Behavioral Strategist (Social Work)

Under the direction and supervision of the Program Supervisor, the Behavioral Strategist will provide comprehensive strengths-based case management services to youth involved in or at risk of being involved in the juvenile justice system. Duties will include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Conduct intake and assessment; direct service linkage and referral; case planning and contracting; case coordination and advocacy; and follow up.
- Conduct comprehensive evaluations of bio-psycho-social, emotional, educational, vocational, and functional needs of youth and their families, including identifying risk factors and strengths.
- Provide case management and advocacy for youth and their families enrolled in the Everychild Restorative Justice Center in order to access needed services and meet the requirements for enrollment and successful completion of the program.
- Develop an individualized service plan in coordination with CYS/ERJC continuum of care as well as leverage relevant community resources as needed; Case Manager must participate in collaborative service planning and have an understanding of the stages of change and development.
- Support identified youth in meeting their specified goals in increasing emotional, behavioral, and mental health stability so that they can minimize their risk of involvement with the Justice System.
- Provide crisis prevention, intervention, and safety planning services, along with stress management and life skills development.
- Work closely with referral agencies (law enforcement, schools, probation, district attorney) and internal personnel to ensure coordinated and effective services.
- Maintain regular contact with service providers and referring agency to monitor youth progress.
- Make weekly home and school visits according to identified service plan.
- Act as a Mandated Reporter of suspected cases of child abuse and neglect.
- Maintain up-to-date confidential records in CYS Connect database and office records.
- Prepare case histories, reports, maintain records and chronological logs of case activities.
- Occasionally represent CYS Restorative Justice programs in County and community meetings, and professional associations.
- Engage in individual supervision twice a month.
- Participate in ongoing case reviews, training activities as directed, in-monthly case management meetings and all staff meetings.
- Facilitate Seeking Safety sessions with adolescents over a period of eight to ten weeks.
- Implement Seeking Safety with fidelity to the model and collaborate with CYS staff infidelity checks.
- Provide reliable and consistent support for youth experiencing the effects of trauma.
- Support youth in a warm, non-judgmental fashion with caring, yet clear professional boundaries; contact youth as needed to help ensure their participation, track attendance, and administer the dissemination of youth incentives.
- Identify additional needs of youth in the group and communicate those needs to CYS coordinators to make further services connections for participating youth as needed.
- Respect the space and rules of partner/host agencies where sessions may be held and communicate with CYS immediately if any concerns arise at the location or with youth enrolled.
- Maintain clear communication with parents, host locations and CYS to ensure successful delivery of services to meet the needs of youth.
- Outreach and follow up with established school contacts to negotiate scheduling and location for sessions.
- Guide and support school contacts to recruit and place youth for this service.

Other Duties:

- Other duties may be assigned as dictated by business needs.

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:

- May require spending most of the day walking, standing, sitting, and regularly driving back and forth to off-site locations.
- Significant periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times.
- Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization’s facilities.
- Reliable transportation required.

Minimum Qualifications:

- Bachelor’s degree in social work, counseling, sociology, human services, psychology, or a closely related field a minimum of 3 years of case management experience (with at least 2 years of clinical case management experience) in social work and/or juvenile justice or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Candidate will be required to pass background clearance and TB test (TB test only when requested).
- Experience providing in-home and/or community-based direct services to families.
- Ability to maintain a case load of higher needs clients, including youth with serious red flags (Gang affiliations), foster youth, and/or advocacy needs.
- Case Management experience or related position within social service organizations
- Experience in interviewing youth and their families and assessing personal, health, educational, social, or financial needs and risk factors.
- Experience providing case management services to children, youth, and their families, including the identification and pursuit of resources necessary and appropriate to meet clients’ needs.
- Experience providing culturally relevant services.
- Experience working with adolescents and high-risk populations, including sound crisis management skills and high level of emotional intelligence.
- Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to connect with a variety of audiences.
- Candidate must be able to work well under stress and meet deadlines.
- Ability to demonstrate flexibility in regard to job duties and assignments as well as being accessible to clients during emergency and nonemergency situations.
- Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office and various software packages.
- Demonstrated understanding and ability to apply Restorative Justice concepts, practices, and best practices.
- Solid understanding of traumas effects on behavior & development and how to prevent re-traumatization.
- Understanding and ability to apply youth development principles and practices.
- Knowledgeable about community services and ability to make appropriate referrals as needed.
- Ability to form relationships with high-risk individuals and groups, as well as individuals in their support systems.
- Ability to interact effectively with diverse cultural communities and with a variety of public and private agencies, including public school officials, law enforcement, community-based and nonprofit organizations, and other city and county agencies.
- Ability to facilitate and coordinate supportive activities with other program staff and appropriate community agencies and schools.
- Ability to mediate, negotiate and navigate systems on behalf of and in collaboration with clients (provide advocacy).
- Strong critical thinking and contributes solutions.
- Ability to provide team mentorship to team members and possibly inter-departmental mentorship.
- Highly skilled in conflict resolution, crisis response and de-escalation.
- Ability to conduct a Mental Status Exam.
- Ability to demonstrate and apply the basic skills of Motivational Interviewing (affirmations, reflective listening, open-ended questions, summarizing, and eliciting change talk).

Preferred Skills/Experience:

- Master’s degree in social work preferred with a minimum of 2 years of clinical case management and/or counseling experience in social work or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Formal training and experience with restorative practices or restorative justice.