Foster Care Specialist

Ardmore, OK | Family Services | Full Time

Posted 10 days ago

We are currently looking for aFull Time Foster Care Specialist to join our Foster Care Resource Team team located at the Ardmore Family Services working8:00AM-5:00PM - Mo Tu We Th Fr.

Supports the well-being of children within the Chickasaw Nation Child Welfare program by providing services related to foster care, and family reunification. Works to ensure children in need of care receive safe, nurturing, and culturally appropriate placements, while also supporting families and working towards family preservation and reunification whenever possible.

• Develops and implements strategies for recruitment and retention of tribal foster care resources
• Conducts in home visits with potential and current resource families
• Continuously locates foster homes, group homes, shelters, respite care and other placements for foster children with limited notice
• Ensures an ongoing pool of trained and approved foster homes
• Performs outreach and provide program information to local community organizations and schools
• Prepares reports as needed or requested
• Collects and keeps confidential all information necessary to evaluate, certify, and close foster homes
• Assesses the open foster homes compliance with foster care policies and requirements
• Maintains close contact with the State Foster Care Programs, county child welfare offices, child placement agencies and other tribes
• Provides a minimum of quarterly home visits to open foster homes
• Offers training resources to foster families
• Helps foster families to understand the importance of bridging to support reunification efforts with biological families when appropriate
• Supports and collaborates with Child Welfare Services during removals, diligent searches, and placement of children in CWS custody
• Provides continuous support and assistance to resource parents
• Provides first class customer service - courteous and helpful to all internal and external customer types
• Answers questions in a courteous and professional manner
• Greets and engages with a smile
• Determines needs, seeks positive experience and outcomes
• Completes all training and development requirements and participates in continuing education opportunities
• Works in a collaborative and supportive manner to support the productivity and safety of the work area, team members and customers of all types
• Maintains general upkeep of work area and maintains a safe environment
• Maintains and promotes professionalism
• Punctual and consistent in meeting start time, work schedule, attendance and other assigned work time metrics
• Adheres to Chickasaw Nation dress code standards
• Maintains knowledge of and follows all laws, rules, regulations, policies and SOPs for assigned area, e.g. MICS, TICS, hospital standards, health codes, food sanitation, accounting principles, etc.
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Essential:

• Able to follow instructions, both written and oral
• Able to adhere to all scheduling and attendance requirements
• Maintaining a high level of confidentiality and using discretion and discernment
• Good driving record and be insurable by the Chickasaw Nation
• Honesty, truthfulness, reliability, accountability
• Prioritizes, meets deadlines and works independently in a high-pressure environment and uses appropriate judgement in upward communication regarding assignments
• Able to read, understand, apply, and retain knowledge of Chickasaw Nation, departmental, divisional and all other rules, regulations, policies, procedures and guidelines
• Knowledge of crisis evaluation and de-escalation tactics
• Knowledge and understanding of First American populations
• Knowledge of Indian Child Welfare Act and Statutes
• Knowledge of Adoption and Safe Families Act
• Organizes work and assigned area logically and orderly
• Define problems, collect data and establish facts
• Establishes professional working relationships as appropriate
• Able to verbally communicate in a professional and positive manner with other team members, departments, guests and management
• Writes effective communications with team, departments, guests and management

Essential:

• Basic Computer skills
• Must be familiar…