PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

The Refugee Foster Care (RFC) program provides culturally and linguistically appropriate child welfare, foster care, and independent living services to unaccompanied youth in the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) Program. The URM Program serves youth in the U.S. who are refugees, Cuban/Haitian entrants, asylees, victims of human trafficking who have an ORR eligibility letter, U-visa holders, and youth who have received Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. RFC supports youth with housing, education, health, medical, immigration, mental health, independent living services, and with family reunification efforts when possible. RFC uses strength-based, trauma-informed, and culturally relevant models to build and expand on a youth's natural resources.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Social workers serve as the primary point person overseeing the general welfare of clients by coordinating internal and external services to meet the needs of the youth they work with in accordance with Community Care Licensing and URM guidelines; monitoring the appropriateness of a youth’s placement; and working with a dynamic multidisciplinary team to support youth with their overall social, educational, recreational, cultural and psychological functioning, development and wellbeing.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as the primary point person overseeing the overall welfare of children and youth in the Refugee Foster Care (RFC) Program.
• Promote the wellbeing of clients by working with youth, resource families, foster parent(s), external service providers, and an internal multidisciplinary team (case managers, parent partner, mental health clinicians, educators, ILP coordinators, legal coordinator, administrative and compliance staff, etc.) to make best interest determinations related to physical and mental health, placement, education, immigration and housing.
• Coordinate, facilitate, and participate in Child and Family Team meetings.
• Work with the Program Administrator to schedule, coordinate, and attend Administrative Reviews for each youth in foster care or extended foster care.
• Collaborate with the Placement Coordination Team on the placement of clients, including participation in pre-placement calls with clients and resource families or group home type placement facilities, placement team meetings, and team decision meetings.
• Carry out monthly face-to-face home visits to determine the appropriateness of a youth’s current placement and overall welfare.
• Develop, maintain, and update the Services Plan that identifies a youth’s overall needs and goals in collaboration with the youth and their resource family, group home, natural support network and staff.
• Collaborate with youth and the Independent Living Program (ILP) team to develop independent living skills.
• Provide parenting support and training to resource families and respite families in coordination with the Parent Partner, Case Manager(s), and placement team to develop and strengthen the youth & family relationship.
• Utilize resource connections in the community to meet the identified needs of the youth, as indicated in their Services Plan, and connect resource families to community resources as applicable.
• Coordinate services with other professionals and agencies (e.g. teachers, pastors, physicians, employers, social workers, partner agencies, etc.) involved with the youth.
• Ensure that resource homes are in compliance with child welfare regulations and work with the Foster Family Agency Administrator and resource families to correct any identified violations.
• Provide or connect youth and resource parents to in-home counseling or crisis intervention.
• Co-facilitate youth support groups during RFC’s family night events and assist in the planning of family nights.
• Timely documentation of youth services in AWARDS, RFC’s online client case management database system, per contract requirements, CCL regulations, and RFC’s policies and procedures.
• Maintain meticulous files to ensure completion of all core services and ongoing contract deliverables.
• Conduct panel interviews of potential resource parents, SAFE home studies and assessments to determine the suitability of potential resource families and foster care placements.
• Transport and coordinate transportation of clients as needed.
• Respond to child abuse and neglect allegations in accordance with CA State Law.
• Present placement needs of youth to the Placement Coordination Team.
• Supervise BSW and/or MSW interns as desired.
• Represent the program in external relations, as needed.
• Participate in the after hours on-call rotation, as needed.
• Assist with the certification trainings as required.
• Assist or participate in resource family recruitment, monthly ILP class, and other program-related events, as needed.
• Be able to meet core competency requirements, including having necessary knowledge and skills, as specified in CCL Interim Standards Section 88364(d) through on the job training.
• Assist with program audits.
• Participate in ad hoc task force as relevant and needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of a Master’s Degree from an accredited or state approved graduate school in social work or social welfare, marriage, family and child counseling, child psychology, child development, counseling psychology or social psychology.
  • LCSW, LMFT or current registration as an ASW with the CA Board of Behavioral Sciences highly preferred.
• Meet minimum requirements listed in CCL Interim Standards Sections 88265.3 and 88365.3

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Extensive knowledge of CA State child welfare services regulations.
• Excellent oral and written English skills.
• Excellent computers skills: MS Office (all apps) and Google Suite apps.
• Excellent cross-cultural experience and ability to work well with diverse population.
• Multilingual in a language commonly spoken by refugees and immigrants (Arabic, French, Spanish, Kiswahili, Tigrinya, Oromo, Amharic, Burmese, Hindi, Farsi, Nepali, etc.).
• Overseas experience in psychosocial development or protection programs.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to work at a desk for extended periods of time.
• Ability to use a computer workstation.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.
• Ability to travel to agency sites within Santa Clara County.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Criminal background check via livescan fingerprint.
• Must have TB test performed and submit results.
• Provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and booster status.
• Automobile, valid driver’s license and auto insurance per agency policy; or have access to reliable transportation

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work will be indoors and outdoors even in inclement weather.
• Some work will include visiting clients’ homes and/or agency resource sites.
• Local travel within the Santa Clara County required. Occasional Bay Area (outside of the county) and out-of-state travel required.

HOURS AND OTHER CONDITIONS:

• Standard office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m
• This is a full-time, exempt position. Hours will be based on client and resource family availability, which may include some evening and weekend hours.
• All program staff might be expected to work at least one Tuesday night per month and at least one Saturday per month.

This position description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities. The order in which duties and responsibilities are listed is not significant. Because of a need to remain responsive to the needs of our clients and our Agency’s operations, responsibilities may be modified at any time.

Catholic Charities is a non-profit, non-discriminatory service organization and employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability. Persons receiving services in our programs are entitled to freedom from harassment and retaliation and reasonable accommodation for qualified disabilities.