Family Unification Specialist

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch; Kalispell (MT); On-site; USD 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, Inc. is seeking a Family Unification Specialist to support trauma-informed services for families in crisis.

The role involves working with clients in and out of the home, focusing on reunification when safe and appropriate, and coordinating with Child and Family Services and court partners. Responsibilities include coaching families, maintaining documentation, and participating in supervision.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a human services or mental health field is required.
• Experience plus formal education may be considered in lieu of degree.
• Must be 21 years old or older.
• Minimum of two years working with youth, families, or child protective services.
• License to operate a passenger vehicle is required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of families in divorce, parenting skills, child abuse/neglect, and related issues.
• Ability to engage individuals with mental health, chemical dependency issues, or disabilities.
• Good computer skills and ability to learn agency software.
• Criminal/child abuse background clearance required.
• Reliable attendance and teamwork abilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide identified Child Welfare Prevention and Support Services to families as assigned by the supervisor.
• Support families through coaching, training, and monitoring for safety during reunification processes (including supervised visitation).
• Complete training to enhance services offered (e.g., Visit Coaching).
• Document accordingly within COA, Montana ARM’s, contracts, and YBGR policies.
• Represent YBGR to DPHHS partners and court representatives.
• Contribute to agency goals and PQI targets as an individual and team member.
• Engage professionally with all organizational members.
• Model and support YBGR mission and values.
• Adhere to all policies and safety procedures of the organization.
• Identify problems and seek solutions; be a positive organization ambassador.
• Participate in monthly supervision/coaching meetings.
• Be aware of cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of clients.
• Participate in required trainings and emergency on-call rotation as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Age 21+

Youth/family experience

Crisis support skills

Communication skills

Non-judgmental & compassionate

Reliability & attendance

Mental health & dependency awareness

Teamwork & problem solving

Written & verbal communication

Computer skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in human services or related field

Experience plus education may substitute for degree

Tools

Driver's license

First Aid/CPR certification

Violence Intervention Prevention training

Job description

Position Summary:

At Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, we count on our Family Unification Specialist(s) to support a trauma-informed environment. They are primarily responsible for providing services to families in crisis, who are involved with Child and Family Services, or during a divorce or parenting plan. Family Unification Specialists will provide services to families both in and out of the client's home. A Family Unification Specialist will support the approach that in most cases, reunification is in the children's best interest when the home and parents are safe. They must be mission and values-driven and possess a strong work ethic, reliability, and desire to be a positive role model in our youth and families' lives.

Starting Salary Range:

$20.38 - $22.94 per hour. Salary reflects steps 1-5 of an 11-step pay schedule. The starting salary will be determined based on the applicant’s education and relevant experience.

Daily And Monthly Responsibilities

• Provide identified Child Welfare Prevention and Support Services to families as assigned by the immediate supervisor.
• Support families through ongoing coaching, training, and monitoring for safety while providing educational, emotional, and community support systems, risk assessment, and confidentiality to maintain a healthy relationship conducive to client growth through the reunification process (including supervised visitation).
• Complete training as assigned by immediate supervisor to enhance services offered through the CWPSS program, such as Visit Coaching.
• Complete, update and maintain all necessary documentation within the guidelines set by COA, Montana ARM’s, Contracts, and YBGR Policy and Procedures.
• Be a professional representative of YBGR to all DPHHS partners, and judicial court representatives.
• Contribute to the strategic goals and outcomes of the agency as measured by the development and achievement of individual, departmental, and organizational goals and outcomes. Participate in Performance Quality Improvement (PQI) goals of the organization both individually and as a team member.
• Deal constructively and helpfully with all other members of the organization.
• Fully support and model the mission and values of YBGR.
• Adhere to all policies, systems, safety requirements, and procedures of the organization.
• Take the initiative to identify problems and seek out solutions.
• Be a professional representative of the organization to those outside it.
• Participate and engage in monthly supervision/coaching meetings with the supervisor.
• Be aware of the cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of the persons served.
• Participate in required training as appropriate to the position and beneficial to YBGR.
• Participate in emergency on-call rotation as assigned by supervisor.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university in a human services or mental health related field of study.
• A combination of previous professional experience and formal education from an accredited university may be considered in lieu of degree.
• 21 years old or older
• Previous Professional Experience: A minimum of two years of experience working with youth, families, or child protective services.
• License and/or Certification: License to operate passenger vehicle
• Competencies or Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA’s)
• Demonstrated knowledge working with families in the following areas: divorce/separation, family break ups, parenting skills, child abuse and neglect and correlated problems, child development, low income and cultural issues, as well as an understanding of out-of-home placement issues.
• Understand the role of the family and family system, whether the family is biological, kinship, state foster care, or therapeutic foster care.
• Must be able to engage individuals suffering from mental health, chemical dependency issues, physical and/or mental disabilities. Shall demonstrate personal characteristics such as being non-judgmental, compassionate, and can establish and maintain a trusting relationship with clients and outside stakeholders.
• Good computer skills and able to quickly learn and use YBGR selected software solutions.
• Good judgment and decision-making skills
• Obtain and maintain certification in First Aid/CPR and Violence Intervention Prevention
• Display regular, predictable, and reliable attendance at work
• Adept at listening, problem-solving, and teamwork
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally, and in writing
• Criminal / Child Abuse Clearance: Must pass criminal record and child abuse registry background check as required by the State of Montana.