Conference Facilitator

Conference Facilitator

The Administration for Children's Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. ACS manages community-based supports and foster care services and provides subsidized childcare vouchers. ACS child protection staff respond to allegations of child maltreatment. In juvenile justice, ACS oversees detention, placement and programs for youth in the community.

The Office of Family Team Conferencing primary function is the facilitation of a continuum of conferences and other related duties as required in support of Child Protection divisional best practices which may include the processing of out of home foster care placements for children deemed unsafe or at risk to remain in their natural environment. CFS focuses on, family support, well-being, child safety, risk, and permanency. The facilitated Child Safety Conference is to ensure the most appropriate safety decisions and safety plans are developed to prevent removal when safe to do so and/or decide on the best suitable out of home placement that will keep the child safe from imminent danger and harm through the exploration of familial and fictive kin resources to help expedite and support placement and permanency.

The Child and Family Conferencing candidate will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following:

• Attend and facilitate all FTC's that are scheduled focusing on child safety, risk and well-being, permanency, family support, and ensure that placement and discharge decisions reflect Children's Service's commitments, values and principles.
• Address critical issues, concerns of the child and family, the provider agencies, divisional partners and Family Court during these conferences.
• Candidates will use the decision-making process involving key stakeholders, children, families, service providers and community resources and shall make recommendations for referrals and resources when appropriate.
• The candidate will prepare and complete administrative functions including timely documentation of conference, data, action plans and all other reports related to Family Team Conferencing.
• Complete Expedited Home study packages (5300 series) with kinship resources in the community (resource homes)
• Make DOAS requests for items to support child(ren) in kinship resources home
• Request Emergency Funds/Miscellaneous Reimbursement Payments for kin resources to care for Child(ren) in their care.
• The candidate will interface with interagency critical support resources i.e. clinical consultation team. MCHU, Investigative Consultants, et all, all of whom seek to identify critical issues, barriers and concerns specific to children's safety
• Provide case conferencing and consultation to reexamine and ensure appropriateness of decision and service plan; consult with FCLS attorney for guidance on the legal posture of cases as well as relevant court orders when assessing familial readiness for change and caretaker's protective capacity.
• The candidate will provide conferencing in the family's natural community when appropriate, necessary, and safe.

Additional Information Section 424-A of the New York Social Services Law requires an authorized agency to inquire whether a candidate for employment with child-caring responsibilities has been the subject of a child abuse and maltreatment report.