Family Services Specialist - Foster Care​/Adoption

Job Title

Performs responsible professional work to support and assist agency clients with personal, social, health and economic needs.

• Makes comprehensive assessment of families/clients in crisis

• Analyzes needs and coordinates resources, which will support the family/client

• Develops and implements a plan of action for the family/client which directly involves family/client input;

• Engages family/client and community in problem solving, conflict resolution and achieving goals in order to resolve the crisis;

• Stabilizes and improves family/client living and interpersonal skills through counseling and referrals to collateral resources;

• Executes complex and critical decisions involving families/clients in crisis, under possible adverse conditions

• Performs scheduled and unscheduled field visits in frequently highly volatile and dangerous environments

• Participates in extensive networking and collaboration with community and professional agencies, both public and private

• Provides analysis, recommendations and testimony in complex court proceedings, which requires thorough assessment and documentation of the family/client's situations; assists in formulating recommendations on difficult and important technical problems relating to the court action;

• Interprets, implements and administers complex policies, regulations, and laws, and refines established complex procedures which require frequent independent thinking and resourcefulness in a complex environment.

ADDITIONAL

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES when assigned to Family Services Specialist - Intake:

• Receives and determines validity of calls from the public, mandated reports, police, schools etc. regarding suspected abuse/neglect

• Assigns cases to Family Services workers

• Works closely with service providers

• Engages with the public in collecting information regarding suspected abuse/neglect

ADDITIONAL

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES when assigned to Family Services Specialist
- Foster Care/Adoption
- Resource Home Coordinator:

• Participates in licensing activities for prospective Parents including orientation, training and certification packet completion

• Assists in providing pre-service and on-going training to Foster Parents or prospective parents

• Evaluates and monitors foster homes for compliance with state and local guidelines

• Maintains accurate foster parent files, quarterly status reports (at a minimum) and records regarding the certification status of each foster home; tracks expiration of licensing documentation for renewal process

• Responds to licensing alerts

• Takes the lead in placing children in foster care into appropriate foster homes

• Conducts foster home meetings in conjunction with foster home trainer and Family Service Specialists

• Maintains knowledge of all certification laws and changes; informs the appropriate personnel of changes

• Performs professional recruitment and marketing duties, including developing and implementing a strategic recruitment plan for identifying, engaging and training potentially successful foster and respite families in our community

• Performs marketing duties for recruitment, such as public speaking, social media and other creative outlets

• Performs child specific recruitment for some children, such as youth over the age of 13

• Coordinates training and recruitment activities in collaboration with Social Service staff

• Conducts Mutual Family Assessments with prospective foster parents who have applied to foster with the City of Lynchburg

• Performs compliance and approval duties for over 90 resource families (including extensive background checks, training, home visits and recertification).

• Works in conjunction with Resource family trainer to aid in the…