PRN Study Specialist

SAFY is seeking a PRN Home Study Specialist for our SAFY division in Merrillville, Indiana
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As a Home Study Specialist, you will be responsible for the licensing of therapeutic foster parents, and may also handle the recertification of foster homes as determined by the treatment director. This position is PRN, meaning the schedule is flexible and will be based on need.

At SAFY, our mission is Preserving Families & Securing Futures. For 40 years, our work has rested on a single, radical idea – children belong in families. We believe that every child and family deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential. We are a team of 500 employees across seven states providing services such as Family Preservation & Reunification, Behavioral Health, Therapeutic Foster Care, Adoption Services and Older Youth Services so the families and children we serve can build resilience and thrive.

• Perform home study of prospective treatment parent(s) and their home environment according to SAFY policy and state requirements.
• Maintain creativity, flexibility, and optimism about the strengths of the family.
• Complete home studies for families after at least three home visits/family interviews.
• Determine appropriateness of prospective foster parents and the best placement type in conjunction with the G&D and TFC teams.
• Effectively engage all members of a potential foster family.
• Address sensitive and/or personal topics with prospective foster parents.
• Complete all documentation using a computerized clinical record and maintain central files containing required paperwork.
• Attend supervision as required with the Treatment Director; attend weekly G&D meetings (if required); and meet with the Divisional Team as needed.

We are looking for people from diverse backgrounds who are inspired by our mission. You’ll be right at home if you are willing to learn from successes as well as setbacks, persevere in challenges and adversity, cultivate collaborative relationships, understand and leverage diversity, advocate for equity, aspire to work inclusively, and partner to drive your work and that of your team to the next level.

• Bachelor's degree in social work, sociology, psychology, guidance counseling, child & family studies, education, criminal justice, business administration, public administration, or another related human services field.
• Three years of experience in domestic or international adoptions OR three years of experience in a child welfare environment (preferred).

• Compensation:
• • A one-time training payment of $200 for one day of onboarding training (as determined by the treatment director).
• • $580 per completed home study.
• • $25 per hour for any trainings (post‑onboarding) or meetings that require physical presence.
• • $125 per completed recertification home study.
• • Mileage reimbursement.
• • Expense reimbursement.

SAFY is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a non‑discriminatory work environment. SAFY does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, arrest or conviction record, or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable law.

This policy covers all programs, services, policies, and procedures of SAFY, including recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, and administering all personnel actions, such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs or terminations.