Are you looking for a rewarding position in child welfare that promotes reunification, maintaining connections with parents and their children in out of home placement and self-advocacy skills? Then our Family Reunification role may be just for you!

Under the supervision of a program supervisor, the Family Reunification Worker will work with children and their families to improve parent-child interactions/relationships, help parents improve parenting skills and develop the skills to advocate for their children, teach family members to care for their children and themselves, manage trauma symptoms, and help them improve coping skills using an evidence-based curriculum, provide access to outpatient behavioral health and/or other needed therapeutic services for family members, and provide referrals to programs in the community which will provide services and supports for the family and youth during and after reunification services end.

In addition, the worker will also complete assigned drives and visits as required through the Transportation and Visitation Program. This requires transportation of children and/or adults to visits and facilitates the supervision of visits between children in out-of-home care and their family members with a strengths-based, solution-focused approach that emphasizes full engagement with the child and family members. Court testimony may also be required, and some evening/weekend hours may be required.

WHO You'll Be Working For:

You will be working for Pinebrook Family Answers- a large nonprofit leader in providing behavioral health services throughout Northeast PA. Pinebrook has three locations in the Lehigh Valley and over 20 different programs serving young children through older adults. Pinebrook has been named one of the Lehigh Valley's Best Places to work and is one of the only certified Trauma Informed Social Service Agencies in the area. At Pinebrook Family Answers, you will find meaningful work and a deep commitment to the well-being of our clients, staff, and communities.

WHAT You'll Do as a Family Reunification Worker:

1. Meet with and assist the family with addressing areas of concrete need and resources, including but not limited to independent functioning and home management, developing and maintaining a family budget, assuring adequate housing, obtaining and retaining employment, and follow-up with necessary appointments.

2. Develop a Family Reunification Service Plan with the family's input to implement goals and methods to achieve those goals. Service plans are updated every 60 days to include family's progress and/or specify new goals based on the client's input. Meet weekly and as needed with program supervisor to keep him/her informed of activities regarding staff, assigned cases, and other program activities/developments.

3. Assesses and ensures the safety of the children during each in-home session and completes a safety assessment.

4. Encourages participation in appropriate extended family, school, and community activities; assists families in identifying community resources and accessing and utilizing them. If needed, assists in the transition and enrollment of children into their home school district in an appropriate program.

5. Meet with and maintain communication with program supervisor and other staff as needed. Bring information/situations of concern to the attention of program supervisor immediately. Works cooperatively with Pinebrook Family Answers staff and collateral agencies in implementing permanency plans for the reunification of identified families.

6. Transport clients to family visits and other appointments as assigned. Supervise family visits to ensure the safety of the child(ren) and promote family connections, using supportive, facilitative visitation techniques outlined in the Marty Beyer Visit Coaching model.

7. Documents all activities provided to the family or on behalf of the family and completes all repor s/paperwork within the prescribed time frames

WHY You'll Love Working with Us:

• Pinebrook Family Answers is a Trauma-Informed agency, committed to the Emotional, Physical and Cultural Safety of our staff. We promote Trustworthiness, Choice Collaboration and Empowerment.
• We encourage staff wellness and a healthy Work/Life balance, so you can expect flexibility, supportive staff, manageable caseloads, agency mindfulness initiatives, and consistent and strengths-based supervision. Your input in highly valued.
• We have a generous benefits package: Health Insurance, 401(k) and matching, Paid Holidays, Vacation and Sick Time and Paid Wellness Days.
• We care about your professional future, so we provide opportunities for advancement and unique experiences and training to build your professional repertoire.
• Pinebrook staff can be part of meaningful agency and systems change via the Trauma-Informed Care Committee (T.I.K.I.), our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Allyship Initiative (I.D.E.A.), and other advocacy events and fundraisers.
• You will be a part of well experienced team with extensive knowledge of the child welfare system.

APPLYING IS EASY AS 1...2...3!

1. Before you apply, please make sure you understand the minimum requirements for this position:

• Must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, preferably in human services, and experience with the ability to engage children and families
• Must have knowledge of family dynamics, child development and effective parenting; have excellent teaching, communication, writing, and organizational skills
• Excellent customer service, written and oral communication skills and possess intermediate computer skills (MS Word, Excel, Outlook and Internet).
• Willingness to work a flexible schedule
• Must demonstrate sensitivity to the cultural differences present among the agency's defined service population.
• Have a valid driver's license, excellent driving record, reliable car, and proper liability insurance on his/her own vehicle.
• Must be at least 21 years old

2. You can submit an (1) Application, (2) Resume, or visit our website at www.pbfalv.org/employment

3. Bi-lingual individuals are encouraged to apply.

4. Applicants may be asked to participate in phone interview(s), virtual interview(s), or in-person interview(s) as agreed upon by the applicant and the hiring manager. We do our best to accommodate your schedule.

*THANK YOU *for your interest in this position and we hope to hear from you soon!