Family Reunification Counselor, UPMC

The Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) of Lawrence County is seeking a dedicated and compassionate Family Reunification Counselor to join our team. This full-time position focuses on supporting families working toward reunification after children have been placed in foster care. In this role, you will work directly with families in a variety of settings, including their homes and within the community, providing guidance, support, and resources to promote stability and successful reunification. The schedule is primarily Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with flexibility for occasional evening or weekend hours based on family needs. This position does not require on-call responsibilities or holiday work. We welcome candidates who bring experience working with substance use and/or mental health challenges, as this expertise will play a critical role in supporting the families we serve. Join us in making a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families in our community.

Purpose:

The Family Reunification program is an intensive, in-home, family-focused reunification service to families who have children placed out of the home. The primary objective of the Family Reunification program is to ensure safety for the child, family and community during this time of need. The Family Reunification Counselor will build a child-focused partnership between the family, community and human service agencies to support all family members and facilitate their role in planning the safe reunification of the child in the home. The Family Reunification Counselor will provide case management services, connecting assigned families to community service providers and supporting the efforts of Mental Health, and Drug & Alcohol providers and any other identified services in this shared plan of family reunification.

Responsibilities:

Attends continuity meetings to promote a positive working relationship and mutual understanding among local providers. Meets with designated staff or affiliated organizations as needed to maintain and promote a continuing spirit of cooperation. Recognizes and evaluates personal strengths and weaknesses and requests assistance in situations that exceed abilities or authority. Adapts to and supports changes in the agency functions, management styles, or unit operations. Demonstrates the ability to independently solve problems in a proactive and creative manner. Identifies problem areas and makes suggestions and recommendations to resolve problems or enhance development. Assists with recommendations based on clinical considerations, financial feasibility and existing resources. Assists with training and consultation to potential referral sources. Ability to locate and activate family resources. Maintains consistent contact with Children and Youth Services and other referral sources and provides regular feedback to referral sources regarding services provided. Provides and maintains the required units of service as determined by the Executive Director. Available for crisis situations as necessary and provides back-up services to other team members. Assists with planning, development and implementation of new programs consistent with the changing treatment environment and the agency's strategic imperatives. Assists with new programs or changes in existing programs based on current or projected community needs. Assists with recommendations based on individual client needs, enabling them to access the most appropriate level of care for their situation. Maintains client confidentially. Utilizes release forms as necessary. Participants in interdisciplinary efforts to achieve effective case management. Provides the Executive Director with accurate, complete and timely information as it relates to clients, personnel issues and other program activities. Routinely maintains client notes and progress reports as required by policies and procedures. Maintains working knowledge of assigned families in the county and oversees case management activities. Provides intake, assessment, home visits and service coordination for clients referred to the program from CYS case workers. Follows established procedures of the program. Prepares client assessments by interviewing client and family. Identifies client and family strengths and problem areas. Schedules initial home visits in a timely fashion and provides follow through with family services. Participates in the development of the Family Service Plans with CYS staff and identified families in the TLFR program when invited by CYS staff/family. Provides individual, group and/or family counseling as indicated through the family service plans and/or as indicated by the TLFR social worker's assessment.