Foster Care Services RPSW II

Progressive Life Center, Inc. (PLC) provides culturally‑sensitive human services to children, youth and families in the District of Columbia and surrounding Maryland, throughout Greater Philadelphia, and in most of Delaware. PLC’s array of community‑based services includes foster care and adoption, independent living for youth aging out of foster care, family preservation, juvenile diversion, and parenting skills training. For more than two decades, PLC has earned accreditation from the Council on Accreditation (COA) for its demonstration of excellence in service delivery and outcomes.

Program Summary

The Philadelphia NIA Foster Care & Resource Home Care programs provide general and treatment foster care services for children and youth from infancy to 21 years of age. Aligned with the goal to reunify children and youth with their biological parents or identify loving and safe permanent homes, Philadelphia NIA recruits, trains, and licenses new resource foster families/homes and provides case‑management support to resource foster parents, children and youth, and the biological parents.

Responsibilities

• Provide relevant support, advocacy service, community resources and program referrals.
• Serve as a team mentor to assist the Program Director in placing clients and licensing new foster homes.
• Maintain a mixed caseload of 13 to 16 foster care/resource home care cases.
• Complete intake assessments of program participants upon admission into the program.
• Provide 24‑hour, 7‑day‑week coverage via cellular phone when scheduled to be on‑call monthly.
• Carry, monitor, and report all emergencies or after‑hour calls to the on‑call phone for a week each month.
• Provide case management, referral services, and link clients/biological families to follow‑up services.
• Develop service plans, progress reports, termination summaries and follow‑up documentation.
• Review, collect, and file all monthly foster‑parent licensing and other outstanding documents for resource foster parents and foster‑care client files; maintain fully compliant files and license documentation.
• Complete safety‑in‑home inspections and checks monthly (or as needed).
• Complete all Foster Care/Resource Home Care safety and support documentation for resource foster parents and their homes.
• Submit all CUA‑only client documentation to the Foster Care Program Director bi‑weekly.
• Begin and complete re‑certification three (3) months prior to the initial foster‑parent license date.
• Serve as a liaison between County & CUA workers and PLC.
• Complete monthly support notes (CUA) or case notes (FC) for all resource foster homes assigned to the caseload.
• Send out quarterly foster‑parent licensing updates capturing current and projected licensing needs for the next 3‑5 months to all resource foster parents, staff, and supervisors to confirm compliance and address outstanding documentation.
• Ensure training and foster‑home certification processes meet the requirements of the child‑placement license.
• Assist the Director, as needed, with all CUA/County client placement referrals, requests, and new foster homes.
• When needed, participate in and facilitate resource foster‑parent trainings.
• Develop and attend recruitment, training & licensing workshops, certification trainings, and events to increase knowledge of resource home‑care development and solicit foster‑parent interest.
• Attend and participate in weekly supervision and case conferences.
• Attend and participate in interdisciplinary team meetings.
• Enter and maintain accurate data in PLC (e.g., FamCare) database or any other contractual databases (e.g., HCSIS/PA Foster Parent Registry/DHS/DELCO/etc.).
• Complete other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, counseling, education or another human‑service field from an accredited college or university.
• Master’s degree in psychology, social work, counseling, education or another human‑service field from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum four (4) to seven (7) years of progressive experience working with children, youth, and families in a human‑service setting.
• Experience in human‑services best practices & training.
• Experience utilizing MS Office Suite and databases.
• Ability to successfully interact with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability and enthusiasm for working collaboratively.
• Evidence of effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule to accommodate participants’ needs.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.
• Certification in NTU Service Delivery Model within one (1) year of hire.
• Certified in CPR/First Aid.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable vehicle with the ability to travel within the City of Philadelphia and surrounding regions.

Benefits

• Fringe benefits – health, dental, vision, retirement fund, and more.
• Paid Time Off.
• Clinical training with Continuing Education Units.
• Mileage reimbursement.
• Hybrid work schedule after 90 days of employment.

Physical Demands

• Ability to remain in a stationary position 50 % of the time.
• Ability to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Ability to operate a computer and other office productivity equipment (calculator, copy machine, mobile device, printer); manual dexterity required for using a mobile device, calculator, and keyboard.
• Ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl as needed.
• Ability to navigate stairwells.
• Ability to frequently communicate with employees/customers/clients and exchange accurate information through hearing, vision, and depth perception, providing