| Direct Service Work with Clients |
| Our agency works with youth and family clients from anywhere in the state. The majority of our family clients reside in the greater metro area. Once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, staff will travel to visit their clients, typically outside of regular work hours. Permanency Specialists will usually visit their clients once a month, while other roles generally visit clients less frequently. Program Directors are generally in the office most of the time. Additionally, the agency hosts 3-4 weekend events per year that require participation of staff from most positions at the Agency. |
| Does your current lifestyle and other commitments allow for such flexibility and variability in your schedule? |
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| Due to the travel required, direct service roles require a mixture of office and remote work. During the pandemic, travel has not been required, and staff have the option to be entirely remote. |
| What are your initial reactions to working away from co-workers and supervisors as a typical part of your job? For Program Director applicants, what's your reaction to supervising positions that are frequently in the field? |
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| Direct service work with our clients requires significant use of judgment, self-direction, and time management. You will need to juggle scheduling in-person/video meetings with clients and team members, frequent email and phone communication and follow-up, documentation and case noting requirements, and on-the-spot decision-making when in the field. |
| What do you think you’d enjoy about that kind of work? What do you think you’d struggle with/not enjoy as much? |
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| All direct service staff are issued a laptop and smartphone. Our agency uses Microsoft Office 365 products, and rely heavily on use of Outlook, Teams, and Word. We use Zoom for video meetings. We utilize a web-based case management program for case noting, documentation, and task oversight. Direct service staff may also manage several professional social media accounts in order to communicate with clients. Staff may also need to use Adobe Acrobat Pro in order to redact confidential case files. |
| Do you have any concerns about your ability to manage these tools, or questions about their use? |
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| Our Agency |
| Ampersand Families works mostly with older youth who are under state guardianship, and relative and non-relative families who wish to be a permanency resource for them. |
| Describe your understanding of the circumstances that would result in a youth being in need of an adoptive family as a teen. |
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| Our agency acknowledges that child welfare is rooted in racist practices and we hold a commitment to anti-racist practices in our work. |
| Please share any thoughts, reflections, or observations about where and how systemic bias shows up in child welfare. |
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| Ampersand Families believes that diversity, inclusion and equity must be central to all major organizational operations so that we can most effectively serve our youth, families and other stakeholders, and so that we can maintain our leadership role in the community. |
| Please share 1-2 ways you can support these efforts if you were selected for this position. |
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