Specialized Services Child Welfare Specialist

Specialized Services Child Welfare Specialist

Job Title: Specialized Services Child Welfare Specialist (S-CWS)
Reports To: Specialized Services Program Manager
Status: Full Time, Exempt
Benefits:  to view LCFS Full-Time Employee Benefits.
Salary Range: $51,336 – $56,336
Office

Location:

Based on the office nearest to the candidate’s residency; opportunities in Chicago, Oakbrook, Joliet, and Kankakee.

Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois improves the well‑being of people across the state by protecting children, strengthening families, and building futures for those who have experienced trauma. LCFS is a welcoming organization serving children, individuals, families and communities of all faiths, races, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities.

• Champions in supporting children, youth and families throughout Illinois so they are able to reach their full potential
• Dynamic and innovative leaders who believe in collaboration with their team of professionals and are revolutionizing the impact on services to families
• A community which embraces and is committed to being WIDE (welcoming, inclusive, diverse and equitable)
• Addressing institutional racism and implicit bias to increase positive outcomes for children and families of color through the child welfare community
• Creators of a culture focused on supporting families and ensuring all children find safe, loving permanent homes, particularly by reuniting them with their families

• Safety, permanency and well‑being
• Successful and sustainable transitions and maintenance in least restrictive arrangements
• Intensive wraparound and case coordination services for social, emotional and physical well‑being
• Natural and formal life‑long supports, connections, safety, stability and permanency
• Supportive youth‑led strength building, positive development, pro‑social life skills opportunities, behavior and medical adaptability, skills and empowerment

• Serve with a team of supervisors and direct service child welfare professionals to assess, plan, evaluate and make linkages for safety, permanency, and well‑being outcomes
• Implement and refer individualized and targeted services for youth and families, such as counseling, respite, mentoring, educational support, case management, crisis intervention, and continuous language to services to meet the specialized needs of children/families
• Collaborate with multi‑disciplinary teams and partners for continuous quality improvement, interventions, service delivery and program outcomes
• Participate in System of Care principles, including ensuring provision of social, emotional, mental, behavioral and mental health specialty services; participate in clinical and medical staffing and level of care reviews
• Participate in regular supervision, mediation, problem resolution, and crisis response, including on‑call support
• Assess and maintain knowledge of child welfare and population‑specific laws, policies and trends to recommend program adjustments and implementations that aid program effectiveness
• Achieve organizational performance outcomes on key performance indicators toward safety, permanency, well‑being and overall agency performance
• Represent clients’ needs and agency interests to referral sources, DCFS, the judicial system, and governmental agencies
• Exercise discretion and judgment, under supervision, in performing duties in accordance with applicable policies, procedures, statutes, rules and regulations
• Perform other duties as required or assigned within the scope of the role and agency policies

• Oversee children and families assigned to LCFS, monitor child well‑being, birth parents’ progress toward reunification, facilitate home visits, and communicate appropriately with foster families
• Continuously assess child safety, education, medical and social needs; prepare written and verbal reports to court and collateral contacts per confidentiality and consent requirements
• Comply with DCFS electronic record‑keeping (SACWIS) and prepare required Service Plans; maintain accurate client…