Adoption Consultant

Adoption Consultant

Begin a fulfilling career with the State of Indiana by joining one of the largest employers in the state, offering a range of opportunities across 60+ agencies. At the state, you'll find competitive compensation, a robust benefits package and a commitment to work-life balance. Most importantly, you'll have the chance to make a real and measurable impact on the lives of Hoosiers across Indiana.

About the Department of Child Services:
Join a group of passionate, dedicated public servants to support one of Indiana's most critical missions! The Department of Child Services helps children who are victims of abuse or neglect and strengthens families through services that focus on family support and preservation. We pursue permanency for children and families through reunification, guardianship, and adoption. Our services also encompass foster care, child support, and transitional support for those adjusting to adulthood.

Our culture is built upon our MVP foundation:
Mission:
Champion Indiana's future by protecting children and strengthening families with compassion and determination. Vision:
Every child in Indiana thrives in a safe, loving, forever home.

Purpose:

Ignite hope. Cultivate joy.

Role Overview:
The Adoption Consultant leads efforts to increase the number of children who achieve permanency through adoption by strengthening community awareness of special needs adoptions and expanding placements for children without identified adoptive homes. The role includes recruiting and preparing adoptive families, providing ongoing support throughout the adoption process, and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure all steps in the adoption lifecycle are completed.

In addition, the Consultant serves as a resource for field staff by offering training, guidance, and information to improve adoption outcomes.

Salary:
The salary for this position traditionally starts at $53,222.00 but may be commensurate with education and work experience.

A Day in the Life:

Responsibilities include:

Establishing program objectives, KPIs, and actions to achieve them. Developing, updating, and monitoring all policies and procedures related to the program area. Interpreting and explaining policies, rules, regulations, or laws to leadership or customers. Implementing corrective action plans to solve program problems. Analyzing, preparing, and disseminating monthly and annual program reports. Reviewing budget and making budgetary recommendations to improve the program area finances.

Ensuring program requirements meet federal and state policies and grants compliance. Assisting in the development and training employees or agency consultants on program requirements and usage. Coordinating and delivering communication plans and communications. Serving as a liaison between agency and other state and federal agencies. Serving on management committees or other governing boards. Recruiting, selecting, onboarding, and training employees to ensure role responsibilities and expectations are clearly understood while providing opportunities to continue professional development.

Setting expectations, measuring progress, providing ongoing feedback, and evaluating the performance of employees. Ensuring work adheres to quality standards, deadlines, and proper procedures.

What You'll Need for Success:
Credentials:
Bachelor's degree, or Associate degree with a minimum of two (2) years of human services job experience, or Completion of thirty (30) college credit hours from an accredited institution with a minimum of four (4) years of human services job experience, or A minimum of at least five (5) years of human services job experience.

Additional qualifications:

Advanced knowledge of principles and practices of social work, casework, sociology and group and individual counseling including new methods and theories of treatment. Thorough knowledge of state and/or federal laws, regulations, guidelines, and standards affecting child protection services, foster care, family preservation and adoption. Thorough knowledge of related social services programs and ability to coordinate work among programs. Specialized knowledge of the interrelationships of the various behavioral sciences as they affect care and treatment of patients/clients and/or objectives of social work projects.

Ability to investigate and interview alleged victims and perpetrators of child abuse or neglect in an appropriate and effective manner. Ability to formulate and…