POSITION SUMMARY The Social Worker is responsible for ensuring children’s health, safety and wellbeing with a goal to actively engage parents, families, and communities to strengthen connections, address challenges and trauma, and create change.

The Social

Worker is responsible for seeking to understand the psychological, social, physical, spiritual and financial elements that influence the child, family, and community, and balance the child’s safety and well-being with the rights and needs of the family.

The Social

Worker must use sound judgement and be responsive to reports of suspected child harm. They must advocate for children and families against all forms of abuse, neglect, and discrimination.

Social

Workers (Non-Protection) provide services and programs related to foster care, adoption, permanent care and custody, Wik’manej Kikmanaq – family group conference, weli-Iknmakwemk/blessings of life, safe and kinship, and pride and recruitment:

Foster Care The Foster Care Program provides children in care with the ability to connect with culturally appropriate placements based on their specific needs. This program includes the identification of foster care families, identification of needs for children

who are entering foster care, child-specific training to assist foster parents in the development of foster children and ongoing assessment of the children’s welfare and support in their development during the extent of their foster

care.

Adoption The Adoption Program matches children to prospective families, actively and effectively placing children into permanent adoptive homes by supporting the child, birth parents, and adoptive families from the beginning to the end of the adoption

process. This includes assessing, understanding, and adapting processes and services to each child, while ensuring overall safety and well-being of the child if there is an allegation of abuse and providing support and education to

prospective adoptive parents.

Permanent Care and Custody The Permanent Care and Custody Program assesses children’s needs to support the development of their initial care plan. This program is designed to assess children’s needs, identify services to address their needs, and provide interim placement for children, while working toward permanent placement that provides respect to the child’s safety, wellbeing, religion, language, race, identity and culture.

Weli-Iknmakwemk/Blessings of Life The Weli-Iknmakwemk/Blessings of Life program plays an important role in honoring and supporting Mi’kmaw women and their families throughout their pregnancy journey to establish connections

through community-based, culturally safe, and relevant prevention and early intervention programs and services through trauma-informed practices. This includes the provision of traditional and mainstream resources, while assisting

in the development and implementation of expecting parent curriculum, including spiritual workshops, parent preparation and training workshops, expectant parent groups and additional programs that meet the needs of the community.

Wik’manej Kikmanaq – Family Group Conference (FGC)

The Wik’manej Kikmanaq – Family Group Conference (FGC) program serves all First Nations communities throughout Nova Scotia. This program is responsible for engaging families to participate in Family Group Conferences; a process implemented to develop safety and permanency plans for the child(ren).

PRIDE and Recruitment The PRIDE and Recruitment Program provides services to prospective foster and adoptive parents as per the Children and Family Services Act of Nova Scotia. This program is responsible for assessing prospective foster and adoptive parents

and making recommendations regarding the approval process of families. Additionally, Social Workers within this program are responsible for program development, direct client services, orientation, training, coordination, and

delivery of effective and efficient foster care and adoption service PRIDE modules to staff and clients.

Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE)

The Safe program provides Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE)



assessments (a uniform home study methodology) for individuals who are applying to become foster parents, adoptive parents, and kinship providers.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities will be divided amongst the Social Workers (Non-Protection) as determined appropriate by management, with key responsibilities including, but not limited to:

· Acts as an initial point of contact for current or potential foster or adoptive parents, expectant and current biological parents, and their families – providing advisory support, information, and ongoing services as it relates to the non-protection programs within the Agency

· Identifies, plans, develops, and implements curriculum, programs, information sessions, and evaluation strategies as it relates to the needs of children and families (adoptive, foster, or biological)

· Plans, organizes, and directs prevention groups or workshops that meet the needs of the community

· Plans and organizes spiritual or otherwise informative parent workshops and information sessions (i.e., prenatal yoga, financial readiness sessions, sacred medicines workshops, prayers, elders consulting sessions, etc.)

· Creates plans and assessments including but not limited to foster family assessments and ongoing evaluations, safety and permanency plans, foster and/or adoptive training and child development plans, and PROTECTED assessments

· Completes file preparation for court hearings, settlement, and legal case conferences

· Plans, develops, and monitors case files, ensuring appropriate documentation of all child-related information, including social, medical, cultural, racial, educational, linguistic, family background, and experiences of birth parent and child, educational files, and any rationale for discretionary funding or other special circumstances (as required).

· Completes annual comprehensive plans for care for each child on their caseload; this may include meeting with primary caregivers or foster parents, and regular monitoring of the plans.

· Participates in clinical evaluations for children in the care of the Agency

· Supervises and provides services to children in the care of the Agency

· Maintains records on the case management system

· Participates in Wik’manej Kikmanaq Circles

· Develops information sharing strategies through social media and other correspondence to enhance awareness of programs and services to expectant parents, biological parents, and potential or current foster and adoptive parents

· Work with birth families and adopted child to determine level of involvement with the child post-adoption

· Gathers and inputs information related to social, medical, cultural, racial, linguistic, family background, and the experiences of the birth parents and child, while assessing other individual needs of the child in an effort to find a family who can most effectively support the child during their growth and development

· Establishes and maintains co-operative relationships with community groups, agencies, and community members partakes in required services (such as safety and permanency plans)

· Provides direct and intensive services to families to strengthen their capacity to care for children

· Offers and promotes the support of the Allegation Support Social Worker (employed by the Federation of Foster Families for Nova Scotia) during times of protocol investigation

· Schedules programing, meetings, and information sessions, providing transformation or other support services to encourage participation

· Facilitate confidential discussions with (through the FCG) with an objective of developing a safe plan for the child(ren) within the community

· Participates in comprehensive planning for children who (may) require permanency by collaborating with the Protection Team,



Foster Care Social Worker, and foster families, while seeking input from the child’s birth family and the child (if appropriate)

· Prepares child for adoption, to exit care, or move into the disability support or PCCA program, paying attention to points of transition that a child may experience during reunification to family, adoption, moving out on their own, or entering post-care support

· Ensures adherence to specified expenditure amounts and approval processes for the provision of financial support, demonstrating professional judgement in discretionary spending to meet the needs of the child in care.

· Provides trauma-informed and culturally supportive intervention to families requiring support and information regarding the Adoption Records Act, and assesses potential eligibility for funding to support for youth with special needs (in accordance with the subsidized adoption policy requirements)

· Ensures adherence to the roles and requirements as outlined in the Protocol for Investigating Allocations of Child Abuse and Neglect in Foster care Homes and Adoption Probation Homes (CAIT)

· Investigates allegations of child abuse and neglect in foster homes and adoption probation homes

· Collaborates with community services and agencies (as required) to implement safety and permanency plans

· Completes after-hours emergency duty on a rotational basis

· Additional responsibilities as assigned by Program Supervisor or Prevention Manager

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, & EXPERIENCE

· Bachelor’s degree in Social Work (BSW) from an accredited institution

· Registered with (or eligible for) the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (NSCSW)

· Master’s degree in social work (MSW), considered an asset

· SAFE-certified (if providing SECURE program)

· FCARES experience (if providing PRIDE program)

· Vulnerable Sector and Child Abuse Registry Check

· Valid driver’s license, access to a reliable vehicle, and willingness to travel; may be required to be insured for transporting clients

· Actively working towards requirements of Representative Status

· Minimum of two years’ experience as a Child Welfare Worker

· Knowledge of the Children and Family Services Act, an asset

· FCARES experience

· Understanding of and ability to effectively provide child development, family dynamics and functioning, child abuse and neglect, and trauma-formed care

· Ability to assess applicants’ capacity to care for children who have experienced trauma and/or who may be exhibiting challenging behaviors

· Experience working in First Nations Child Welfare, considered an asset

· Understanding and respect for diversity, inclusion, and Mi’kmaw history and culture

· Knowledge of customs and traditions of the Mi’kmaw communities of Nova Scotia

· Understanding of the effects of multigenerational trauma including mental health, addictions, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and other

· Ability to effectively assess risk and mitigate issues based on information gathered during the SAFE process

· Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a non-judgmental partner with parents and children

· Ability to understand sensitivity and barriers related to diversity when formulating goals and service delivery

· Understanding of the fundamental concepts of culture, including various perceptions, behaviors, and values

· Demonstrated skills in investigation and therapeutic intervention with children and families

· Effective collaboration and relationship building skills

· Excellent oral and written communication skills

· Must be willing to work in an environment where Mi’kmaw is the first language; ability to speak and understand Mi’kmaw language is considered an asset

· Experience working in a Mi’kmaw community, considered an asset

· Ability to work effectively both in a team and individually

· Strong time-management skills and ability to meet structured timelines

· Ability to maintain a high-level of confidentiality and exercise sound judgment

· Willingness to enhance knowledge and understanding through additional training and workshops

📌 Wikimanej Kikmanaq Family Group Circle Social Worker (Canada)
🏢 Mi’kmaw Family u0026 Children's Services of Nova Scotia
📍 Canada