The Family Engagement Specialist is a member of the Fostering Sustainable Connections program and identifies, engages and prepares potential permanent families and/or supportive permanent connections, for youth in the child welfare system, who are at risk of long term foster care. The position also identifies and nurtures family strength building and other family attributes to enhance the safety and well-being of children.

Why You'll Love Working for Us:

At Arizona's Children Association, our employees are our most valuable asset; and as such we offer a wide range of benefits to aid your health and wellness including:

- Eligibility for Medical, Dental, and Vision plans on the first of the month following 30 days of employment
- Employee Assistance Program
- Generous paid time off, paid sick leave, and 8 paid holidays
- 403B Retirement Savings Plan

2024 Arizona's Children Association Benefits Guide

Find your passion. Fulfill your purpose. Join Team AzCA!

What You'll Do:

• Identifies, locates and tracks relatives, fictive kin and/or significant adults from the referred youth's life.
• Engages identified family members/potential supportive adults using a strength-based approach, and is genuine and authentic when discussing the multiple options to support the permanency process for the youth.
• Assess readiness of the youth and/or family members/potential supportive adults' for initial contact with youth and prepares them for this initial contact.
• Organizes, and facilitates family/connections meetings for each youth
• Prepares for contact by determining the family members/potential supportive adults' cultural and language needs; transportation needs; and confidentiality and safety issues.
• Implements the 3-5-7 model of practice to address youth's separation and loss issues in order to promote the youth's readiness for permanency
• Respects the youth by providing a safe place and time for expression of feelings, explains the purpose of meetings and activities and demonstrates active listening and being present;
• Engages youth in activities that explore their lives and let them tell their story such through the use of life books, lifelines and connectedness maps, while always respecting the youths thoughts and feelings;
• Provides transportation for youth to activities associated with the program;
• Collaborates with DCS and other team members for each youth referred.

Minimum Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree and 2 years related experience OR
• Master's degree and less than 2 years related experience
• Relevant Degree includes the following degrees: Human Services, Psychology, Social Work, Counseling and Child Development. Other degrees may be considered with at least 20 Credit hours from an accredited university in the previously referenced degree specialty.

Minimum Qualification & Requirements:

• Must be 21 years of age (licensing requirement).
• Possess a valid Arizona driver's license and be insurable under the agency's automobile policy.
• Must be able to provide own transportation to and from clients' homes and/or other relevant organizations/agencies
• Must be able to provide DPS fingerprint clearance.
• Must be able to meet training and agency compliance requirements for the position.
• An individual may qualify for this position if the individual is able to ?perform safely? the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations. Perform safely means to perform without causing a direct threat to the health or safety of the individual or others that cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodations, as defined by 42 U.S.C. #1211 (b) and the Commission's regulations found at 29 C.F.R #1630.2 (r).

At Arizona's Children Association we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that not only promotes, but values and celebrates diversity. Our goal is to create an inclusive workplace and culture to better serve our children, families and community.

Just like the uniqueness of the families we serve, we strive to be diverse in:

race, color, ethnicity, national origin, culture, language, gender, age, sexual orientation/preference, gender identity and expression, disability and/or diagnosis, marital status, religion, status, or any other protected status.

AzCA does not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

AzCA is an EEO/Veterans/Disabled/LGBTQ employer