RTC-Case Planner at Rising Ground, Inc. – Yonkers, New York

Social Worker/Case Planner

About Rising Ground

Founded as an orphanage in 1831, Rising Ground has been at the forefront of evolving community needs. Driven by the belief that each of us can thrive when life has hope and opportunity, Rising Ground provides caring support and proven paths to positive change, helping children, adults, and families rise above adversity, and each year, Rising Ground is a positive force in the lives of more than 72,000 individuals annually. We do this through 101 programs across 138 sites, throughout New York City and Westchester. Our strong belief and commitment to diversity is shown not just through our work with supported persons but is integral to the building of a strong staff that reflects the communities we serve. Rising Ground is headquartered in New York City.

About the Role:

The Residential Treatment Center Social Worker/Case Planner plays a critical role in providing therapeutic support and case management for all RTC youth. The RTC SW/CP works closely with the RTC staff, legal representatives, foster care staff, schools and families to assess the youth’s needs, develop and implement treatment plans, and coordinate care to promote their safety and well-being. The RTC SW/CP ensures the delivery of daily needs and essential treatment services for the children and their families. The RTC SW/CP manages all the social service needs and ensures that all foster care requirements are met within the mandated timeframes. The RTC SW/CP is a compassionate and detailed professional who can navigate complex situations with empathy and expertise.

What You’ll Do

Programming:

• Compliance with regulations and best practices of Local Department of Social Services and the Committee on Special Education. This includes but is not limited to: completion of FASPs, Permanency Hearing Reports, Incident Reports and Progress notes, as well as maintaining casework contact standards as issued by ACS, DSS, CSE and OCFS.
• Responsible for the maintenance of the case records for assigned cases to ensure that all documentation is in the appropriate place
• Comply with all DSS/OCFS mandates
• Coordinate, track, and facilitate home assessments/sibling visits/face to face contacts with families as per DSS/OCFS mandates
• Serve as third-party reviewer at SPR/FTCs
• Document casework activities in electronic case records
• Maintain up-to-date case record documentation and reports, including progress notes, Critical Incidents, LSRs/AWOC/Placement Module Requests, etc.
• Attend and participate in court proceedings, hearings and appointments
• Tracking casework related documents/evaluations/reports/events
• Assist with the transportation and related casework activities
• Participate in staff meetings, multi-disciplinary meetings, and planning meetings when applicable
• Attend mandatory trainings as scheduled and all meetings applicable to the role
• Managing a caseload
• Responsible for tracking and responding to all Justice Center incidents
• Conduct home assessments and on-going family visits.
• Other duties are to be assigned as necessary and subject to change depending on case circumstances and program needs.
• Compliance with AWOL and incident reporting procedures when appropriate
• Ensure that children are in receipt of all social service entitlements and are in possession of all legal documents at time of discharge
• Participate in weekly treatment team meetings.
• Complete exceptions to policy when necessary and submit them to appropriate parties in a timely manner.
• Refer children and families to outside services when appropriate.

Skills

1. Assessment and Evaluation: Proficiency in assessing clients’ needs, creating treatment plans, and evaluating progress.
2. Therapeutic Techniques: Knowledge of and experience with various therapeutic modalities and techniques relevant to residential treatment settings.
3. Crisis Intervention: Ability to handle crisis situations effectively and provide appropriate interventions.
4. Case Management: Skills in coordinating care, managing case files, and working with other professionals to ensure comprehensive treatment.
5. Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills for interacting with clients, families, and interdisciplinary teams.
6. Empathy and Cultural Competency: Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations and understand cultural differences.

Other Job Functions:

• Compliance with the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), Local Department of Social Services (LDSS), Committee on Special Education (CSE), and all contracted agency regulations. This includes but is not limited to: completion of FASPs, Permanency Hearing Reports, Incident Reports and Progress notes, as well as maintaining and adhering to all casework contact standards and best practices.
• Responsible for the maintenance of the case records for all assigned cases to ensure that all documentation is in the appropriate place.
• Provision of services to ensure achievement of the earliest possible permanency.
• Facilitate discharges as per Permanency Planning Goals
• Provide individual, family and group counseling. Establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with assigned families.
• Ensure that each child has a visiting/permanency resource, and the resource’s home is safe.
• Ensure concurrent planning.
• Regularly conduct home visits to assess needs, provide support, and deliver services as outlined in their treatment plans.
• Conduct any other visits needs (sibling visits, family visits, etc.)
• Attend all court hearings and appointments.
• Ensure that children are in receipt of all social service entitlements and are in possession of all legal documents at time of discharge
• Compliance with AWOL and incident reporting procedures when appropriate
• Prepare for, schedule and participate in family team conferences.
• Complete psychosocial assessment on all cases and ensures that all children have up-to-date clinical evaluations on file.
• Participate in weekly treatment team meetings.

• Participate in regularly scheduled supervision with the Director of Social Services/Social Work Supervisor.

• Complete exceptions to policy when necessary, and submit them to the Director of Social Services/Social Work Supervisor
• Refer children and families to outside services when appropriate.
• Perform other job-related tasks and duties as assigned.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Your Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) or a related field (Clinical Psychology, Counseling, or Marriage and Family Therapy, etc.)
• Experience: Prior experience in social work/case planning with a preference for those with experience in home visits, foster care settings or community-based services.
• Travel Requirements: Willingness to travel frequently to assist with case planning/programming. A valid driver’s license and access to reliable transportation are required.
• Skills: Strong assessment and counseling skills, excellent communication abilities, and proficiency in case management. Bi- lingual in Spanish preferred but not required.
• Personal Qualities: Empathy, flexibility, and commitment to providing high-quality care and support.

Work Environment:

This position currently supports our Residential Treatment Center serving adolescents ages 12–21 and will transition as the program relocates. The role will operate in a hybrid capacity, with responsibilities carried out both on-site and in community-based settings, as needed.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

This position is in a 24/7 program. This position requires office hours (9am-5pm) and flexibility in scheduling is appreciated to best meet the needs of the residents and facilities. One (1) remote day is given bi-weekly.

Additional Requirements:

This role requires regular travel to clients' homes, courts, schools and other locations.

Professional Practice

• Arrive at work on time, respecting other shift workers and programmatic needs.
• At all times, model the appropriate dress, speech and behavior for residents. This includes dressing professionally or in designated work uniforms/dress code if prescribed.
• Professionally representing the agency when speaking with parents, community members or other stakeholders.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries with adolescents and staff; Respond to all requests in a professional and courteous manner.
• Respect the privacy of all individuals and maintain client confidentiality as prescribed by law and in Agency policies.
• Assume the expected role on the treatment team and maintain collaborative relations with members.
• Maintain and promote a cooperative, harmonious, teamwork environment within the workplace. Maintain and promote an atmosphere of dignity and respect in line with the philosophy and policies of Rising Ground.
• Become knowledgeable of all RTC policies and procedures; modeling, training and actively supervising the use of each.
• Attend all mandatory or recommended staff development workshops/trainings.
• Show organizational commitment which includes understanding and actively supporting the mission, policies and procedures protecting the integrity of the Agency.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Fairness, and Belonging

Rising Ground is comprised of unique and valued individuals who together make the organization effective in assisting the children, adults and families who come to us for support. We believe that only when all employees contribute fully as their true selves can Rising Ground's true strength, vision, and values come to fruition. We recognize the ubiquitous social biases and structures that impact and shape the experiences of all people, including our own staff and people supported. Among the many biases present in our society that shape our personal and professional experiences race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender expression are all factors that can present hurdles. As such, Rising Ground is committed to being an anti-racist and inclusive organization that will actively strive to overcome both systemic and interpersonal biases that perpetuate oppression.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

It is the policy of Rising Ground that the Agency wholly complies with equal treatment of all

employees and applicants for employment without unlawful discrimination as to an individual’s

perceived or actual race, creed, color, national origin, alienate, citizenship status, gender, gender

identity, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or

veteran status in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring,

compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, layoff and termination and all other terms and conditions of employment