager for those youth enrolled in that program and assigned to them.
• Other position-related duties as assigned by the supervisor.

What We Offer You:

• Competitive Pay with an Excellent Benefits Package
• Health Insurance options: Medical, Dental and Vision
• $600 Well-being Reimbursement Benefit
• Generous Combined Leave Time (CLT) and Paid Holidays!
• We are a 501(c) (3) agency, which is a qualifying employer for eligible staff under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Pension Plan with Generous Agency Contribution
• 403b Retirement Savings Plan
• Life Insurance – Automatic Benefit at no cost to employee
• Paid Training, including TCI and CPR/AED/First Aid Certification & Update courses, if role appropriate
• Tuition Reimbursement & Travel/ Mileage Reimbursement
• Professional Development & Career Growth Opportunities
• The Comfort of a Business Casual Environment
• Our Commitment to Embrace & Foster Mindfulness, Relevance, Respect and Solidarity.

** To qualify, certain conditions may apply

About Us

St. Catherine's Center for Children is a non-profit organization located in the Greater Capital Region of New York. We offer a wide array of human services designed to meet the needs of vulnerable children, families and adults, including residential and therapeutic foster care programs for children and youth, Kinship support, homeless and community-based services for adults and families, a special education elementary school for ages 5-13, and so much more.

St. Catherine's is committed to cultivating a culture where all employees feel safe to bring their authentic and best selves to the workplace. We are invested in fostering an equitable, inclusive and diversified workplace; collaboratively embracing mindfulness, relevance, respect and solidarity.

EEO Statement

St. Catherine's Center for Children is committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, reproductive health and pregnancy, family history and genetics, disability, age, military status, veteran status, politics, or other beliefs, and any other characteristics protected by law.