Post Adoption Specialist

Location: Oakland Heights

Summary The Post Adoption Specialist is a member of Adoption Journeys, in a small team based in Worcester. Adoption Journeys is a statewide program providing voluntary post-adoption support to families; we have five regional offices, up to 20 employees and serve around 500 families statewide each year. We offer a range of services to our families, including community-based clinical supports, support groups, respite and recreational events and activities, and training for both families and professionals.

This role requires some experience with intervention skills and a willingness to learn the post-adoption specialty. FT 35 HOURS PER WEEK.Child and Family Services recognizes the power in Diversity and believes that Equity is a Human Right.$1 per hour Language Differential! (eligible languages include: Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish or ASL)
Child & Family Services carefully considers a wide range of factors when determining compensation including, but not limited to, prior experience, education, certification(s), license(s), skills and expertise, location, internal equity and other factors that are job related and consistent with business need. Our goal is to support, reward and compensate the entire individual. Depending on role eligibility, your offer may include a bonus or other incentives.

Therefore, final offer amounts may vary from the amount stated.

Starting Pay - BA Degree = $20.50 per hour / MA Degree = $25.00 per hour

Job Responsibilities & Essential Functions Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Responsible for participation in the Regional Response Team, providing brief, home-based intensive family stabilization, services to adoptive and guardianship families

Provide a strengths based psycho-social assessment of the family’s needs and resources

Ability to maintain a flexible work schedule

Provide advocacy and coordination to empower families to gain access to long term supportive services

Provide second stage information and referral to families and professionals

Design, track and implement support groups to meet the diverse needs to adoptive families

Develop a network of respite providers and/or resources within the region. To explore creative solutions to meet longer term needs of families and the program

Coordinate respite providers and resources within the region and offer ongoing training and consultation to that network of providers

Develop a team of adoptive parents and/or persons to act as parent and/or young adult liaisons with other adoptive families and individuals. Offer training and consultation to those liaisons

Coordinate and/or provide training to mental health and/or human service related professionals

Responsible for providing assistance/backup to the Regional Manager in relation to regional support services and the marketing of the program to other human service oriented resources

Responsible for the entry of data and record keeping in the Journeys database

Perform other required duties and responsibilities, as assigned

Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Required

Education and Experience Candidates should have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in social work of a related field and have a minimum of three years’ experience in an advocacy and/or casework oriented human service agency. Master’s level Candidate preferred. Candidates should possess knowledge of family systems. Adoption experience is desirable.

Cultural Competency

Qualifications:

Awareness of personal attitudes, beliefs, biases, and assumptions about others

Knowledge of the various dimensions of diversity, including gender, race, and ethnicity

Acknowledging that people from other cultural groups may not share the same beliefs and practices or perceive experiences in the same way Cultural knowledge of key populations that will be served to address disparities in service…