Foster Care Specialist-closes

Foster Care Specialist

The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska is a federally recognized Tribe with its ancestral homeland located in Niobrara, NE. The Tribe does not have a reservation in the classic definition; rather, the Ponca Restoration Act defined its jurisdiction as a "Service Delivery Area" comprised of 15 counties throughout parts of Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. Within its Service Delivery Area, the Tribe offers a broad range of health, social, educational, and cultural services.

The Foster Care Specialist is responsible for the recruitment, training, licensing, and supportive services for foster families who serve children in out of home placement. The Foster Care Specialist will collaborate with the Human Services staff on all out of home placement activities and be responsible for keeping them informed of all current resources available to families. The Foster Care Specialist will also work with and provide resources for parents and families whose children are in out of home care as needed.

• Implements Ponca Child Welfare program goals and objectives through licensing and supporting foster homes, kinship homes, and parents.
• Recruits families or interested parties for foster parenting through community awareness and marketing of foster care program.
• Accepts foster parent applications and determines the suitability for foster care licensure or approval.
• Works with prospective foster parents to complete licensure procedure.
• Coordinates with staff to update monthly foster care list and ensure resource families receive accurate and timely reimbursements.
• Completes foster care home studies based on information collected through interviews with prospective foster, kinship parents and identified collaterals.
• Facilitates foster parent training, incorporating traditional and western parenting skills in parent training curriculum to ensure relative and foster parents are well-trained and supported to achieve positive outcomes for children.
• Assists with development and implementation of foster care licensing standards consistent with tribal, state, and federal IV-E requirements.
• Locates Native American resources for families in out of home placement.
• Conducts home visits as outlined within the foster care support plan with children and foster families and provides timely and complete documentation.
• Generates and provides reports for supervisor and/or director review to meet all reporting requirements in a timely manner.
• Manages all case documentation in compliance with agency and funding guidelines ensuring confidentiality.
• Develops and maintains positive relationships with community members, organizations, and agencies by educating and providing information related to foster care, parenting, and other pertinent social services issues to increase services and provide strength-based approaches.

Other duties as assigned.

This position has no supervisory authority. Works closely with other departments including Behavioral Health, Health Services, Community Health Workers, Culture, Ponca Express, Domestic Violence, Ponca Tribe of Nebraska employees, Elder’s Council, as well as external organizations and agencies.

This position is in a professional office environment. This position requires frequent verbal and written communication including face-to-face, virtual, and telephone interactions. At times staff may be required to work with clients who are in crisis and must demonstrate empathy, understanding, respect, and advocacy while remaining calm in stressful situations. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, scanners, and photocopiers.

This staff will sit,…