Full Time Supportive Visitation Specialist

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark is one of New Jersey’s largest non-profit social service agencies with programs and facilities serving Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties. We are currently seeking a Full-Time Supportive Visitation Specialist to join our Supportive Visitation Services program located in Union City, NJ.

This position requires non-negotiable travel within Hudson & Bergen County, NJ.

Starting Salary

$60k The Supportive Visitation Specialist is responsible for supporting parent-child visitation for families in their homes or communities; completing and updating visitation plans; documenting visits and completing reports; facilitating parent debriefings before and after visits and visitation planning meetings; transporting children and/or parents, as needed; communicating with children, parents, relatives, resource parents, DCP&P, and/ or other stakeholders by phone and in person; attending various meetings and trainings; and assessing families’ service needs and linking them to appropriate community providers.

Job Description

• Initiates and maintains ongoing communication with families in a culturally sensitive manner utilizing a family's preferred language taking into consideration a family's faith and culture.
• Schedules and conducts visits in the least-restrictive, most home-like location (the first preference being within the family's home) while ensuring the safety of the children.
• Ensures the environment for parent-child contact is safe, non-traumatizing, and promotes healthy attachment.
• Uses strengths-based, solutions-focused, family centered, trauma informed strategies to elicit family input.
• Initiates and maintains ongoing communication with DCP&P, other providers, and supports.
• Uses a process to gather information which includes reviewing collateral information and inquiring about family's natural supports.
• Completes required assessment tools including but not limited to bio-psychological assessments, Rose Wentz Matrix and SVS Caregiver Surveys and documents contacts with families in agency's progress notes and DCP&P contact sheets.
• Creates a visitation plan with active familial involvement and updates the plan at regular intervals.
• Creates an environment that empowers family members, including parents, children, and caregivers to communicate their goals and needs.
• Utilizes various interviewing and/or communication techniques in a culturally competent manner.