Adoption Achievement Specialist

Non-management Job Description

Effective Date: March 1, 2024

Job Title: Adoption Achievement Specialist

Exempt/Non-exempt: Exempt

Immediate Supervisor: Permanency Achievement Supervisor

Salary Range: $48,336 - $53,336

Benefits:  to view LCFS' Full-Time Employee Benefits.

• Primarily responsible for serving as a non-case carrying member of a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with foster parents, youth, supervisors, direct service child welfare professionals, and other identified supports. The focus is on achieving permanency for youth involved in the Illinois child welfare system, particularly those awaiting foster care conversion adoption or guardianship.
• Exercises discretion and sound judgment in performance of duties in conformance with applicable policies, procedures, statutes, rules and regulations.
  3. Work in collaboration with a team of child welfare and multidisciplinary professionals to facilitate the achievement of permanency goals through strategic planning and execution including gathering information for thorough assessment, recommendations, updates and evaluation for permanency achievements.
• Actively participate in regular supervision, mediation, problem resolution, and crisis response by effectively responding to parent, child, provider and other stakeholder concerns and demonstrating the ability to effectively manage crisis and difficult case situations.
• Actively provides strengths based, trauma informed, family centered practice and incorporates knowledge in day-to-day practice, oral and written reports.
• Ensure the regular maintenance of accurate and up-to-date documentation pertaining to permanency plans and achievements. Additionally, generate reports as required by regulatory bodies and stakeholders.
• Complete adoption and guardianship subsidy writing, finalization, and post finalization paperwork and processes.
• Prepares accurate and timely social histories for children and families pursuing an adoption or guardianship permanency pathway.
• Maintains knowledge of changing regulations, policies and rules from agency, DCFS, legal and accrediting bodies. Attends and participates in all required agency and DCFS training in time frame required.
• Participates in relative, kin and other family searches to identify resources for adoptive and guardianship placement.
• Provides timely linkages between child welfare specialists, family and resource engagement specialists, licensing and other internal or external stakeholders to ensure an informed team on the permanency process.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams and partners for continuous quality improvement, interventions, service delivery and the achievement of program outcomes.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Ability to drive one’s own vehicle and transport children, youth, and adults as needed.
• Understanding of family centered practice, genograms, ecomaps and social histories.
• In-depth knowledge of the adoption and guardianship processes within the child welfare system including relevant laws, regulations, and best practices in adoption and guardianship.
• Knowledge of readiness of change, grief, human development and the impact of trauma. Understanding of trauma-informed care principles.
• Knowledge and understanding of the role of a change agent and interventions needed for a successful helping relationship and maintenance of confidentiality.
• Ability to develop skills and the skills of others via training, application and supervision.
• Knowledge and ability to be open and accepting of other’s ethnicities, race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE).
• Proficiency in the usage of computer software.

Bachelors in Human Service, Social Work,…