Case Planner

About the role

Join our Foster Care Program and play a crucial role in assessing needs, promoting safety, and supporting reunification efforts for children in foster care. As a Foster Care Case Planner, you will guide your assigned caseload of children and families toward brighter futures while ensuring timely permanence for those who need it most.

Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned caseload of children in the Foster Care program, providing casework services to ensure the child’s safety, well-being, and permanency planning goals.
• Maintain the goal of reuniting the child in foster care with their family of origin while concurrently planning for other permanency routes if reunification is not possible.
• Complete, at minimum, monthly home visits with the youth in their foster home based on the child's level of care and needs.
• Make monthly contact with all identified parents of the youth in foster care.
• Schedule and facilitate visitation between parents and youth in foster care, as well as siblings who may be placed in alternate settings.
• Provide casework services and support to birth parents in meeting court-ordered requirements to achieve family reunification.
• Facilitate concurrent planning to ensure timely permanence for the child if reunification is not possible.
• Collaborate closely with local district case managers and other service providers to facilitate the child’s permanency plan.
• Manage the transition of children in placement from one setting to another (e.g., birth parents’ home to foster home, foster home to birth parents’ home, or adoption home).
• Participate in Family Court proceedings to facilitate the child’s permanency plan.
• Support foster parents’ skill development to best meet the needs of children in their care.
• Maintain progress notes, case record documentation, and required reports in accordance with district requirements and NYS regulations.
• Participate in a department on-call rotation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (BSW) plus two years of experience in child welfare preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience, or a Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) with experience in child welfare.
• Valid New York State driver’s license and continued automobile insurance.
• Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
• Accessibility to reliable transportation during working hours.
• Ability to work as part of a team.

Schedule

Must have reliable transportation for frequent travel throughout Western New York, primarily Erie County. The role requires availability for a flexible schedule, including regular evening hours for home visits and community events. Hybrid and flexible schedule options are available to support the needs of the children and families on your caseload.

Pay

Competitive pay range of $24.61–$25.90 per hour, based on education and experience, for a 37.5-hour work week.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off (PTO): 20 PTO days (25 days after five years of employment).
• Paid Holidays: 14 paid holidays (includes 2 flex holidays).
• Bereavement: Four paid days.
• Jury Duty: Paid leave.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Medical insurance with two plan options.
• Dental insurance with two plan options.
• Vision insurance.
• Wellness program and incentives.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with quarterly employer contributions.
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
• Dependent Care FSA.
• Employee referral bonus.
• Qualifying employer for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).
• 403(b) retirement plan with immediate eligibility and employer contributions after two years (1,000 hours each year).