Supportive Visitation Specialist -RENU

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Location:Cumberland County, NJ

Job Type/Status:Full-Time

Parent-child visitation services for CP&P- involved families with children in out-of-home placement to maintain and strengthen familial interactions and facilitate permanency. Services are provided in the least restrictive setting that maintains safety along a continuum of supervision based on family need. Core activities include ongoing assessment, visitation, aftercare (post-reunification support), transportation and documentation.

Responsible for supporting parent-child visitation for families in their homes or communities; completing and updating visitation plans; documenting visits and completing reports; facilitating parent debriefings before and after visits and visitation planning meetings; transporting children and/or parents, as needed; communicating with children, parents, relatives, resource parents, DCP&P, and/ or other stakeholders by phone and in person; attending various meetings and trainings;

and assessing families' service needs and linking them to appropriate community providers.

• Initiates and maintains ongoing communication with families in a culturally sensitive manner utilizing a family's preferred language taking into consideration a family's faith and culture.
• Schedules and conducts visits in the least-restrictive, most home-like location (the first preference being within the family's home) while ensuring the safety of the children.
• Ensures the environment for parent-child contact is safe, non-traumatizing, and promotes healthy attachment.
• Uses strengths-based, solutions-focused, family centered, trauma informed strategies to elicit family input.
• Initiates and maintains ongoing communication with DCP&P, other providers, and supports.

• Uses a process to gather information which includes reviewing collateral information and inquiring about family's natural supports.
• Completes required assessment tools including but not limited to bio-psychological assessments, Rose Wentz Matrix and SVS Caregiver Surveys and documents contacts with families in agency's progress notes and DCP&P contact sheets.
• Creates a visitation plan with active familial involvement and updates the plan at regular intervals.
• Creates an environment that empowers family members, including parents, children, and caregivers to communicate their goals and needs.
• Utilizes various interviewing and/or communication techniques in a culturally competent manner.
• Recognizes non-verbal communication and maintains good eye contact and posture.

• Advocates for parents/families as necessary and supports them in advocating for themselves.
• Links the family to community resources and formal and informal supports and coordinates with DCP&P.
• Collaborates with and shares relevant information with DCP&P staff, other providers, and supports.
• Facilitates visit planning meetings and participates in other relevant meetings.

• Enhances parental skills by goal setting, modeling, mentoring, reinforcement and feedback and reflection through a trauma-informed perspective.
• Prepares for each visit with caregivers reviewing goals and expectations and encouraging them to be the lead in visit planning.
• Debriefs with caregivers after each visit to allow for processing and self-reflection and discussion of strengths and challenges.

• Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Counseling, or related field preferred;
  Minimum of 1 year experience with children and…