Candidate Screening

Welcome prospective candidates. We want you to have all the information possible when making a decision about coming aboard with Families Together, Inc. If you are still interested once you review this page, then please follow the instructions at the bottom. Whether you join us or not, we want to thank you for taking the time to visit here.

Mission:
Purpose of FTI is to keep the family system intact. Family could be biological, foster, or adoptive. If removal must occur, then all other options must be exhausted, and a permanent plan must be engaged.

In addition we also strive to support adults who wish to remain independent.

History of agency:
Started in December of 2003, as a Community-Based Services-Pro company with a vision of keeping kids in their home, and bringing out-of-county kids back home. Soon expanded into Intensive Child Case Management, CBS-Para, Therapy.

Now providing Diagnostic Assessments, QP-based Community Support(Child&Adult), CST,Specialized Case Management, Intensive In-Home,ACTT, Day Treatment, Mobile Crisis Management, Psychiatric Supports, CAP-Disabled Adults, and School-Based Integrated Care services.

Qualifications:
Candidates need a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in a Human Service Field from an accredited institution.  Prefer applicants who have at least 2-4 years of specialized supervision in the mental health, substance abuse and/or DD fields. 

We will also consider candidates who hold a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in a non-human service field if the appropriate experience has been attained. This experience includes working with at-risk children and/or their families.

Therapists need to be Board licensed as LCSW, LMFT, or LPC and be certified to practice under North Carolina law.  Provisionally licensed therapist may also apply.

Payment system:For Family Sevice Coordinators we reimburse twice monthly.

***We currently have openings for Family Service Coordinators

***We currently do not have openings for Para-Professionals

***We currently have openings for Therapists

Important! You may work as hard or as little as you would like as long as you are meeting your billable standards and upholding the valutes of the agency. You set all your own hours. There are no recognized holidays, sick day, etc. since we're on-call. Our consumers need our support during non-traditional hours. We are more interested in your supporting their goals and the outcomes accordingly. Take whatever time you need as long as those goals are being served.

THIS IS NOT A TRADITIONAL JOB. If you're expecting that then you might want to stop here and seek an assignment elsewhere. This is hard work, and you are recognized and rewarded when you provide the services to children and families. We're here on the mission of keeping families together. Folks seeking "traditional' employment need not apply.

Note: If you receive health insurance from us you must average working 30 hours or more per week.

Team Bank:
Monies the Team has control over. Used for clients and/or staff.

Benefits:
Health--We pay 75%, Mental Health--20 visits/yr, Life--$15,000, Professional Liability coverage and Retirement plan. Optional Dental and additional Life for employee and family. Staff covers 100% of their family.

Mileage reimbursements every month.

Incentives: Value and performance-based revenue-sharing, individual incentives, and professional development opportunities.

Technology: We are constantly working toward a streamlined, effecient paperless system. Since August of 2007 we give Moterola Q's to every staff member. This device allows you to recieve all emails and phone messages anywhere and anytime, and comes with options for personal use. This improves consumer access as well as keeps everyone in the agency connected. In addition you will be able to work remotely on our secure servers from home.

We have many extra curricular activities, such as a softball team, indoor soccer, and many team sponsored events such as field days, bowling, and a team from FTI that ran in the 24 Hour Run for Africa.

Company growth:
Families Together Inc. has achieved exponential growth since it opened it's doors in December of 2003. Additional positions are frequently becoming available as we continue to expand. Families Together Inc. almost exclusively promotes from within. We are an outstanding company for those who want to develop professionally.

Chaotic system:
You must be able to work in an environment of change. Mental Health Transformation in North Carolina means that the public system is divesting of their services, and we're one of the agencies filling the vacuum.

We are also working with families and adults experiencing chaos during this unique period, so their stress and ours can be significant. Rules about how we perform our services are changing regularly. How do you react to change? How do you believe you would function in a chaotic system, or with a young agency?

Team Culture:
We meet regularly in teams so that quality of services to families is not sacrificed, since you will frequently be working on your own. We meet weekly to connect, get support/supervision, grab some lunch, have a training, etc. We use this time to support and challenge each other, and we work on the Team Process.

Teams also recommend almost all of the final hires within the agency. Expect after the initial screening that you might be called in for a face-to-face interview with members of HR and/or Management. If you pass through this process then you may be asked to interview with a Team of 7-10 members. We believe that this process better buys you into the agency as well as gives the Team more direct ownership in your success.

Team Process:
We are in the conflict business. Because of this it is inevitable that there will be conflict within the agency and/or with other professionals involved in the cases. Our process demands that we talk to the person that we have an issue with, versus, talking around them to everyone else. This practice builds an environment of safety and trust. Due to our staff's observance of FTI's strong value system we are experiencing very little turnover.

Values:

1. Meet or exceed the needs of the Person Centered Plan (PCP).

2. Maintain a positive, solution-based demeanor.

3. Give and accept feedback appropriately, and grow.

4. Support the principles of System of Care (SOC).

5. Maintain great customer service.

6. Meet compliance on documentation and quality assurance.

Model:
We continue to refine based on evidenced-based principles. Currently we utilize a behavioral management system that brings components of several behavioral management models, combined with other evidenced-based therapies.

We work to combine services so that families benefit in a community-based way. We want and need the family or indepedent adult to drive their plan. We work to prevent, or stop, multiple placements of our consumers. We support the Foster Care and Adoption systems and we support all parties to prevent consumers from languishing in innapropriate, long-term out-of-home placements.

WE BELIEVE EVERY FAMILY MEMBER SHOULD HAVE HOPE.

Case loads: We believe small case loads translate to better quality of care. In addition, FTI is committed to providing care only as long as medically necessary. Below are the current caseloads held by some of our direct service personnel.

Child & Family CS staff: 2-7 families on average. Number of hours per- week per families averages 6.

Day Treatment: 3-5 staff to 9-12 kids per site.

Intensive In-Home: 8 families max at any given time.

Outpatient Therapy: 12-25 consumers on average.

Adult CS staff: 12-25 adult consumers on average.

CAP-DA: 30-35 adult consumers on average.

FTI serves children, families and adults directly, and/or through partnerships with various agencies including private human serices agencies, the Department of Social Services, the Division of Mental Health, the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Public Health, the Department of Public Instruction and Advocacy groups.

Orientation and Training:
Up to 60 paid hours of initial training will focus on intensive models, service definition study, policies and procedures, behavior management, documentation, etc. This will be followed by Clinical and Team Supervision, combined with on-the-job training and shadowing. Training will be ongoing.

Supervision and support:
You will launch your training in an intensive pre-service. Your Team Coordinator will support you in the field, your Team members will be a significant source of support, and your clinical resources will always be available. Everyone here maintains an open door policy.

We also support ongoing training's (i.e. In-Services, local and regional workshops, conferences, other).

Pre-Employment Requirements:
All candidates should be have a TB screening, and pass criminal background checks as required. You will be asked if you have ever had criminal charge(s) and/or conviction(s). Failure to disclose any past criminal activity may result in immediate dismissal from FTI.

You must provide proof of a clean driving record and proof of automobile insurance.

Please notify your insurance company that you may be transporting clients in your vehicle. Note: There will generally be an increase in your rate but that increase is typically reasonable. Inform your insurance company that FTI carries an auto rider that offers additional protection.

Documentation responsibility:
Person Centered Plans
Service Notes (eNotes)
Clinical Case Reviews
Possible periodic reports (court, etc)
Other

Most of our documentation can be done electronically (on-site and/or remotely), ie. Service Notes, as long as you have high-speed Internet access. This is preferred.

On Call responsibilities:
You will generally be on-call 24-7. You will have support here. For example your Team Coordinator and/or one of your Team members can take your pager at any time. We believe strongly that you should be the "one voice" that supports the consumer. Too many cooks in the kitchen can seriously complicate the consumer's plan.

Probation period:
5 months. Medical insurance can be activated however after 60 days.

A quick list of the pros and the cons.

If you're still interested and you're ready to apply please fill out our online
pre-employment application.