ICWA CASE MANAGER/ADVOCATE/SOCIAL WORK- URBAN OFFICE - OMBIMINDWAA GIDINAWEMAAGANINAADOG (FAMILY & CHILDREN SERVICES)

VACANCY ANNOUNCMENT

ICWA CASE MANAGER/ADVOCATE/SOCIAL WORK- URBAN OFFICE

OMBIMINDWAA GIDINAWEMAAGANINAADOG

(FAMILY & CHILDREN SERVICES)

OPEN: August 3, 2022-Until Filled.

PRIMARY FUNCTION:

Ombimindwaa Gidinawemagaganinaadog provides and arranges an array of culturally based intensive helping and healing services to families, that is supportive and understanding of individual, family, and community needs; engaging families through a strength-based lens that is family centered, respects the dignity and worth of families, and promotes respect and self-determination. This position works as a secondary case manager for families involved in county child welfare and who have a primary case manager through county child welfare programs. This position is responsible for performing individual and family needs assessments in low to high-risk situations to develop child-specific CWTCM case plans and assist in the coordination of referrals and services in order to assist families with needs to reunify and safely maintain children in the home. The focus is to improve the issues identified by the family, which may include safety and well-being factors, reduce risk factors, increase protective factors, increase competence in parenting factors and abilities, and/or family stabilization. Services are primarily provided in a family's home as well as in Ombimindwaa Urban Office, with staff focusing efforts on building rapport, trust, and engagement with families. Reports ICWA Program Manager, Full-time position w/benefits, Salary; DOQ

ESSENIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

Working with families involved in county/state child welfare systems to insure compliance with Indian Child Welfare Act and provide culturally grounded case management support for family preservation and reunification

• Collaborate with primary county case managers to develop appropriate case plans

• Meet parents, children, kinship and foster providers in community, develop rapport and support all levels of the family system with an emphasis on preservation and reunification

• Attend court hearings and advocate for ICWA compliance and tribe's position as to case planning and placement of child in both CHIPS and Permanency Proceedings

• Create Child Welfare Targeted Case Management (CWTCM) case plans for all children being served. Follow CWTCM guidelines for assessment, visitation, documentation and billing

• Connect with collaterals such as Guardian Ad Litem, Attorneys, school social workers, medical providers, mental health providers, substance use providers, to best advocate for and understand family needs, barriers as well as strengths.

• Develop relationships and build rapport with parents, children, relatives

• Create and engage in Safety Planning and other family centered work that supports family preservation, strengths based case management and natural supports.

• Advise on placement of children

• Advise on permanency planning for children

Development of mutually agreed upon case plans for children and families that address and mitigate family safety and risk issues and address well-being

• Engage families in discussion that produces mutually agreed upon goals that mitigate risk and safety factors that would lead to out of home placement of children

• Engage families in assessing individual needs of caregivers as well as children that will be identified in the case plan

• Engage families in selecting providers to deliver services to families

• Develop case plans that address safety risks in order to mitigate imminent harm or danger

• Develop case plans that are sensitive with respect to each family's culture, ethnic origin, citizenship, language, gender, age, sexual orientation, mental and/or physical challenges.

• Develop case plans that are focused or limited to addressing the most significant issues posing risks to family safety or wellbeing

• Develop child welfare targeted case management plans that reflect caregiver requests for their children, taking into consideration family physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, educational preferences

• Identify family strengths in all case planning and case management

Provide Secondary ICWA advocacy and case management services for children and families

• Provide referrals, monitor progress at substance abuse services that address family risk and safety issues

• Provide referrals, monitor progress at mental health services that address family risk and safety issues

• Advocate for services in a natural home-based environment that is convenient for the family

• Provide kinship services to identify relative placements and supports for children; including permanent placement resources when necessary

• Assist with referrals to, monitor progress, provide assistance for participation in in-home parenting

• Assist with referrals and support to families to engage in cultural activities that aid well-being

• Advocate for and identify active efforts to families that eliminate barriers to attend or participate in recommended substance abuse, mental health, case management, in-home services, parenting services, culturally based services. Active efforts include but are not limited to: financial support, transportation, communication support, scheduling, arranging services, gathering releases of information, home visiting, and childcare

• Ensure services are strength based and customized to meet individual needs

Conduct in-home family services to improve family functioning and reduce risks

• Work with families to mitigate future crisis by creating safety plans, modeling skills in home, and coaching parents to prevent egregious harm or risk situations

• Advocate for and assists with frequent and natural family visitation services with children in state agency custody.

• Assist families with building skills that meet their specific needs and avoid repeated maltreatment intake reports

• Assess risk during home visits, success of services provided to families, need for additional services or discontinuation of services, or referral to Family Preservation program

• Provide advocacy and support to families during visits to mitigate barriers to participate in services; provides advocacy with supervisor to obtain services needed by families

• Discuss children's needs and services with caregivers, provide updates on children

Collaborate with service providers for improved outcomes for families

• Actively engage and maintain contact with substance abuse, mental health, kinship, parenting, cultural, school based, and other pertinent service providers involved with the family

• Obtain updated progress reports from service providers to review and discuss with families

• Communicate with providers to overcome barriers that prevent families from attending services; such as scheduling conflicts, transportation, childcare, or other; and advocate

Foster and Maintain Relationships

• Engage and maintain healthy relationships with family members, including significant extended family and relative placement providers

• Focus on strengths of families equally as important as deficits and build on them to build rapport with families

• Professionally represent the agency when working with families or within the community

• Professionally represent the agency when attending meetings and functions

• Engage community and professionals in healthy working relationships with the Agency

• Engage in teamwork within the Agency, assisting others when needed and requesting assistance when needed

• Participate in outreach and public relations activities as assigned

• Abide by Red Lake Family and Children Services Code of Ethics

• Employ critical thinking skills before making decisions and accept responsibility for decisions

• Interact with families in a culturally humble and respectful manner

• Model the seven grandfather teachings and Anishinaabe values during interactions with families

• Demonstrate desire to learn about cultural ways and ceremonial healing activities

• Adhere to Red Lake Family & Children Services policy and procedure manual and Practice Model

• Adhere to the Social Worker Code of Ethics

• Comply with Agency mandates for monthly face to face contacts with children in a private setting while they are in placement

• Build rapport and trust with children in placement to meet needs and safeguard from abuse or neglect

• Report all concerns regarding children in placement to supervisor and foster care staff

Complete necessary documentation required by the Agency

• Develop records on the Tribally specified electronic record in accordance with policy and procedure

• Document all activity performed with families, including caseworker visits, within 72 hours of contact on the electronic record

• Develop documentation that is objective, culturally humble, respectful of Anishinaabe families

• Ensure child welfare targeted case management (CWTCM) records are completed per Agency policy

• Adhere to data privacy and confidentiality rules and regulations

• Complete required productivity standards each month and document activity

Participate in Agency supervision

• Engage in supervision with Manager as outlined by Agency or upon request

• Obtain supervision when in doubt or in need of guidance

• Follow up with supervisor recommendations immediately

• Provide all necessary documents to supervisor upon request

• Be forthcoming and truthful when representing facts of the situation to supervisor

• Demonstrate ability to hear constructive feedback and utilize it in subsequent actions

Provide Tribal representation in County and State Court

• E-file into all assigned cases, collect and review necessary documentation prior to court proceedings to make most informed contribution on court record

• Participate respectfully, honestly, and bravely in Court by being prepared to present

• Ensure accuracy and truthfulness in verbal and written court reports, including supporting documentation

• Avoid using hearsay in court

• Ensure strength based, family reunification focus is reflected in court reports

• Be prepared to speak to county Active efforts, ask for additional as needed

Participate in staff meetings and training activities

• Attend mandatory staff meetings, pay attention to material presented, demonstrate respect during staff meetings, and actively participate in them

• Maintain confidentiality of materials presented in staff meetings

• Complete onboarding training activities and annual training checklists

• Identify areas in need of strength building during evaluation times and actively participate in evaluations with supervisor to create annual training plans

Child Services

• Ensure all children have CWTCM assessments and case plans that address needs in Agency policy

• Actively communicate with childcares and schools to determine child well-being and needs

• Actively communicate with foster parents to determine child well-being and needs

• Actively advocate for frequent visitation for child with caregivers and/or extended family in the most natural setting possible

• Actively participate with kinship workers to identify relative placements for children

• Monitor and assess all county services for child medical needs (doctor, dental, optical, specialty), behavioral and mental health needs, social and emotional wellbeing, educational needs and other services specific to child needs.

• Ensure adolescents in placement are referred to independent living services

• Ensure child welfare targeted case management documents are audit-ready per policy

• Ensure children in placement are safe

• Ensure children in placement have access to cultural teaching, activities, rites; and healing ceremonies

• Ensure children with dual child welfare and juvenile justice needs are engaged in least restrictive programming options

• Ensure children are placed in least restrictive settings per agency policy

• Other responsibilities and duties as assigned

EDUCATION/WORK EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS:

• High School or General Education Diploma (G.E.D.) required.

• Prefer Associates, Degree Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, or related field; or

• 3 years' experience working with families in the area of child welfare, child development, family services or related field preferred but not required

• Ability to pass criminal background check

• Ability to pass drug screening and remain free from substance abuse issues during employment

• Must possess a valid driver's license throughout employment

• Must have a reliable automobile and insurance throughout employment

• Knowledge of child development, family dynamics, Anishinaabe child rearing

• Knowledge of the Indian Child Welfare Act and Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act

• Knowledge of family safety and risk factors in the Red Lake community and Urban Native American communities in Minnesota

• Knowledge of substance abuse, mental health, in-home services providers

• Knowledge of case planning and court report components

• Knowledge of assessment and reevaluation of family strengths and needs

• Skilled in conflict de-escalation

• Skilled in community relationships and public relations

• Skilled in utilizing critical thinking skills prior to making decisions

• Skilled in accepting accountability for personal actions

• Skilled in listening, engagement, and building rapport with families

• Skilled in identifying family strengths and building upon them

• Skilled in excellent time management skills

• Ability to help others while getting own work done

• Ability to build healthy relationships with families and extended families

• Ability to learn cultural ways and ceremonial ways of Anishinaabe

• Ability to address and mitigate family risk and safety issues

• Ability to utilize family safety planning and natural supports

• Ability to prioritize issues based on immediacy, urgency, critical nature and handle complex, emergent situations

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and ethics

• Ability to learn from trainings and apply them to work performed

• Ability to navigate electronic records independently

• Ability to work as a team player

• Ability to seek and accept supervision, but operate independently

• Ability to maintain self-care, be self-aware and self-regulate

• Ability to ask for assistance when experiencing secondary worker trauma

• Knowledgeable of historical and generational trauma, and the links between trauma and social disparities in the Anishinaabe community

TO APPLY: Applications, Resumes and copies of certificates are accepted at the Government Center- Human Resources Department, PO Box 546, Red Lake, MN 56671 – Fax (218) 679-4176.