Visitation Coach

Catawba County Social Services is seeking a compassionate team member to support and enhance the strengths of parents while helping them develop new parenting skills.  In this position, you will provide strength-based coaching to parents of children experiencing foster care during supervised visitation.  Children enter foster care due to abuse, neglect, and/or dependency. This role is critical to assist families in achieving a permanent plan of reunification.  

This position follows a second-shift schedule, typically from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM, making it a great fit for those with daytime commitments. The role requires approximately two weekend shifts per month, scheduled on a rotating basis. Weekend shifts are limited to one day per weekend. This is a full-time position with a total of 40 hours worked per week.

As a visitation coach, you are responsible for transporting children and parents to supervised visitation. A county car is available, and in rare circumstances, you would transport in your own vehicle. The visits are designed to build on parenting skills and reinforce the parent/child relationship.  You will provide coaching to parents both before and after to help them build on their parenting skills.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide visitation coaching for parent/child visitations, assisting parents to learn practical behavioral approaches for children through supervision, coaching, modeling, and redirection
• Provide transportation for children and parents to remove barriers and facilitate access to necessary services, such as court-ordered visitation and school.
• Provide case management activities, including but not limited to completion of social histories, calling/interviewing of collateral contacts, evaluation of client situation, and assessment of safety and well-being of the child, participation in Child and Family Team Meetings, informing parents and foster parents of services, and coordinating services when needed
• Complete appropriate and timely documentation in the permanency planning record, including recording all interactions with the child and writing of visitation summaries
• Work with the Permanency Planning team to address any crisis as you are available

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited school of social work or in a human services field; OR
• Bachelor’s degree in a non-human services field and 1 year of social work experience

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• A valid driver’s license with a safe driving record (Driving is an essential function of this position)
• Ability to engage with parents and children with a strength-based approach
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Excellent interpersonal and intervention skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with other professionals
• Compassion when working with families and children who are experiencing foster care
• Solid understanding of trauma and how it impacts children and families engaged in the child welfare system
• This is considered light to medium work; lifting up to 40 pounds

PREFERENCES:

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work is strongly preferred.