Lead Foster Care Case Manager

Lead Foster Care Case Manager

We are committed to supporting at risk children and families providing them with tools and resources to help prevent children from experiencing child abuse, neglect and abandonment. We are a Christian agency that believes in living our mission, we provide Christ-centered care and support to children and families in need.

In response to this community-wide challenge, Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services (PCHAS), provides 14 programs and services in 28 locations, in Missouri, Texas, and Louisiana, which provide children with permanent homes and adults with increased self-sufficiency. This is accomplished by the agency's commitment to "The PCHAS Way" which inspires the agency to be strength-focused, family-centered, and goal driven with every client.

Benefits of serving children and families in need through PCHAS include competitive salaries, flex work schedules, paid time off, medical, dental and vision insurance options, voluntary life insurance options, paid holidays, and a very generous retirement plan (after one year of service and working 1,000 hours the agency matches an employee 200% up to a 3% retirement contribution).

Status: Exempt

Working Conditions: Works in a typical office setting and from employee's home, or other community location as established by flexible work agreement, to complete paperwork, documentation, and other indirect service tasks. Meets clients in home, foster home, residential facility, hospital, or other community locations as needed; drives an automobile on a routine basis in all types of areas; must have reliable transportation. Requires sitting, standing, bending and reaching. May require lifting up to 25 pounds. Requires manual dexterity sufficient to operate standard office machines such as computers, copiers, calculators, the telephone and other office equipment. Requires normal range of hearing and vision. Must have the ability and energy to visit more than one family per day. Lead Case Manager manages their own schedule, ensuring that they are in the office as needed to provide support to the FCCM Team and attends all required meetings.

Position Summary: The Lead Foster Care Case Manager (LCM) is responsible for carrying half of a FCCM caseload, as well as assisting with the development, implementation, and maintenance of all treatment, care, and the Wraparound philosophy for children and families served by the foster care program. The Foster Care Case Manager (FCCM) is responsible for safety and services to children and families in foster care. The LCM acts as team leader for up to six (6) Foster Care Case Managers and promotes effective utilization of support services to achieve permanency for children and families. The LCM provides guidance, consultation, and support for Foster Care Case Managers in the absence of the Foster Care Supervisor. The LCM will hold a minimum of one case from each jurisdiction.

Essential Job Functions

• Follows all contractual and agency policies, procedures, and seamless delivery of services to children and their families. Promotes contract compliance to the FCCM Team by assisting Case Managers (CMs) to fulfill contract standards and requirements. Assists with documentation audits to ensure compliance, accuracy, and best practice.
• Maintains a caseload of up to 10 children depending on program capacity and the needs of the agency. Caseload size may be temporarily increased due to a CM's extended absence and/or position vacancy.
• Provide full case management services to children and their families in the MO foster and adoptive care system from the time of assignment until case closure or transfer.
• Documents all activities and maintain data entry in FACES (state online database system) and CSWIS (consortium online database system) in a timely and accurate manner.
• Has face-to-face contact with each assigned child and his/her family at least on a bi-weekly basis (may require extensive travel based on the individual needs of the child and family). Has telephone contact with each child and family support provider regularly to review provider activities and to receive reports regarding case progress.
• Acts as a technical resource to the FCCM Team regarding FACES, the Child Welfare Manual, the Wraparound process, behavioral management, crisis intervention, and expediting permanency for children and families.
• Assists the FCCM Team with the development of new cases assigned to the agency, including securing placements, timely record development and completion of paperwork, and attendance at initial client meetings and court hearings.
• Attends administrative meetings, Family Support Team Meetings, Permanency Planning Review Team Meetings, and Team Decision Making Meetings as the supervisor when necessary.
• Participates in personnel related issues including hiring, informal evaluation, and case consultation.
• Participates in FCCM on-call schedule.

Requirements

LCM shall possess a bachelor's degree (master's preferred) in social work, psychology, guidance and counseling, education, criminal justice, nursing, or a related human services field. Minimum of two (2) years foster care case management experience and prior supervisory experience preferred. Must have good knowledge of: Wraparound services, Missouri State Children's Division practices; Missouri Department of Social Services funding streams; Missouri service systems; and experience in program development and understanding of administrative issues.

Other Requirements: Must hold a valid driver's license, have and maintain a risk-free driving record. Must be willing to undergo initial and periodic child abuse/neglect, criminal history, sexual offender, and childcare/elder care disqualification list screenings. As requested, must submit fingerprints for review by the state of your employment and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Must undergo a pre-employment drug screen and a pre-employment physical with the results showing no evidence of communicable disease.

Christian Commitment: Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services is a faith-based Christian organization. We provide Christ-centered care and support to children and families in need. We strive to serve like Jesus. We meet our clients where they are and treat them with respect. We focus on our clients' strengths rather than their problems. And we encourage our clients to focus on their future rather than their past. When we do this well, we help our clients find hope and know the love of God.