Permanency Specialist
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A SECOND CHANCE INC
Pittsburgh, PA, US
Summary
The Permanency Specialist manages caseloads for child preparation, recruitment, and post-permanency services to ensure family stability and emotional readiness. They coordinate with community partners, courts, and agencies to facilitate service delivery and maintain accurate case documentation.
Job Description
Job Details: Job Location: Pittsburgh Corporate Office - Pittsburgh, PA, Salary Range: $51604.80, Permanency Specialist
Educational Requirements
Associate’s Degree in Social Work or 5 years experience in Child Welfare or related field required. Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Work Experience
Experience working directly with children and families in the areas of foster care and adoption.
Supervisory Requirements
None
Status
Full-time; Non-exempt
Qualifications
Must have excellent organizational, verbal and written communication, and inter-personal skills. Must demonstrate leadership tenants and the ability to work independently with children and families. Knowledge of Kinship Foster Care services and adoption preferred. Must possess excellent case management and client assessment skills. Must have the ability to work effectively and cooperatively with other professionals and service providers.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Child Preparation Services
Maintain a Child Preparation caseload and complete Child Preparation services in accordance with SWAN Standards and agency expectations.
Conduct home visits, child interviews, caregiver meetings, and collateral contacts as required.
Develop and maintain Lifebooks and other permanency preparation activities that promote emotional readiness for permanency.
Complete all required documentation, progress reports, and service plans within established timeframes.
Monitor Child Preparation referrals to ensure timely engagement and service completion.
Provide consultation and support to Child Preparation workers as assigned.
Track Child Preparation outcomes and identify barriers to timely completion
Child Specific Recruitment Services
Maintain a CSR caseload and complete Child Specific Recruitment services in accordance with SWAN Standards.
Develop individualized recruitment strategies to identify permanent family connections for children and youth.
Facilitate Permanency Planning Meetings and participate in CUA, DHS, provider, and court-related meetings as appropriate.
Coordinate recruitment efforts with county agencies, providers, resource families, and community partners.
Monitor CSR referrals, timelines, and permanency outcomes to ensure compliance with contractual expectations.
Review completed CSR reports for quality, accuracy, and adherence to SWAN requirements prior to submission, when assigned.
Analyze recruitment trends and recommend strategies to improve permanency outcome
Post-Permanency Services
Maintain a Post-Permanency caseload providing Assessment and Case Advocacy services.
Coordinate services and supports for adoptive, kinship, and guardianship families to promote placement stability.
Facilitate family meetings and collaborate with community providers to address identified service needs.
Monitor service plans, referrals, and family progress to ensure timely delivery of services.
Maintain accurate documentation and submit all required reports within established timelines.
Track post-permanency outcomes and identify trends affecting family stabilization
Administrative Responsibilities
Interface with CYF/County agencies, DHS, CUA, providers, courts, schools, and community partners to coordinate service delivery.
Prepare monthly reports, progress notes, service plans, and other documentation required by CYF/County agencies, DHS, CUA, SWAN, and A Second Chance, Inc.
Maintain accurate electronic case records and ensure documentation meets agency and contractual standards.
Adhere to all agency policies, confidentiality requirements, and professional standards.
Participate in agency meetings, trainings, committees, and special projects as assigned.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Work on-call hours as directed.
Work evening and weekend hours, as needed.
Interface with all service providers for the purpose of service delivery and goal planning meetings.
Prepare monthly progress reports, service plans and other reports are required by DHS/CUA, DPW, and the agency.
Adhere to all other program and agency policies and procedures governing the objective of the agency and program.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
Requirements
Valid Pennsylvania Driver’s License
Registered and insured vehicle
Certificate of Insurance for vehicle
Valid PA Inspection (even if vehicle is registered in another state)
Valid/Clean Motor Vehicle Record *
Current Act 33, Police Clearance and FBI Clearance
Reporting to the regional office Monday to Thursday and working remote (as needed) on Fridays
Available to work flexible schedule (weekend hours as scheduled)
City/County travel
On Call
A Second Chance is an Equal Opportunity Employer
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious; national origin or ancestry; sex; gender identity or expression; sexual orientation disability; marital status; familial status; age (40 or over); or use of a guide or support animal because of blindness, deafness or physical disability of any individual or independent contractor or because of the disability of an individual with whom the person is known to have an association; or on any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.
Qualifications:
A Second Chance, Inc. (ASCI), is a nonprofit corporation established in 1994. Its mission is to provide a safe, secure and nurturing environment to children in the care of relatives or close family friends—formally called kinship care. ASCI is the largest provider of kinship support services to all of Allegheny County, Pa., where it is also headquartered. ASCI also has contracts in Westmoreland, Fayette, Mercer and Washington counties and a large office in Philadelphia County—where it provides a full range of services to families, youth and children in cooperation with the Department of Human Services (DHS), which considers ASCI the provider of choice for kinship-related services—serving three additional contiguous counties.
As a culturally based tradition within the African-American community, kinship care in the child welfare system is the most respectful way to reduce and eventually eliminate disparities in placements linked to race and ethnicity, across the continuum of service. The use of kinship care spans every culture, and as such, is applicable to every child welfare system. ASCI has formalized this tradition through its programs. Thus, its model is culturally competent and culturally responsive.
ASCI’s unique theory-to-practice model has been recognized nationally by such distinguished organizations as the Urban Institute, Children’s Defense Fund, Casey Family Programs and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The organization’s January 2019 census suggests, on average, it serves 1,800 children and other members of the triad daily. However, since its founding, it has serviced over 27,000 children, 9,600 kinship caregivers and 30,000 birth parents.
Founded
1994
Company size
201-500 employees
Industry
Individual and Family Services
Org type
Nonprofit
Headquarters
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A Second Chance, Inc. (ASCI), is a nonprofit corporation established in 1994. Its mission is to provide a safe, secure and nurturing environment to children in the care of relatives or close family friends—formally called kinship care. ASCI is the largest provider of kinship support services to all of Allegheny County, Pa., where it is also headquartered. ASCI also has contracts in Westmoreland, Fayette, Mercer and Washington counties and a large office in Philadelphia County—where it provides a full range of services to families, youth and children in cooperation with the Department of Human Services (DHS), which considers ASCI the provider of choice for kinship-related services—serving three additional contiguous counties.
As a culturally based tradition within the African-American community, kinship care in the child welfare system is the most respectful way to reduce and eventually eliminate disparities in placements linked to race and ethnicity, across the continuum of service. The use of kinship care spans every culture, and as such, is applicable to every child welfare system. ASCI has formalized this tradition through its programs. Thus, its model is culturally competent and culturally responsive.
ASCI’s unique theory-to-practice model has been recognized nationally by such distinguished organizations as the Urban Institute, Children’s Defense Fund, Casey Family Programs and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The organization’s January 2019 census suggests, on average, it serves 1,800 children and other members of the triad daily. However, since its founding, it has serviced over 27,000 children, 9,600 kinship caregivers and 30,000 birth parents.
Founded
1994
Company size
201-500 employees
Industry
Individual and Family Services
Org type
Nonprofit
Headquarters
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania