Vogel need YOU to complete our Family Support program in our new family emergency shelter in our Preston & George Bush location in the Dallas/Collin County area.  Do you want to really make a difference in a family’s life while using your social work expertise?  Vogel provides quality programming to families that have been impacted by the traumatic effects of homelessness and poverty.  We would love to have a quality social worker, like you, join our team.  Please join us in making this happen in our new Preston & George Bush location.

General Description:  The overarching responsibility of this position is to participate in the implementation of the mission of Vogel.  The Clinical Family Support Specialist position functions as a member of the Family Support team and works in collaboration with childcare and other agency programs serving homeless children and families receiving services at Vogel North location.  Professionals are expected to perform their duties with the highest degree of professionalism and in compliance with both the Social Work Code of Ethics and with all the policies of Vogel.

National research on family homelessness indicates that life-altering levels of trauma affect the overwhelming majority of homeless families.   For this reason, all services provided by the Clinical Family Support Specialist must be informed by an in-depth clinical understanding of how trauma affects both child and adult neuro-cognitive development and behavior.   Whether providing a therapeutic service or engaging in case management tasks, all client interactions must proceed from the clinical understanding of trauma and its sequelae.  For this reason, individuals must possess the Master’s level Social Work educational background and degree and are supervised by the Director of the Family Support and Mental Health Services, who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

EDUCATION/LICENSURE/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Minimum requirements are Master’s Degree in Social work, with licensure or license-eligibility at the LMSW level.  Two years supervised work experience in direct services in the area of mental health, maternal/child health, child welfare, or other related field is preferred, as is familiarity with the dynamics of childhood trauma and resultant behavioral disturbance and social/emotional development of both early childhood and adult development.  Other necessary skills include:

• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to empathize, understand, and engage with the families at Family Gateway North.
• Strong computer and organizational skills.
• Reliable, punctual, resourceful, self-initiating, and able to follow through on tasks.
• Capacity to work in a culturally competent way with diverse populations.
• Ability to work with autonomy and accountability.
• Knack at utilizing supervision and management appropriately.
• Proficient to manage complexities of the families residing in a shelter.
• Clear understanding of trauma informed care and the impact that trauma has on homeless families.

GENERAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Case Management Services
• Ability to work in collaboration with the entire Vogel North team to include the center Director, teachers, Manager of School-Age Programs, Nurse, Lead Mental Health Therapist, and Assistant Director of ECE Developmental and Behavioral Services.
• Strong skill in building and establishing relationships with staff at Family Gateway North and the families housed at the shelter.
• Assist in the enrollment process of children by assisting families with securing the necessary documentation for enrollment.
• Orient enrolled families by reviewing center handbook of services and requirements for Vogel North.
• Collaborate with family to devise plan and set goals to address education needs of the child.
• Coordinate services, make needed referrals, provide community resources, and engage in advocacy as needed to accomplish goals.
• Where appropriate, provide direct services such as parent training and support.
• Monitor progress toward goals by meeting with families consistently.
• Work in collaboration with the Case Managers at Family Gateway North to assist the family with meeting their goals.
• Assist in the transitioning process of children moving to the main center location.
• Ensure that once a family prepares to terminate from Vogel Alcove North, assist the family with securing other childcare services and community afterschool programming.
• Document all family interactions in the agency data base, currently Child Outcome Planning and Assessment (COPA), within 24 hours of occurrence.
• Obtain necessary consents to perform case coordination, referral, and necessary communications as needed.
• Provide supportive counseling and crisis intervention as needed.
• Assess and provide mental health referrals as needed.
• Complete clinical documentation in a timely fashion in the COPA database system.
• Maintain client confidentiality pursuant to all relevant regulations such as those promulgated by HIPAA.
• Refer to additional mental health professionals as appropriate (therapy services, psychiatry, psychological testing, and higher levels of care.)

 Intra-Agency and Inter-Agency Collaborations

• Maintain close collaborative relationships with classroom teachers, through both formal and informal means, to understand the child’s performance in the classroom and to communicate appropriate family information to teaching staff.
• Be a part of the collaborative team with the Vogel North Director, teachers, Manager of School-Age Programs, and Assistant Director of ECE Developmental and Behaviors Services, for children whose ASQ scores are outside of the range.
• Administrative & General Responsibilities
• Weekly supervision with the Director of Family Support and Mental Health Services at the main office location.
• Participate in weekly Parent Opportunity Center (POC) meetings at the main center with the Family Support and Mental Health team.
• Timely attendance, Monday through Friday, 8 hours/day between the hours of 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM
• Flexible with working during times of special events that may be outside of normal business hours.
• Other duties, responsibilities and activities appropriate to maintain quality services, fiscal accountability and overall operations of the organization.

We offer competitive compensation packages commensurate with experience.

To apply for this position, please submit your resume along with a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and why you are interested in joining our organization to hr@vogelalcove.org.  No Phone Calls Please.