Friday, May 16, 2014

EDUC 6990- Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

Robin C. Miller                                                                                                  EDUC- 6990
Blog – Week 2
The following are three local of state organizations or community of practice that appeals to me and why?
1.      PhilaBundance – Driving Hunger from Our Communities (www.Philabundance.org)
PhilaBundance is a program that helps provide food to the needy. It requires volunteers to help properly distribute the food. This program particularly appeals to me because I assist with a volunteer group at my job that is a part of PhilaBundance. Every Wednesday and Friday I help deliver food to needy families in my area.
2.      Project HOME- Is a program that helps to “empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society” (www.projecthome.org). This program appeals to me especially because their mission is similar to my overall mission of helping families build the confidence and motivation they need by aiding them with the basic living needs.
3.      The Salvation Army- Is an International Christian based program whose mission is not only, to meet the human needs without any form of discrimination but to also, “feed, clothe, comfort, care, and to rebuild broken home and broken lives.” (www.salvationarmyusa.org) this program appeals to me because it helps motivate me to excel in my want to help needy families and children. Their overall mission is very inspirational.

A few job opportunities that interest me are…
1.      CUA Outcome Specialist – Wordsworth Academy
Description- 
o   The Outcome Specialist is responsible for facilitating safe case closure and achieving permanency for the children and youth on their caseload through partnering with CUA Case Managers to achieve objectives identified on the Single Case Plan.
o   They are part of a larger Case Management Team working to achieve safety, permanency, and well-being for children and families.
Requirements- 
o   Must have a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related field including but not limited to sociology, psychology, counseling, criminal justice, education, divinity, or public health administration.
o   Candidates with a degree in an unrelated field require a minimum of three years’ experience working in child, youth, and family serving systems and approved waiver from the Department of Human Services.
o   Two years’ experience working in child and family serving preferred.

2.      Case Manager-Family Focus- North East Treatment Center
Description-
o   Coordination of interagency meeting and necessary psychological or psychiatric evaluations for all clients.
o   Coordinate access to medical and/or other treatment  services as needed by family members
o   Responsible for client/family outreach in all matters surrounding the coordination of services
o   Responsible to assist families in accessing community support and resources
o   Responsible to advocate on behalf of client needs
o   Responsible to assure ongoing communication and integration of services among all service providers and support systems involved with the child and family
o   Responsible to implement clinical strategies as developed with team
Requirements
o   Bachelor’s Degree in a mental health or related human services field
o    At least two years of case management experience working with youth
o   Must demonstrate a genuine respect for children , adolescents, and their families
o   Be sensitive to the needs of children and adolescents particularly those that relate to family dynamics, and the educational and community structures.
o   Demonstrate an understanding of cultural competence

3.      Strengthening Families Specialist – Words Worth Academy
Description
o   The Strengthening Families Specialist (SFS) is responsible for promoting the Center for the Study of Social Policy’s “Strengthening Families™, a Protective Factors Framework" throughout the CUA service region.
o   They are part of the CUA Community Team, and actively support the community through the development of family protective factors to support the safety, permanency and well-being of children, youth and families
Requirements
o   Bachelor’s in Social Work or related field, including, but not limited to, sociology, psychology, counseling, criminal justice, education, divinity or public health administration.  
o   Candidates with a degree in an unrelated field require a minimum of three years’ experience working in child, youth, and family serving systems and an approved waiver from the Department of Human Services.
o   PA Criminal Background Check, Federal Bureau of Investigation Clearance, PA Child Abuse Clearance, Wordsworth medical verification.
o   At least two years’ experience working in a community-based human services program

These three positions interest me because they all help aide and assist families and their children. They also help focus on the family as a whole and the well-being of each member. I am going to apply for all three positions and see if I am blessed enough to get hired for at least one. 
Sites:

8 comments:

  1. The Strengthening Families Specialist sounds like it would be an interesting job. I am currently involved with one of their programs and think it is truly amazing what they do. The families are given a great deal of support as well as put in touch with wonderful resources that could help them become a stronger family.

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  2. I am going to apply, I think that it is a very interesting job as well and it fits my mission and overall goal of becoming an advocate for families. Thank you for commenting.I ask whom I have the pleasure of replying to?

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  3. Robin,

    I have really enjoyed reading your resources. We have the same goal of being an advocate for families. When I first ventured off into this degree, I thought children was my only passion. After gaining so much knowledge, I found that educating families is the key to helping children. Thank you for sharing your post.

    Chere'e

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  4. Thank you Chere'e! I feel the very same way. I love children, I really do but, I feel that in order for me to properly care for them and love them is to help their parents with the things they need in order to provide for the life that I do not see when they are home. It is one thing to provide a quality care environment when children are in your care. But, what about when their not?

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  5. Robin it was a pleasure reading your blog today. The communities of practice that you have chosen are very interesting. It is great that you are engaged in one of them already and that the other two do so much to help families obtain resources they so desperately need.

    I also think the Family Strengthening Specialist position is an interesting one and it is great to help the entire family. I pray that you are chosen for the position so that you can help bring positive changes to the families lives that you interact with during your workday.

    Janine

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    1. Thank you Janine, I hope and pray that I also receive that position. It would be a wonderful experience for me. I just want to be able to expand my assistance to more than teaching the beautiful preschoolers that I do everyday. I feel as if I could be doing more.

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  6. Hi Robin. These are excellent resources in regards to the community; I noticed these relate to family and children and the support they give to families and children. The Salvation Army is well-known throughout the world for their generous donations, volunteers and disaster relief funds. The articles of faith truly reflect their determination to remain faithful to their standards and principles. Thank you for sharing…Jay

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    1. The Salvation is a wonderful program indeed. I had referred them to families several times especially during the holidays when times get tough and families have no place to go, no food to eat, and no clothes to wear. I am grateful for all that the salvation army does.

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