Case Manager, Residential - Albany, NY

About Our Organization:

St. Catherine’s Center for Children (SCCC) is a non-profit organization that offers a wide array of services designed to meet the needs of vulnerable children, families, and adults, including residential and foster care programs for children and youth, homeless and community-based services for adults and families, and a special education elementary school for ages 5-13.

Our Mission:

St. Catherine's Center for Children provides a comprehensive range of human services designed to offer hope, foster growth, and improve the lives of the children, families, and adults we serve.

Function:

The Residential Case Manager (RCM) acts as the primary case manager and care coordinator for children placed in residential care. This case manager coordinates the facets of services for the child while in care -- medical services with the agency nursing department, mental health care with a clinician and psychiatrist, and educational matters with the children’s school. Additionally, the RCM monitors and supports the milieu treatment and actively engages with and communicates with the house staff linked to the child's care, treatment, and safety.

Duties/responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Act as liaison between child, family, school, the treatment team (including clinical consultants and residential child care staff), and the referring agency.

• Act as the primary point of contact for the local department of social services caseworker and the child’s family.

• Arrange and supervise all child/family visitations, representing and articulating family issues to the other team members (including other clinical staff, child care staff, and teachers); secure signed releases and consents from the family or agency of legal custody, including permission for the special trips and events which are beyond routine residence/school activities.

• Transport the child, if necessary, to visitation, court hearings, and other required meetings not occurring at the St. Catherine’s Center for Children program site.

• Maintain regular contact with the Day Treatment School social worker when a child is enrolled in the SCCC day treatment school, sharing information on the children’s status and coordinating treatment. When a client is enrolled in a school other than SCCC Day treatment, the RCM will maintain sufficient contact with that school to ensure the child is optimally benefiting from the educational placement.

• Participate in Committee on Special Education (CSE) meetings and maintain contact with the SCCC and CSE chairperson.

• Act as liaison with child care staff and residence clinical staff through participation on the treatment team and during treatment reviews, service plan reviews, medication reviews, and staff meetings.

• Document treatment and casework as required by SCCC and by its regulating agencies including:

  • Completion of thorough and up-to-date progress notes in the electronic record, New York State (NYS) Connections.

  • Development of the service plan in Connections, given the assigned role and duties.

  • Court reports, correspondence with other agencies, social summaries.

  • Maintenance of accurate, up-to-date data on the child and family.

  • Completion of quarterly treatment reviews.

  • Updating of permission release forms requiring parent signatures.

  • Collection and/or preparation of all materials necessary to bring records into compliance with internal agency and external regulations.

• In conjunction with the House Management Team, develop and maintain a therapeutic environment at the site.

• Implement the principles of motivational interviewing as an evidence-based practice as part of the therapeutic milieu at the program site and supporting activities for the children and families.

• Attend all court hearings pertaining to the placement, permanency, and treatment of the child and family.

• Directly observe all visits that require supervision as deemed by the county or court.

• As the primary liaison for the child/family, maintain flexible work hours, at the supervisor’s direction, to include evening hours outside of the traditional work day to accommodate family schedules. This may also include weekend hours on occasion.

• Assist, as needed, in the agency’s incorporation of elements of Family First Prevention Services legislation, including discharge planning, aftercare services, and ongoing changes requested by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services linked to the legislation; train in the Family Finding model.

• Develop the discharge plan for each assigned child, identifying the resources to promote a smooth transition out of care; participate in discharge activities to ensure solid case closure.

• Assume the role of Primary Contact Person, as assigned, to coordinate the discharge and aftercare activities that are part of agency protocols, completing assigned aftercare tasks.

• Function as a member of the direct care planning team, meeting with RMT members, unit child care supervisors, consultants, nurses, and social workers to evaluate and plan for the therapeutic milieu.

• Assume additional position-related duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Supervisor of Residential Case Management.

Essential Functions:

• Ability to conduct themselves in a manner that is becoming of an employee of St. Catherine’s Center for Children, following the agency code of conduct.

• Mobility, in terms of home visits to clients’ homes, and to make other on-site contacts with referring agencies, collaborative agencies, foster homes, etc.

• Ability to interact with a broad range of people, including those who are culturally and socio-economically diverse, as well as people with various developmental and functional levels.

• Ability to organize and effectively manage (in a timely manner) the varied tasks of the position.

• Ability to carry out written documentation as required by St. Catherine’s policies and procedures and as required by regulating agencies.

• Capacity to maintain a helping role and to intervene appropriately to meet the child’s and family’s service goals, while setting appropriate limits.

• Ability to understand, represent and carry out the mission, values, philosophy and policies of St. Catherine’s Center for Children.

• Ability to assess and treat children and families utilizing motivational interviewing and the modalities of individual, play, family, and/or group therapy.

• Capacity to perform agency-approved restraint procedures, as trained.

• Ability to work non-traditional hours.

• This position will have full and complete access to client Protected Health Information (PHI) in order to carry out the duties and responsibilities for this position. Therefore, the ability to meet HIPAA requirements and maintain strict client confidentiality is essential.

Position Specifications:

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services or other related field with experience in a relevant human services field, required.

• Experience working with clients who exhibit significant emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal challenges, mental health diagnoses and trauma history, preferred.

• Must have a clean and valid New York State Driver’s License.

• Ability to provide safe transportation to a client in the worker’s personal vehicle, in the event that an Agency vehicle is not available for needed transportation.

• Ability to work non-traditional hours to accommodate client schedules.

• Experience in the use of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), with the ability to respond effectively and therapeutically in crisis situations.

• Knowledge and the utilization of community resources.

• Excellent organization, planning and time management skills.

• Strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to build strong working relationships with regulatory bodies.

• Proficiency in various computer applications such as Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel), Google Business Suite, and the Internet.

• Experience with Connections electronic record systems, a plus!

• Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times, stressful environment.

• Ability to handle sensitive data with strict confidentiality.

• Self-motivated and engaged, with a strong attention to detail; Excellent writing aptitude.

• Demonstrated patience, flexibility and adaptability.

• Must have the ability to pass required pre-employment background checks.

What We Offer*:

• Competitive Pay with an excellent benefits package

• Health Insurance options: medical, dental, and vision

• Generous Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay

• Employee Referral Bonuses*

• On-going Professional Development and Career Opportunities

• Pension Plan with Aggressive Agency contribution

• Life Insurance

• Paid Training & Tuition Reimbursement

• Fast-paced and business casual work environment

*some conditions may apply

EOE Statement: We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Background Checks: We run a thorough and complete pre-employment background check on all candidates being considered for a position, this includes fingerprinting. All candidates must successfully clear the pre-employment background check process, which follows NYS/DOJ requirements. We pay for all pre-employment background checks!