Intensive Foster Care Coordinator

Merrillville
8585 Broadway
Suite 770
Merrillville, IN 46410, USA

The Intensive Foster Care (IFC) Coordinator is responsible for the development and monitoring of a plan of care that focuses on stabilization of youth enrolled in the Intensive Foster Care Program (IFC). The IFC Coordinator is responsible for completing a comprehensive, strengths-based assessment of the youth, identifying Choices’ network service providers or family-based resources, facilitating at least monthly team meetings with the youth, resource parent and identified permanency plan caregivers.

The IFC Coordinator is tasked with making regular visits to the resource home to meet with the foster parent, assess the safety of the youth and complete a safety walkthrough of the home environment. The IFC Coordinator will monitor all authorized services, ensuring quality while maintaining fiscal accountability. The IFC Coordinator assures care is delivered in a manner consistent with strength-based, family-centered, and culturally competent values, offers consultation and education to all providers, including the resource parent, regarding the values of the model, monitors progress toward treatment goals, and assures that all necessary data for evaluation is gathered and recorded.

The IFC Coordinator will consistently demonstrate the values of the evidence-based practices of Wraparound and Trust-Based Relational Intervention.

• Ensures all elements on the Task Timeline are completed within the associated time parameters.
• Communicates with the Intensive Foster Care (IFC) Family to discuss the potential placement of a youth, working in conjunction with the referring agency and Choices licensing. Provides all available information regarding the youth to the IFC Family for consideration.
• If a youth is stepping down from a congregate care setting, the IFC Coordinator will coordinate team meetings to ensure a smooth transition to the IFC home with a robust Plan of Care in place at the time of discharge from the facility.
• Manages caseload within the financial parameters of the case rate or other established financial protocol.
• Utilizes referral information, CANS assessment and other data to complete a strengths-based assessment for use by the child and family team to collaboratively develop a Plan of Care with clearly defined goals.
• Works closely with the IFC Family or identified permanency caregiver to ensure needs are met to maintain placement and stability.
• Serves as a liaison with all team members, discussing any issues pertaining to the IFC youth including with Intensive Foster Parent(s), the youth themselves, school personnel, biological parents, placing agency and other appropriate parties involved with the youth according to state regulations and Choices’ policy.
• Attends hearings and case conferences for all youth assigned to caseload. Assists with enrolling youth in school and attends Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and 504 meetings.
• Assures the health care needs of youth are being met including medical, dental, mental health, and any specialized needs. All must be completed timely and documented pursuant to DCS policy and Indiana Code.
• Participates in an on-call rotation as designed by Choices management staff. This may include responding in person to the IFC home if a youth is experiencing a crisis.
• Ensures youth safety and stability by responding promptly in a crisis as defined by the youth and family.
• Ensures youth have a safe environment by conducting safety walk throughs in a cadence defined by the task timeline.
• Attends staff meetings as required by Choices management, including regular supervision meetings.
• Willingly completes other duties as assigned to advance the mission of Choices.

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in social work or related human service field is required.
• Two years of experience partnering with youth and/or families within the context of social services or education preferred.
• Experience developing and managing individual service delivery budgets is a plus.
• Strong knowledge of and genuine respect for youth and adults with mental health issues and a firm commitment to empowering their…