Placement Specialist

City of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 63,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of New York, Administration for Children’s Services, seeks a Community Coordinator to support the Close to Home program for adjudicated youth. You will coordinate placement, aftercare services, and family engagement to ensure educational and emotional needs are met within a safe, therapeutic framework.

Travel to contract agencies within NYC is required. You will work with supervisors, case managers, and courts to maintain permanency planning and ensure proper documentation in JJIS and

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or related duties.
• High school graduation or equivalent and six years of related experience.
• Education and/or experience equivalent to the above, with at least one year in related duties.

Responsibilities

• Effective case management for youth throughout placement and aftercare.
• Coordinate work with placement providers, youth and families to meet needs and ensure permanency planning.
• Assist in formulating service plans by assessing youth needs and coordinating with medical/psychiatric professionals.
• Ensure documentation with providers and court petitions is adequate and timely.
• Draft court reports and document progress and recommendations, including extensions of placement.
• Coordinate with FCLS to file relevant legal documents and track hearings.
• Enter updates in Connections, JJIS, PROMIS, and other systems.
• Complete administrative functions including timely data entry.

Education

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college

High school graduation or equivalent

Education and/or experience equivalent to 1 or 2 above

Job description

THE SELECTED CANDIDATE WILL BE OFFERED A SALARY BETWEEN $62,868.00-$72,298.00.

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 child care 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 Division of Youth and Family Justice (DYFJ) provides a wide range of services and programs for youth at every stage of the juvenile justice process. Our goals are to (a) build stronger and safer communities and advance public safety by preventing juveniles from entering the New York City's juvenile justice system, (b) provide therapeutic treatment and services to youth in our custodial care, and (c) help juveniles access the tools they need to leave the justice system for good. We strive to help families and young people by providing supportive services that are responsive to the needs of individual youth and families.

Close to Home is a residential placement and aftercare program for New York City youth who are adjudicated delinquent by the NYC Family Court and ordered into placement. In conjunction with the contracted providers, ACS provides intake, case management, conferencing, school support and monitoring services. Close to Home allows young people who are found to be responsible in Family Court for committing a delinquent act to receive placement services in a program (in/or) close to the communities where they live. Close to Home has two types of residential placements, Non-Secure Placements (NSP) and Limited Secure Placements (LSP). Youths will be placed in NSP or LSP based on their court order. Some young people receive orders that are unspecified giving the Close to Home program the ability to place youth in either level of care based on various factors, including their behavior in detention. ACS contracts with community-based providers to operate 25 non-secure and 6 limited secure placement programs. In conjunction with the contracted providers, ACS provides intake, case management, conferencing, school support and monitoring services. In addition, DYFJ oversees a network of five contracted providers that operate a total of 7 non-secure detention facilities across New York City.

COMMUNITY COORDINATOR - 56058

The Placement Specialists' responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Effective case management for youth throughout the term of placement and therapeutic aftercare services to ensure quality case practice and adherence to release conditions.
• Coordinate work with placement providers, youth and families to ensure youth physical, mental, and emotional needs are being met and ensure consistent permanency and discharge planning is occurring.
• Assist in the formulation of a service plan for youth, by assessing the youth needs by obtaining personal social data, conferring with medical/psychiatric or other relevant professional consultants as required and submitting appropriate forms.
• Ensure placement providers coordinate with appropriate community-based aftercare services and ensure appropriate educational transition plan for the youth upon release.
• Monitor the length of stay for each youth in placement and assist with identifying and resolving barriers throughout placement and aftercare.
• Coordinate with ACS Family Court Legal Services (FCLS) to ensure Extensions of Placement Petitions and any other legal documents are filed as necessary.
• Coordinate with placement providers to ensure documentation is adequate for any court petitions or hearings.
• Draft reports for court, when necessary, regarding youth history, assessment of underlying issues and any recommendations including an extension of placement.
• With the supervisor approval, recommend or disapprove movement of youth between facilities and document decisions in Connections, Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS), and/or any other system of record.
• Coordinate with other divisions within ACS to track and record unusual incidents and follow up with the youth and provider as necessary.
• In coordination with a supervisor, conduct case conferences to analyze each youth progress in residential placement as well as therapeutic aftercare services; meet with the youth and family once the youth is placed in aftercare services.
• Answer mail/telephone inquiries from providers/courts/other interested parties, by referring to case records/files/procedures, in order to advise parties of current status of each case.
• In collaboration with aftercare providers, coordinate assessments regarding whether a youth aftercare service needs to be revoked and the youth needs re-placement based on behavior in the community and cooperation with services.
• Coordinate with FCLS regarding any legal documents that may be necessary for a revocation hearing.
• Enter updates and retrieve case information in Connections, JJIS, Prevention Organizational Management Information System (PROMIS), and other electronic information storage systems.
• Complete administrative functions, including timely documentation and data entry.

Special Note: Candidate must be willing to travel to contract agencies within the five boroughs and adjacent areas

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.

The Administration for Children’s Services is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing access to all individuals. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact Simone Campbell at [e-mail] or 212-676-6955.

Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

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