Foster Care Case Manager

A world where every child is safe, every family is strong, and hope outshines hardship. We help children heal from trauma so they can build healthy relationships, succeed in education and discover their own world of opportunities and possibilities. This happens by engaging a child in the context of their family issues. We know that, to end a cycle of abuse or trauma, we must work with children to clarify their thoughts and feelings and get a realistic view of each family member's role in their life.

In response to this community-wide challenge, Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services (PCHAS), now operates 12 programs in 34 locations, serving nearly 4,500 children and families each year, 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%.


Status: Non-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.

Position Summary: The Foster Care Case Manager (FCCM) is responsible for safety and services to children and families in foster care. Tasks include facilitating Family Support Team meetings, development of individualized care (treatment) plans, coordination of individualized services across all settings, coordination of providers working in the home, school, and community environment and documentation of support related activities and services. The Foster Care Case Manager promotes effective utilization of support services to achieve permanency for children and families.

Essential Job Functions

• Follows all contractual and agency policies, procedures, and seamless delivery of services to children and their families.
• Maintains a caseload of 12 to 15 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 monthly (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.
• Evaluate and factually report the impact of services to team members and judiciary; attend all court hearings; schedule, coordinate and facilitate FST meetings within prescribed time frames.
• Participates in FCCM consortium on-call schedule as EOC (employee on-call) for PCHAS on a rotating basis.

Requirements

Must possess a bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, counseling, education, criminal justice, or a related human services field. Master's degree preferred. Minimum of two (2) years of relevant case management experience.

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 conducted by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services utilizing the Family Care Safety Registry. As requested, must submit fingerprints for review by the Missouri State Highway Patrol 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. Must be American Red Cross first aid and CPR certified at all times.

Christian Commitment: Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services is a faith-based Christian organization. Guided by Christ's love, we empower children, young adults, and families by nurturing their strengths, resilience, and faith. 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.

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