Practicum Student

Vision
FamilyForward leads the community in providing innovative solutions for advancing safer, healthier relationships for children and families.

Mission
FamilyForward moves vulnerable children in the direction of hope by delivering comprehensive therapeutic and educational services to support biological, foster, and adoptive families.

Core Values

• Out Front: We are leaders in the use of innovative tools and methods to get better results for the children and families we serve. We prefer to set the pace, testing new ideas and collecting data; always striving to make the biggest impact we can.
• Whole Hearted: We are tirelessly committed to the vision and mission of FamilyForward. We use our unique talents and expertise to serve our clients and community with compassion, acceptance, and respect.
• Rock Solid: We are responsible stewards of an organization with a long and proud history of service. Reliable, trustworthy, and hard-working, we do whatever it takes to get the job done, even when no one is watching.

General Summary
The position involves assisting teachers, therapists and other program staff in providing psychoeducational and therapeutic treatment services to preschool-aged children. The Therapeutic Preschool provides a highly structured environment utilizing trauma-informed, developmentally sensitive interventions for children ages three to five experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties. The program helps children learn problem-solving skills and new ways of processing feelings and emotions. Highly trained teachers and therapists provide individualized care for children who have experienced developmental trauma. The agencys overarching philosophy is based in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), developed by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD of the ChildTrauma Academy. NMT is a trauma-informed, developmentally sensitive approach to understanding the impact of a childs history on current functioning. NMT provides the structure to best recognize the presenting behaviors and needs of each child. The Therapeutic Preschool program incorporates interventions supportive of sensory integration and self-regulation.

Essential Job Functions

• Adhere to the ethical standards of FamilyForward and those of the specific profession.
• Maintain core values standards.

Observe, assist and/or participate directly in:

• Program delivery of client services.
• Use of data, accepted best practice standards, and continued education to improve services and client outcomes.
• The revision of existing policies and procedures related to the delivery of services.
• The review and evaluation of on-going Agency programs.
• Maintain an environment that facilitates safety, healthy affect regulation, promotes child directed learning experiences, and inclusive early care and education.
• Learn and apply effective techniques for communicating with children who have experienced developmental trauma; establish effective working relationships with clients, their caregivers, community representatives, and staff.
• Identify the personal needs of children; implement therapeutic care to children by providing assistance to classroom staff and therapists (such as rocking, holding, reading, singing, or sitting with, etc.).
• Provide crisis prevention intervention and behavioral role modeling for children using effective mental health techniques.
• Implement one-on-one and group therapeutic activities with assistance from teachers, educational therapists and therapists.
• Provide timely documentation of therapeutic services provided.
• Engage in activities agreed upon between student and Practicum Supervisor to be detailed in the Educational Learning Agreement.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the Program Manager, Supervisor or Practicum Supervisor.
• Must be actively involved in Continuous Quality Improvement processes and standards promoting excellent services to our FamilyForwards clients and help maintain an excellent work environment for all staff and volunteers.
All employees must exhibit conduct and provide service in keeping the ethics of the profession and FamilyForward.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Enrolled in a masters degree program in social work, counseling, public health, or a related field;
• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to execute each essential duty satisfactorily.
• The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
• Individuals are expected to exhibit conduct and provide service in keeping with the values of FamilyForward and the ethics of the profession.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Leadership style that demonstrates team orientation, confidence, reliability, and maturity.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Flexibility, creativity, and the ability to work effectively in a team-oriented, highly collaborative, and mutually respectful environment.
• Ability to develop and sustain positive, long-term, trust-based relationships with children, families and staff.
• Innovative and critical thinking skills, ability to solve problems in a fast-paced setting.
• Passion about the work, coupled with strong work ethic.
• Demonstrable interest and commitment to the specific vision and mission of FamilyForward.
• Have the personal characteristics and temperament suitable for working with children with challenging behaviors and unique needs.
• Have the energy and flexibility to meet the needs of children.
• Have the personal characteristics to provide children with safe, nurturing, secure, and continuous care.

Working Conditions
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and climb or balance. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 45 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move no more than 45 pounds.* Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus. This job may, if necessary, require evening or weekend work. Qualified individuals with disabilities may make a request for reasonable accommodation to the Human Resources Department..
Occasionally: 1-33%, Frequently: 34-66%, Continuously: 67-100%

Additional Notes
The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed, but are not to be seen as a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees so classified. Also, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.