About Foster First

Foster First is a non-profit foster care program that offers Child Placing Agency (CPA) - level care and Behavior Rehabilitation Services (BRS), which is a temporary, intensive, wraparound, support, and treatment for children and families. Established in 2003, as Community Resource Group, we began providing services to the Yakima and Wenatchee area. In June of 2019, we changed our name to Foster First, still continuing to serve children and families. Foster First serves the Yakima, Kittitas, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Benton, Grant, and Klickitat counties.

At Foster First, we are driven by our mission, "Empowering youth and families for life-long success", and we want to ensure that every child placed within our programs is provided the tools necessary to gain life-long skills that will benefit them throughout their life.

Case Manager Summary

We are hiring a part-time case manager for our Yakima program, which has the potential to become full-time with benefits. The case manager must have at least one year of experience working with high behavior youth ages 5 - 18, case management experience, have experience in documentation and case notes, organization skills, and a bachelor's degree in social services or a closely related field. Case managers will provide individualized case management and coordination of services, which includes services to children in foster care, foster families, and foster adoptive families. This position may also require the case manager to provide weekly case time for youth on their caseload from time to time and may require travel outside of the Yakima County (i.e., Wenatchee, Ellensburg, Goldendale, etc.).

The case manager will be trained in Right Response to learn the principles of de-escalation. Right Response will equip the case manager to respond to crises during on-call situations. This position does not work a standard work week and will require the case manager to work some evenings and weekends to conduct home visits, case time, and respond to crises.

The case manager is paid $100 every weekend they are scheduled for weekend after hours and crisis response services, and we provide a monthly $50 cell phone stipend.

If you want to make a meaningful impact and would like work with a team who serves youth in foster care, apply today to join the Foster First Team.

- Please read below for a more in-depth description of the position -

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Participate in regular supervision and support with the client and/or foster parents during frequent home visits, office visits, and telephone contact as required by state licensing and Foster First policy and procedures.
• Represents Foster First in the community by attending meetings and gatherings as required.
• Advocates for foster/adoptive parents and children with other agencies as well as Foster First staff.
• Communicate with DCYF and other placement agencies by telephone; to discuss client needs; attend court hearings and permanency conferences for children.
• Participate as a member of the Foster Care team to meet the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of the foster children during the time they are placed in a Foster First program (foster care or residential), as outlined in each client’s plan of service.
• Provides crisis management as assigned, implementing clinical strategies as learned through training attended.
• Audit client files on a regular basis to ensure that all requirements are met.
• Complete case documentation, treatment plans and discharge plans in a timely manner in accordance with licensing requirements and Foster First policies and procedures.
• Consult with supervisor on specific needs of clients.
• Maintain compliance with all Foster First policies and procedures.
• Responsible for developing and maintaining a strong working relationship with the team and staff.
• Attend and participate in staff meetings and training as required.
• Maintains confidentiality as required by government law and regulations.
• Serves in the on-call rotation for after hours and weekend coverage as a backup when needed.
• Performs special assignments, projects, and other duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

The Case Manager should demonstrate competence in some or all of the following:

• Demonstrates flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload.
• Requires excellent skills in both verbal and written communication.
• Requires public speaking skills and the ability to successfully communicate in a professional manner.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with other management staff, employees, and the general public.
• Requires ability to work effectively with culturally diverse youth and families.
• Requires ability to observe and make accurate assessments of situations and individuals and determine appropriate action required.
• Requires ability to effectively manage personnel; requires administrative skills to include but not limited to staff selection, development, motivation, scheduling and evaluation.
• Requires ability to provide strategic and logistical planning and facilitate meetings, conferences, and workshops, as required.
• Requires ability to perform tasks with little supervision. Most tasks are governed by standard practices; however, some are not. Innovative thinking is required. Detail oriented, with good organizational skills required.
• Requires leadership ability characterized by servant leadership, integrity and honesty. Must possess the ability to lead through influence as opposed to authority.
• Requires ability to prioritize tasks and respond in crisis/pressure situations; requires flexibility to meet changing business needs.
• Requires proficient ability to speak, read and write English.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience, Education and Licensure:

• A masters or bachelor's degree in social services or a closely related field.
• At least (2) years of experience and/or any equivalent combination of experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Experience working in a non-profit organization is highly desired.
• WA State driver’s license, access to vehicle, and minimum required insurance.

Working Conditions:

• Case Managers usually work in an office environment, but the mission of the organization may sometimes take them to non-standard workplaces.

• Case Managers may work a standard work week but may be required to work some evenings and weekends to monitor program activities; or may work in a residential home that is staffed 24/7, 365 days per year (includes holidays). You will be assigned day shift, swing shift, or graveyard shift depending on the needs of the children in care.
• Case Managers must provide a healthy working environment by maintaining the building maintenance.

Physical Demands:

• 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This position normally requires the physical demands of standing, walking, bending, lifting or performing other work requiring physical exertion (occasionally must be able to maintain 100% weight advantage whenever applying physical intervention, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force continuously to move objects and/or people), talking, hearing and adequate vision on a regular basis to perform the job requirements.

Foster First is an equal opportunity employer.