FreeHire

ABBOTT HOUSE

Aftercare Coordinator/Independent Living Specialist

Show

JOB SUMMARY

The work involves responsibility for providing life skills services for youth group homes and foster care. The Independent Living & Aftercare Coordinator coordinates and carries out life skills services for the Group Home Department and Foster Care Department and is responsible for discharge planning and associated aftercare services planning for each youth entering Abbott House QRTP Group Home Placement. The Independent Living & Aftercare Coordinator is responsible for delivery of services according to agency policies and state and federal law for all youth eligible for independent living services and aftercare in the Group Home Department. The Independent Living & Aftercare Coordinator serves as team participant assisting case planners, childcare staff, social workers, and other agency or community representatives, and youth in coordinating and delivering the services of the life skills program. The Independent Living & Aftercare Coordinator will develop objectives that are measurable and may change throughout the youth’s placement at the Group Home to reflect progress toward achieving goals. The Independent Living & Aftercare Coordinator will also provide the required QRTP services for all Group Home youth for a minimum of six months post-discharge or step-down.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Establish collaborative relationships with youth and the youth’s treatment team
  • Participate as a member of the youth’s treatment team, including attending service plan reviews, biweekly team meetings, FTC Meetings or other meetings involving youth development.
  • Performing Life Skills assessments for all eligible youth using standardized assessment tools.
  • Developing goals and tasks with the youth, family, and treatment team.
  • Documenting and reporting on progress by required time frame and sharing the information with the team.
  • Building on youth strengths by locating opportunities in the community for youth experiences, special interest activities and skill building, leisure, recreation, education, employment.
  • Developing and delivering a series of group or individual learning opportunities using life skills curriculum.
  • Arranging and providing support for youth participation in youth activities, and groups such as Youth Speak Out, including notifying and engaging youth and their caseworkers, foster parents, parents and mentors, accompanying youth if necessary.
  • Managing distribution and accountability of stipends.
  • Providing individualized support for youth to help the youth learn to save/manage money; may assist youth with opening bank accounts or managing finances.
  • Managing education and training vouchers; completing related tasks for ETV program. Supports youth in accessing the education and training voucher once it has been approved.
  • Identifying youth leaders and developing leadership skills with youth.
  • Build relationships and working agreements with community service providers in order to access services for youth in the community.
  • Assisting young people in establishing a Life Skills Portfolio with all pertinent documents needed for Adulthood, including written career plans, photo ID, Birth Certificate, Social Security card, Drivers/Non-drivers licenses, Certificates of Accomplishments, and Learning assessments.
  • Visiting Group Homes daily to engage youth and identify practices of learned skills.
  • Documenting progress in Connections to record agency and state requirements.
  • Assuring that each eligible youth locates and accesses appropriate housing when needed.
  • Attending training assigned by supervisor
  • Any other related duties as required.

Expectations for aftercare services include the following:

  • Create the youth’s discharge plan in conjunction with the youth’s permanency team
  • Conduct face-to-face meetings with young people twice per month (one must include the family/discharge resource.
  • Refer the youth’s family to community resources based on a needs assessment
  • Facilitate permanency/support team meetings no less than monthly with key members of the agency staff, the youth, the youth’s family, and other community resource members.
  • Provide and/or facilitate the services identified in the final support plan (discharge plan)
  • Engage the community upon program discharge from residential care to maintain successful transition to home and community or, in the case of a step-down, engagement with the program receiving the youth
  • Identify youth development and vocational resources in the home community
  • Establish a network of Supervised Setting Programs (SSPs)2, when needed, to move youth with permanency issues to a lower level of care to transition into the community
  • Expedite youth transition into educational or vocational programs as appropriate

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
  • The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. An employee in this position is regularly required to stand; walk, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; talk and listen, and taste or smell. The employee frequently is required to walk. The employee is occasionally required to keep balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
  • Computer – The Independent Living Specialist must be able to use a computer and able to learn software programs
  • Office Equipment- The Independent Living Specialist is required to operate a fax, copier, scan, and other office equipment.
  • Communication - The Independent Living Specialist needs to be able to speak, read and write fluently in the English language
  • Writing - The Independent Living Specialist must be able to write in the English language using correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.
  • Driving - The Independent Living Specialist must have a valid Driver’s License and a clean driving record.
  • Lifting - The Independent Living Specialist may frequently lift 0-25 lbs., occasionally lift 25-50 lbs., and rarely lift over 50 lbs.
  • Push/Pull - The Independent Living Specialist may frequently push/pull 0-25 lbs. of force, occasionally push/pull 26-45 lbs. force, and rarely push/pull over 45 lbs.
  • Sitting, Standing and Walking – The Independent Living Specialist will be required to sit, stand and walk throughout the work day.
  • Stooping -The Independent Living Specialist may occasionally stoop. This is defined as bending body downward by bending spine at the waist.
  • Kneeling -The Independent Living Specialist may occasionally kneel. This is defined as bending legs at knees to come to rest on knee(s).
  • Crouching - The Independent Living Specialist may occasionally crouch. This is defined as bending body downward and forward by bending spine and legs.
  • Work environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently works in an office environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate due to talk and movement of the program participants and other co- workers. The noise level can increase on occasion due to yelling or screaming by the participants of the programs.