Collaborative Practice Coordinator FT/Temporary

Job Summary:

This position is to support a range of collaborative practice options to address planning issues for youth and families involved with MFS and MCFD's statutory child welfare services. Examples of collaborative practices include Family Group Conferencing (FGC; also known as Planning Circles), Family Case Planning Conference (FCPC; also known as brief Planning Circles), and Youth Transition Conference (YTC; also known as Youth Planning Circles).

Participation of clients (children, youth and families) along with extended family members, (kin), friends, (kith), and others, such as service providers, is critical to the MFS's strategic commitment to family empowerment and building upon family strengths. The type of conference most suited to the family can be selected from the menu of above noted options.

The Collaborative Practice Coordinator role is to organize a conference, orientate and prepare parents/youth and other family members, ensuring that they understand its purpose and process, accept the terms and conditions of the conference; determine who is to attend; involve community members as appropriate; conduct the conference, document proceedings, distribute the plan as appropriate and follow up on the need for further conferencing.

The Collaborative Practice Coordinator is responsible for organizing, coordinating, facilitating and following up on all elements of Family Planning Circles and the resulting Family Planning Circle Plan, including the orientation and preparation of the parents, children and youth and their natural support network and/or community members participating in Family Planning Circle meetings. Family Planning Circles involve family and community members in child welfare, decision making, while producing plans and agreements that focus on child safety that address family needs. Family Planning Circles also include bringing support networks together for youth transition planning; as well as permanency planning for children and youth in care of the Director.

The Collaborative Practice Coordinator 's role requires an effective communicator with a collaborative approach who has the natural ability to build and maintain vital relationships with families, workers, and communities. The Collaborative Practice Coordinator will listen, guide and assist families and their support network to work collaboratively and provide connection opportunities to children and families involved with Metis Family Services.

Reports to: The Family Services Team Leader

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

The following are some of the daily activities that may be required of the Coordinator to perform satisfactorily in this position:

• Assess the family issue and/or client need that requires the family and/or the client and their support network's participation in a Planning Circle and contacting the referring social worker to ensure all relevant information about participant's needs and safety concerns involving clients and families are met
• Interview and assist the clients to identify family members, extended family and other significant people who may participate in the Planning Circles
• Provide guidance and support to clients to identify the supports that they have and the supports that they will need to develop a workable plan to ensure children's safety and well-being
• Assist families to develop family plans with the purpose of reuniting the children with the family or developing alternate permanency plans for the children and the youth in care of the Director
• Contact the identified individuals by families to invite and prepare them for the Planning Circles by assessing their willingness to participate, identifying strengths and explaining purpose for Planning Circle and Guidelines
• Support and prepare vulnerable children and youth to prepare them for participation in Planning Circles while ensuring that their views are always heard
• Engage, involve and support youth to develop goals and plan for the future and to develop connections to caring people who will continue to actively support the youth well after transitioning out of government care or youth agreements when reaching the age of majority
• Liaise and network actively with families of the Indigenous communities to develop working partnership and to support the traditional decision-making processes
• Work respectfully in partnership with the families of Indigenous communities to support children youth and families while ensuring children are connected to their family, community and culture
• Provide information and prepare support service providers to participate in Planning Circles to ensure clarity of roles by collaboration with both the referring social worker and the family
• Plan and facilitate Planning Circles in order that the family members meet with the service providers involved with the case (including the social worker) in a manner that is respectful of and empowers the families to participate fully in the decision-making process
• If required, reconvene the initial Planning Circle meeting when the family has a plan to be presented to the referring social worker and supervisor for approval, including assisting the family to regroup if the first plan is not acceptable, or if aspects of the plan need further discussion
• Arrange a review Planning Circle for review or follow-up on the progress of plans agreed upon at the initial Planning Circle. Provide a copy of the agreed upon plan to all participants
• Arrange logistics for setting up the Planning Circles including the venue, transportation, refreshments and childcare as needed
• Ensure that the Family Plans resulting from Planning Circles are well documented
• Maintain accurate reports and records and ensure that all documentation is completed as per policies
• Participate in meetings with social workers and professionals on a regular basis to report progress and discuss Planning Circle issues, concerns and evaluate the effectiveness of the Planning Circles
• Support social workers by teaching them how to prepare for, communicate about, facilitate, and administrate Planning Circles.
• Promote awareness and encourage use of Planning Circles through communities/agencies serving families that have MCFD involvement
• Performs other related duties as required.

Qualifications:

• BSW or MSW; BA Child and Youth Care; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A minimum of three (3) years' experience in child welfare work in the last five (5) years.
• You must be eligible for the C3 delegation.
• Experience in facilitating groups and/or meetings

Skills and Abilities

• Good knowledge of Indigenous issues as they relate to child welfare and experience in working with Indigenous children and families
• Good communication, advocacy and diplomacy skills
• Self-directed and motivated to complete research with minimal supervision
• Job task planning and organizational skills
• Excellent oral, written facilitation, coordination, and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated teamwork, good time and general management skills
• Ability to work effectively with program staff, volunteers, and non-profit or publicly funded groups, agencies and organizations

Additional Information:

This position requires the ability to function independently frequently under pressure while managing multiple concurrent projects and deadlines including effectively managing emergency situations. Program delivery activities may require a moderate level of physical fitness to effectively carry out duties of the position.

Core Competencies:

Indigenous Relations Behavioural Competencies:

• Cultural Agility is the ability to work respectfully, knowledgeably, and effectively with Indigenous people. It is noticing and readily adapting to cultural uniqueness in order to create a sense of safety for all. It is openness to unfamiliar experiences, transforming feelings of nervousness or anxiety into curiosity and appreciation. It is examining one's own culture and worldview, and the culture of Métis Family Services, and to notice their commonalities, and distinctions with Indigenous cultures, and worldviews. It is recognition of the ways that personal and professional values may conflict or align with those of Indigenous people. It is the capacity to relate to or allow for differing cultural perspectives and being willing to experience a personal shift in perspective. Effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.

Behavioural Competencies

• Results Orientation Skills concern for surpassing a standard of excellence. The standard may be one's own past performance (striving for improvement); an objective measure (achievement orientation); challenging goals that one has set; or even improving or surpassing what has already been done (continuous improvement).
• Teamwork and Co-operation is the ability to work co-operatively with diverse teams, work groups, and across the organization to achieve group and organizational goals. It includes the desire and ability to understand and respond effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.
• Service Orientation implies a desire to identify and serve customers/clients, who may include the public, co-workers, other branches, other ministries/agencies, other government organizations, and non-government organizations. It means focusing one's efforts on discovering and meeting the needs of the customer/client.
• Listening and understanding responding and has the ability to understand and respond effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds. It includes the ability to understand accurately and respond effectively to spoken and unspoken or partly expressed thoughts, feelings and concerns of others. People who demonstrate high levels of this competency show a deep and complex understanding of others, including cross—cultural sensitivity
• Planning, Organizing and Coordinating involves proactively planning, establishing priorities and allocating resources. It is expressed by developing and implementing increasingly complex plans. It also involves monitoring and adjusting work to accomplish goals and deliver to the organization's mandate.
• Self-Control is the ability to keep one's emotions under control and restrain negative actions when provoked, faced with opposition or hostility from others, or when working under stress. It also includes the ability to maintain stamina under continuing stress.

Other Requirements:

• Required to use own vehicle. Valid Class 5 Driver's License, Driver's Abstract and a reliable and safe vehicle.
• Subject to a positive reference check.
• Successful completion of security screening requirements of Métis Family Services, which includes a criminal records check, and/or Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA) check, police record checks, enhanced security screening and degree verification.
• Satisfactory proof of legal authorization to work in Canada.

Rate of pay: PSJEP SPO 24 +1: $ to $48.8807

Start date: As soon as possible.

Please apply for this position from our website at the following link

This position requires union membership.

Metis Family Services thanks all applicants for their interest in this career opportunity; however, only those considered for the position will be contacted.

Required

• 3 year(s): A minimum of three (3) years' experience in child welfare work in the last five (5) years.

Required

• Bachelor's degree or better in Social Work

Required

• Delegated License

Required

• Time Management
• Oral written facilitation and int comm skills
• Team Work
• Knowledge of Metis and Indigenous issues