Job Description THE SELECTED CANDIDATE WILL BE OFFERED A SALARY BETWEEN $82,192.00 - $94,521.00. The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. ACS manages community-based supports and foster care services and provides subsidized childcare vouchers. ACS child protection staff respond to allegations of child maltreatment. In juvenile justice, ACS oversees detention, placement, and programs for youth in the community. The ACS Nicholas Scoppetta Children’s Center (NSCC) provides children with a temporary living environment that is non-judgmental, supportive, caring, and structured, and strives to heal past and ongoing trauma. We believe that every child deserves safety, happiness, health, and love in our care, no matter how long or short their stay. Children in our care are prepared to transition to placement or achieve permanency after their stay at the Children’s Center. In caring for our kids, we prioritize the values of acceptance, compassion, respect, equality, growth, education, development, promoting self-esteem, tolerance, and the preservation of self-identity. NSCC is comprised of Pre-Placement Services, the Office of Placement Administration, Social Work, Case Planning Unit, and Program Development and Staff Wellness. The Child and Family Specialist (CFS) is responsible for the assessment, evaluation and determination of the Level of Care (LOC) for children who are entering and/or re-entering foster care placement. Positioned at the Nicholas Scoppetta Children’s Center (NSCC), CFS' provide valuable therapeutic support to children awaiting placement. CFS' are integral members of one of the country’s premier children’s services agencies dedicated to strengthening NYC’s families and their 1.8 million children. CFS' provide psychosocial services to children and families using casework, clinical interventions, and community resources. CFS responsibilities include, but are not limited to, an array of socio-emotional and technical supports: - Identifies, assesses, and recommends resources and LOC for children/youth based on the least restrictive placement setting that a child requires. - Conducts/participates in child intakes to obtain information regarding children's social, emotional, academic strengths, medical and mental health needs, family dynamics/history, which assists in the development of Care Plans and Crisis Plans to address high-risk behaviors and safety considerations. - Facilitates conferences/meetings with children, NSCC team members, service providers, community members and other ACS staff, when necessary. - Consults with professionals from different disciplines to facilitate a multi-disciplinary team approach of care within the NSCC. - Ensures safety, risk, and permanency concerns are identified and addressed during team meetings and external conferences with service providers. - Serves as Program Liaisons to ACS Field Office, Family Court Legal Services (FCLS) Foster Care, and Mental Health and Community Based Providers as related to placement and behavioral concerns of the child. - Utilizes a trauma informed lens to serve as the primary resource for emotional support for a child/youth. - Orients children/youth to the NSCC program, behavior management program, and to the Child Welfare System, explaining the purpose of the NSCC, steps toward securing placement and LOC recommendations as appropriate. HOW TO APPLY: APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY USING ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW: For current city employees, go to Employee Self Service (ESS), Recruiting Activities, Careers and search for Job ID# (634382) For all other applicants go to www.nyc.gov/careers and search for Job ID# (634382) Click on the "Apply" button. If you do not have access to a computer, most public libraries have computers available for use. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Section 424-A of the New York Social Services Law requires an authorized agency to inquire whether a candidate for employment with child-caring responsibilities has been the subject of a child abuse and maltreatment report. Qualifications A Masters Degree in Social Work from an accredited school of social work and 1. A valid New York State Registration as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and at least one year of full-time, satisfactory, post-graduate experience that includes substantial experience in one or more of the following modalities of practice: facilitation of family team conferences or family group decision-making meetings utilizing a conferencing model which emphasizes family engagement and consensus based decision-making; clinical group work with children, youth, parents or individual families; or the conduct of professional training on topics related to child and family services; or 2. A valid New York State Registration as a Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) and at least three years of the experience required in "1" above. Up to two years of this experience may have been in the supervision of social work practice areas described in "1" above; or 3. At least three years of the experience required in "1" above. A valid New York State Registration as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Master of Social Work license (LMSW) must be obtained within one year of appointment. Note: Employees who fail to obtain their LCSW or LMSW within one year after appointment may have their probationary periods extended for no more than six months. Failure to obtain the LCSW or LMSW by the end of the probationary period will result in dismissal. Note: At least one year of the required experience described in "1", "2" and "3" above must have been obtained in the last five years. . Additional Information The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.