Family Counselor

Ready to make a positive impact in the lives of children, youth and families? Join our team as a Family Counselor at the Gathering Place. As a Family Counselor you will provide a safe, comfortable, and family-friendly environment where referred parents and children who have been separated can complete their visits and receive a range of services including therapeutic, supervised, and observed visitation. The Gathering Place Family Counselor works with children and families involved in the child welfare system. As a Family Counselor, you are responsible for promoting positive parenting skills and supporting families during supervised and observed visits.

The Gathering Place is a collaborative project between Alternative Family Services (AFS), Alameda County Social Services Agency, and Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services. The Gathering Place is committed to maintaining family attachments during the difficult period of separation. It offers a continuum of services that eliminates obstacles to visitation while promoting positive family interactions. Alameda County Department of Child and Family Services’ goals for families are to increase timely reunification and reduce re-entry rates into the child welfare system.

About Alternative Family Services

Alternative Family Services is a Foster Family, Adoption and Mental Health Agency that has been serving abused and neglected children in our community since 1973. Our mission is to support vulnerable children and families in need of stability, safety, and well-being in communities. We provide a wide range of foster, adoption, mental health and transition-aged youth services in English and Spanish. We have eight locations throughout the Bay Area and over 200 employees. We celebrate diversity, equal opportunity, and excellence.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and monitor visits with children and families
• Provide a variety of interventions to promote positive parenting skills, including, but not limited to, coaching, skill building, and supportive feedback
• Document all services related to visits and submit to CPS
• Transport children to and from visits
• Perform other duties as assigned

Needed Upon Hire

• Associate’s degree or related work experience
• Solid understanding of family dynamics, child, and adolescent development
• Experience working with families and at-risk youth
• Bilingual in Spanish/English a plus
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proven track record of working successfully with diverse cultural populations
• Ability to obtain fingerprint and government required background clearances

Driving Requirements

This position requires the employee to work out in the community and within foster homes throughout the Bay Area. Thus, position requires employee to possess a valid CA driver’s license and valid automobile insurance with his/her name on the verification card as an insured driver on the policy at all times. Position requires daily access to a car in safe working order.

We Offer

• A professional and supportive work environment
• $24/hour
• Additional $1.00 for Bilingual pay (Spanish only)
• Benefits package which includes:
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Chiropractic & Acupuncture
  • Flex-spending options
  • Life and disability insurance
  • 403(b) option
• Over 8 weeks time off annually! (11 vacation days the first year – accruals starting on your 1st day and progress up to 20 days a year! 12 paid holidays including your birthday off & 12 sick days annually!)

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of Ancestry, Age, Color, Disability, Genetic Information, Gender, Gender Identity, Gender expression, Marital status, Medical condition, Military or veteran status, National origin, Race, Religion, Sex and Sexual orientation.