Fostering Connections Specialist; CYFD​/FSD

Job Title Fostering Connections Specialist (CYFD/FSD #)

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Job Requirements & Classification

Description:

At the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), every role is an opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of children, youth, and families across our state. We are committed to building a compassionate, skilled, and dedicated workforce that works collaboratively to ensure safety, promote well-being, and strengthen families. Whether you are in the field supporting families face-to-face, working behind the scenes to improve systems, or helping to shape the agency from a leadership level, your work here has purpose and long-lasting impact.

Join a team that values integrity, resilience, and service and be part of meaningful change for New Mexico's future. THIS POSTING MAY BE USED FOR ONGOING RECRUITMENT AND MAY CLOSE AT ANY TIME. APPLICANTS LISTS MAY BE SCREENED MORE THAN ONCE.

To serve as an partner, advocate, and support to young people in internal and external staffing's, meetings, and with community-based providers. This position ensures opportunities to participate in normative activities that build life skills needed for successful adulthood.

Support development and deepening of resilience, as well as cognitive and social-emotional development, helping young people understand and learn from their past and bounce back better in tough situations:

• Utilize a strengths-based approach, including validating and supporting good decisions
• Support youth as key decision makers in the development of their transition plan and life choices
• Connect youth to opportunities and normative activities to practice decision-making and adult responsibilities
• Encourage self-care and stress management skill development
• Explore with youth how past experiences may shape current behavior and emotional responses and what can be done to overcome challenges posed by trauma history
• Connect youth to resources that support development (e.g., tutoring, counseling, interest-related activities)
• Support young people in leading their transition plan development, reviews, etc. (e.g., choose the location, make phone calls, set the date)

Support the development, expansion, and strengthening of young peoples social networks:

• Use the practice model (coaching approach) as an opportunity to help youth develop stronger relationship skills and address ways to handle problematic relationships
• Maintain connection to siblings, birth family members, past foster parents and other important adults whenever possible
• Connect youth to peers and communities with similar circumstances and backgrounds and to programs related to their interests, including housing placements that positively affirm identity
• Encourage youth and supportive adults to address any issues that make it hard for youth to develop healthy connections (e.g., anxiety, depression)
• Involve and actively engage youth, their family members and other supporters in transition plan meetings and reviews

Support the development of knowledge around youth and emerging adult development and the impact of trauma on development; ensure engagement that encourages knowledge, awareness and skill development with young people to mitigate trauma and move towards thriving:

• Share information about adolescent brain development including the effects of trauma
• Help youth identify opportunities to take positive risks (e.g., sports, adventures, performances, academic challenges, public speaking) and to build on their strengths and interests.
• Ensure that youth are given age and developmentally appropriate information about sexuality and healthy relationships and have access to their preferred method of birth control
• Identify and refer youth to service providers that focus on and have expertise in working with youth from diverse backgrounds and experiences (e.g., LGBTQ, youth of color, expectant and/or parenting, involved in juvenile justice, undocumented, victim of domestic violence, developmental or physical disabilities, mental health needs)
• Ensure that youth are not unduly punished for behavior that is typical for this age, allow youth to fail safely without punishment or judgment

Provide concrete support in times of need by referring youth to developmentally and identity appropriate community-based services and supports, identifying barriers in accessing services, and partnering with youth to overcome barriers to ensure needs are met:

• Support youth in understanding and…