Family Services Specialist

Salary Range $55,000- $79,088

FSSI
- Resource Coordinator (Foster Care)

Under direct supervision, uses social work theory in order to identify, engage, assess, and train prospective resource families. Resource families-which include foster parents, foster-to-adopt families, and kinship caregivers-are critical partners for child welfare professionals because they provide care for children who cannot live with their parents/families, and they play a supportive role in reunification. This position requires the ability to collaborate and coordinate with CPS and Foster Care workers to understand the strengths and needs of a child for appropriate placement of that child in a resource home, group home, or residential facility.

This position further requires the ability to be adaptable and perform under stress when confronted with an emergency or urgent situation.

• Receives initial referral information from CPS worker when the decision to place a child in care is made.
• Follows through with referrals for appropriate placement; while typical office hours are expected, the position requires flexibility to work after hours for effective and intentional placement of child.
• Seeks out opportunity to assist foster care staff in identifying placement should placement disruption of a child occur.
• Provides state-approved curriculum to resource parents and fictive kin applicants.
• Assesses, through a trauma-informed lens, an applicant's understanding of training materials. Assesses their ability to participate in resource parent program and their ability to provide a safe, nurturing home for a child in need.
• Prepares written resource home assessments and ICPC assessments utilizing information gathered through training, face-to face interviews, collateral interviews, and visits to the home; monitors homes after initial approval.
• Provides case management of resource homes including entering contacts into OASIS statewide system and adding families to the Resource Home database.
• Makes presentations to community groups on the need for resource parents in Harrisonburg City/Rockingham County.
• Assists in the development of agency approved resource home recruitment materials such as brochures, media campaigns, and events.
  • Responsible for holding, on a regular basis, in person or virtual resource family information sessions and ongoing training.
  • Conducts reassessment visits with approved resource families, and oversees the completion of re-approval requirements to maintain certification within state-mandated time frames.
  • Participates in Family Partnership Meetings, Treatment Team Meetings, and case consultations as requested to support resource families and support agency in making placement decisions for the best interest of the child.

• Ability to assess child's safety, risk, and protective capacity and provide or coordinate intervention as needed.
  • Possess critical thinking skills and the ability to apply critical thinking, knowledge, and research to multiple scenarios in the field and an office setting.
  • Ability to meet deadlines and maintain case documentation.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with families to identify solutions to specific issues and/or challenges such as parenting, behavior management, childcare, financial stability, housing, mental health, etc.
  • Ability to effectively communicate and interact with clients, coworkers, community professionals, supervisors, members of the general public, and all other groups involved in the activities of the department.

Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in a Human Services field or minimum of a Bachelor's degree in any field with a minimum of two years of appropriate and related experience in a Human Services area as mandated in Section 22

VAC
40-670-20 of the Administrative Code of Virginia and implemented by the Virginia Board of

Social Services. Possession of a BSW or MSW degree and a Commonwealth of Virginia Social Worker license are desirable.

Minimum of Bachelor's Degree in a Human Services field or a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in any field with a minimum of two years of appropriate and related experience in a Human Services area as mandated in Section 22

VAC
40-670-20 of the Administrative Code of Virginia and implemented by the Virginia Board of Social Services.

Someknowledgeofsocialworkprinciplesandpractices,human behavior and motivational theory, and social, economic, and health problems.

Knowledge of laws,…