Prevention & Diversion Specialist - Missing Person/Trafficking

Heartland for Children; Town of Florida (NY); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition assistance

Domestic partner coverage

Generous paid time off

Job summary

A nonprofit organization focused on children's welfare is seeking a Prevention & Diversion Specialist in New York to lead programs aimed at addressing missing and trafficked youth. The role involves collaboration with child welfare, law enforcement, and community organizations, requiring a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and extensive experience in child welfare. The position offers excellent benefits including tuition assistance and generous paid time off.

Qualifications

• Understanding of child welfare policies and human trafficking.
• Experience in case management and community collaboration.
• Ability to coordinate and lead multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain relationships with HFC customers.
• Serve as a liaison between child welfare and law enforcement.
• Collect and report on missing youth and human trafficking incidents.
• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings.
• Advocate for human trafficking survivors' needs.

Skills

Collaboration

Communication

Case management

Crisis intervention

Knowledge of human trafficking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Social Services or related field

Job description

Prevention & Diversion Specialist
Missing Person/Human Trafficking

Applying for:

Job Summary:

This position is responsible for ensuring case management organizations, contracted providers and the Department of Children and Families report youth missing and human trafficking from care to document efforts to locate children that will aid in the youth’s recovery and placement stabilization.

Essential Functions:

Establish and maintain a positive working relationship with all HFC customers

Serve as a liaison between child welfare case managers, child protective investigations, law enforcement, prosecutors, providers, the youth, victim advocates, legal services, and other stakeholders for missing youth and human trafficking

Collect, track, report and coordinate missing youth and human trafficking incidents timely

Participate in, and/or coordinate multidisciplinary meetings as needed, for missing and/or human trafficking children

Seek and obtain information from the youth and other parties to provide alternative, more stable living arrangements to reduce the possibility of additional runaway episodes for stable placement

Attend performance quality improvement data meeting to provide updates on missing and human trafficking children

Remain up to date to evaluate of the outcomes of the Human Trafficking Screening Tool (HTST), relevant Florida statues, administrative code and best practice that is used to screen children in child welfare to determine if there are indicators of human trafficking

Assist caseworkers/investigators in recognizing red flags (behavioral, environmental, relational) for human trafficking

Respond to reports/investigations from the Florida Abuse Hotline concerning human trafficking allegations

Maintain tracking and the most up to date information on all at risk and verified youth

Collaborate with the data and placement team to ensure diligent efforts to secure staff homes and services for verified youth are being followed

Review safety assessments for children who are identified/victims of trafficking to determine whether they can remain safely in their current placement or require alternate placement

Advocate and assess needs and risk factors for human trafficking survivors (medical, mental health, legal, housing, education) for their initial and ongoing wellbeing to ensure interventions are complying

Attend human trafficking meetings as needed to discuss individualized service plans/treatment plans for trafficking‐affected youth

Monitor service delivery, follow up on referrals, track progress of child in services to ensure continuity of services

Provide and/or facilitate specialized training to case managers, investigators, community providers, foster parents and group homes

Contribute to or help develop internal policies or protocols for responding to trafficking, including working with Safe Harbor homes, provider licensure, teaming with law enforcement in recovery efforts and legal partners for victims support services

Build and maintain partnerships with community‐based organizations, shelters, service providers, law enforcement, schools, coalitions, courts, and advocacy groups to ensure victims’ access to services.

Participate in outreach or public awareness campaigns to increase awareness of missing and human trafficking children

Perform additional duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Social Services, Health Care, Business or related field required.

Master’s degree preferred. Extensive experience in child welfare and/or child abuse prevention preferred.

Excellent benefits package with tuition assistance, domestic partner coverage, retirement andgenerous paid time off.

Additional Information:

Drug free workplace. Drug testing required. EOE/M/F/D/V.