Social Svcs Prgm Coord 2 (Kinship Navigator) 00061167 at Georgia Department of Human Services, GA

About the Department

Stronger Families for a Stronger Georgia. The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) is a dynamic state agency responsible for delivering a wide range of services to Georgia's most vulnerable populations. Our mission is to strengthen Georgia by providing individuals and families access to services that promote self-sufficiency, independence, and protect Georgia's vulnerable children and adults.  

What we offer.  Enjoy a generous benefits package that includes a flexible work schedule, unique training opportunities, employee retirement plan, 401(k) plan and 457 plan, 13 paid holidays, vacation & sick leave, medical, dental, vision, long/short-term care, life insurance, and employee discount programs; in addition to telework opportunities depending upon the position.  

Start your career in public service. Kinship Navigator will be responsible for working directly with kinship caregivers to provide support as they care for relative children in Region 11. This position assist in identifying needs, providing referrals, providing emotional support and guidance; as well as connecting kinship families with community resources.  Also, responsible for providing supportive services to ensure kinship caregivers can support a child in their care during Child Protective Services and Foster Care interventions. The Kinship Navigator is hybrid position will identify services and support tailored to meet the needs of the caregiver and/or child to achieve agency best practices and reports to the Kinship Navigator Manager.

The goal of the Kinship Navigator hybrid position is to reduce barriers that keep kinship caregivers from obtaining timely resources needed to ensure a child(ren) well-being as well as to reduce challenges and barriers that delay or prevent transparent entry into the Kinship Care Continuum. The hybrid position will act as a liaison between the relative family, the Division, other agencies, community resources, and assists the relative family or fictive kin in developing a support network.

JOIN OUR TEAM!!!

Position Duties

Pay Grade: I

Under general supervision, plans, manages, and evaluates social services programs. Administers and coordinates the services and program activities in dependency, mental illness, youth development, or physical or developmental disability programs.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provides support and guidance to the kinship family, including helping to navigate the “array” of DFCS administrative systems, gain access to public and private community resources, permanency planning, and interpreting policies and procedures for programs serving families and children.
• Demonstrate ability to triage caregiver needs, assess strength, communicate effectively both oral and written. Ability to develop and present clear information to groups. 
• Make accurate needs assessment and make appropriate referrals.
• Maintain regular and consistent contact with kinship families in the office, client’s home, or in the community.
• Demonstrate awareness of, sensitivity to, and competence in dealing with a culturally and socioeconomic diverse client population.
• Demonstrates ability to evaluate situations and make decisions regarding case services or family needs.
• Knowledgeable of navigating benefit services such as TANF, SNAP, Medicaid.
• Engage families to elicit, gather, evaluate, analyze, and integrate pertinent information to determine a kinship family’s capacity to meet safety and quality of care needs for the child; determine strengths, concerns, and support needs.
• Advocates and plans long-term care of the child by providing caregivers with full disclosure of responsibilities and legal options.
• Provides awareness of navigator services throughout assigned district.
• Assist county and regional staff with establishing family-action plans, timeframes, and agency decision points. 
• Serves as a point of contact for the Kinship Caregivers with open CPS and Foster Care cases.
• Provides caregivers and staff with pertinent information to timely and successfully transition caregivers along the Kinship Continuum.
• Collects necessary data and completes required reports to support program evaluation.
• Perform other professional duties as assigned

Core Competencies:

• Provide education and advocacy on behalf of kinship families; and strong empathy and understanding of the unique role, needs and challenges of kinship caregivers. 
• Promote placement stability and positive permanency outcomes.
• Respond quickly to time sensitive requests.
• Engage with high level personnel and build partnerships.
• Knowledgeable of Child Protective Services and Foster Care best practices.
• Travel frequently within assign district.
• Knowledgeable of changing climate in the human service field.
• Excellent oral, written, research, presentation, analytical, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Strong proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Suite and/or standard technology applications typically used in a corporate office environment.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field from an accredited college or university and two (2) years of job-related experience.

• Two (2) years of experience at the lower level Social Svcs Prgm Coord 1 (SSP030) or equivalent position. 
• Note: Some positions require eligibility for licensure.

 
Preferred Skills/Qualifications: 
Preference will be given to candidates who, in addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, demonstrate some or all the following skills/experience:  
 

• Master's degree in Social Work from an accredited college or university OR Bachelor's degree in Social Work from an accredited college or university AND two years of experience at lower level Social Svcs Spec 2 (SSP071)

Other Qualifications

For more detailed information about the Georgia Department Human Services

                   https://dhs.georgia.gov/  

Employment Information
  
Current State employees are subject to State Personnel Board (SPB) Rules regarding salary.
 
DHS is an Equal Opportunity Employer
  
If you require accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), email the request by the closing date of this announcement to: [email protected]
 
The candidate selected for this position may be subject to pre-employment drug screening, education verification, reference, motor vehicle records, and criminal background checks.
  
DHS accepts educational credential recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and/or the US Department of Education (DOE) will be considered. DHS will contact educational institutions to verify degree, diploma, licensure, etc.
  
As an employee of DHS, in the event of an identified emergency you may be required, as a term and condition of employment, to assist in meeting the emergency responsibilities of the department.
  
Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information on application status by phone or e-mail. All qualified applicants will be considered but may not necessarily receive an interview. Selected applicants will be contacted by the hiring official for next steps in the selection process.  Only applicants who are selected and interviewed will receive notification.
  
This position is subject to close at any time once a satisfactory applicant pool has been identified.

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