Visitation Coach - Child Welfare

Do you enjoy helping others?  Would you like a career that provides you an opportunity to help families and to make a difference in the lives of children?  Join us in creating a brighter future for children and their families.

At Kids Central, we believe every child deserves to grow up in a safe and loving home that provides a path to a bright future.   However, sometimes children and their families need additional support to ensure their safety and well-being. That is where we step in.

This position is responsible for helping provide information and guidance to parents to maximize the quality of the visits between parents and their children while the children are in out-of-home care. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty listed below satisfactorily.  The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.   Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 

• Work with families in a non-judgmental, empathic manner, allowing parents and children to feel comfortable working and learning how to improve their relationship.
• Help guide parents toward an agreement of their child's needs during a visit, while connecting those unmet safety needs that brought the child into care.
• Prepare parents for their child's reactions and how to plan to give their child their full attention at each visit.
• Appreciate the parents' strengths in responding to their child and coaching them to improve their skills.
• Supportively reminding parents immediately before and during the visit of how they plan to meet the particular needs of their children.
• Help parent cope with their feelings to visit consistently.
• Tailor the supervision method to the family and child; intervene in ways that allow the parent to take charge.
• Help families manage the conflict between adult and child needs
• Help families learn how their child's behavior is shaped by the adults' words, actions, and attitudes.
• Individualized visitation plan developed with the parent, foster parent, and child, when appropriate, within 7 days of the child coming into care.
• For families with infants, build attachment by supporting the parent to consistently tune into the baby (reciprocal communication).
• Facilitation of visits in the home whenever possible and when not possible in a place of the parent's choice or the next most natural setting.
• Transporting the child and/or parent to/from a visit.
• Facilitation of visitation groups.

This list of functions is not intended to be exhaustive.  Kids Central reserves the right to revise this job description as needed to comply with actual job requirements.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Experience

Bachelor’s degree in social services or related field with 2 years of experience in providing social services, child development, family services, or working in a childcare setting.

Licensure/Certifications

Must maintain a clear criminal background and driving record.

Must maintain and show proof of the appropriate automobile insurance limits ($100,000/$300,000) per Florida Statutes.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Ability to work in a highly visible position and use effective interpersonal communication skills to respond to children and their families, and legal entities (i.e. judges, law enforcement, CLS etc.). 
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret professional journals, procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Ability to write concise reports within 24 hours of the event or as required by the program. 
• Must be able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of instructions and deal with abstract and concrete variables.
• Ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.   

• Indoor, temperature-controlled, smoke-free environment. Outdoor exposure.
• Moderate noise level.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Good visual acuity and ability to communicate.
• Ability to lift, lower, push, pull, and retrieve objects weighing a minimum of 20 pounds.   Reasonable assistance may be requested when lifting, pushing, and/or pulling that exceeds the minimum requirements.
• Ability to withstand prolonged standing and walking.   Also, able to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach, stoop, bend, and/or kneel during an 8 -12 hour day.  

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE:

Kids Central, Inc. is the lead Community Based Care agency for child welfare in Circuit 5, which encompasses Marion, Lake, Hernando, Sumter and Citrus counties.  Kids Central, Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, disability or veteran status as those terms are defined under applicable law.  Kids Central is a Drug-Free Workplace and an Equal Employment Opportunity and E-Verify Employer.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

Kids Central, Inc. provides a comprehensive compensation package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) with company match, and a generous paid time off allotment.

Employer is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V