The Baby Fold ? Blog Archive ? Hiring: Family Development and ...

BASIC FUNCTIONS: The Family Development and Recruitment Specialist is responsible for the recruitment, licensing, development and support of specialized foster families at The Baby Fold, with a strong emphasis on placing children who are stepping down from residential treatment facilities.? This position is also responsible for ensuring that specialized foster families receive the training necessary to provide competent care for children placed in their home.

WORK HOURS:?Full-time, exempt

OFFICE LOCATION: 612 Oglesby Ave., Normal, IL 61761

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Recruitment of Specialized Foster Families: Coordinates the development and implementation of a plan for the recruitment of specialized foster families to respond to the needs of children stepping down from residential treatment.? Acts as the point of contact between the two departments in these efforts. Coordinates the development and implementation of a plan for the recruitment of specialized foster families to respond to the needs of DCFS and other agencies referring children to specialized foster care. ?Coordinates the family finding activities for specialized children referred for foster care from residential treatment, DCFS or other private agencies.?
2. Assessment: Conducts initial and ongoing assessments with prospective and active specialized foster parents to determine their capability to provide care for children in need of specialized foster placements.? Conducts assessments related to the safety of children, compliance with licensing standards, and ongoing training needs of specialized foster parents.
3. Family Development and Planning: Jointly with foster parents, and, when appropriate, residential treatment staff, develops and implements family development plans to ensure that foster parents receive the training and supportive services they need to maintain licensed status and to provide competent care for the specialized children placed in their home.? Serves as the point person/transitional team member between residential treatment staff and the receiving specialized foster care staff in order to coordinate the transition process. Monitors compliance with family development plans and licensing standards.
4. Specialized Foster Care Home Studies: Conducts home and office interviews. Conducts home studies for specialized foster families. Licenses specialized fosters homes and monitors compliance with DCFS licensing standards. Assesses children in need of specialized foster placements. Responds to inquiries and referrals for service.
5. Coordination of Training: Ensures that specialized foster parents receive both initial and ongoing training in order to obtain and maintain their licenses and to meet the needs of children requiring placement. Provides individual and group parent education in the areas of child development, parenting techniques, behavior management and any other area deemed necessary to be successful in providing appropriate care and support to foster children.
6. Licensing: Ensures compliance with all licensing standards related to specialized foster parenting, including but not limited to the processing of initial license applications, license monitoring, license transfers, license closings, license renewals, and licensing investigations.
7. Support of Specialized Foster Families: Ensures that specialized foster families receive the supportive services they need in order to provide high quality care for the children in their home, including but not limited to support groups, newsletters, relevant training, and advocacy.
8. Program Management: Participates in the development and maintenance of a system for managing the intake, development, and monitoring of the agency?s specialized foster family resources.???
9. Recordkeeping: Completes all required documentation according to agency guidelines for completeness, accuracy, and timeliness.
10. Community Relations: Develops and utilizes a variety of community contacts to recruit specialized foster homes, advocate for clients and foster parents and to promote child and family welfare.? Represents the agency in a positive light to active and potential foster families, clients, referral and funding sources, and the general public.?
11. Professional Responsibilities: Complies with all pertinent state and federal laws, DCFS Rules and Procedures, agency policies, rules, and procedures, and the Code of Ethics for Child Welfare Professionals. Obtains and applies relevant training.? Assists with training, supervision, and evaluations of student interns as assigned.? Assists with training of new staff as assigned.
12. On-call Responsibilities: Participates as a member of the licensing on-call team, which includes rotating cell phone coverage for new intake during business and non-business hours.
13. Quality Improvement: Contributes to quality improvement through active participation in Quality Improvement activities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Bachelor?s degree in social work or a related field. Master?s degree preferred.
2. Two years of relevant work experience in the field of child welfare.
3. Knowledge of and skills necessary to apply the principles of child welfare to specific cases.
4. Demonstrated skills in Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
5. Willingness and ability to work evening and weekend hours.
6. Demonstrated competence in serving a culturally diverse population.? Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a diverse workforce.
7. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
8. Physical ability to maintain the safety and well being of children for whom there is responsibility.
9. Must meet DCFS driver eligibility requirements.
10. Must pass drug screen and necessary background checks.
11. Ability and willingness to travel for job responsibilities, including the ability drive distances to enter the homes of families in the service area and throughout the state of Illinois, a valid Illinois driver?s license, and use of a personal vehicle with adequate insurance.
12. Ability to work cooperatively with staff within The Baby Fold, as well as with necessary collateral contacts.
13. Mission-oriented and willing to apply The Baby Fold?s standards and beliefs to the performance of job responsibilities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.? Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.? The employee is frequently required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, or crouch.? The employee must sometimes lift and/or carry small children, records and/or other items up to 50 pounds.? Must have the physical ability to enter homes and other work-related environments that are not handicap accessible.

Vision and hearing requirements: Close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus; visually and auditorially assess a child?s well-being and provide auditory assessments of the mental and emotional condition of a child; visually assess the safety and condition of home environments; and communicate effectively with, staff, clients, and others in person, by telephone, and in writing.

Cognitive abilities: Employees must be able to use deductive reasoning to apply general rules to specific problems; demonstrate problem sensitivity to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong; demonstrate Social perceptiveness by being aware of others? reactions and why they act as they do; and use self awareness to be aware of one?s feelings and behaviors.

To apply, print an application and send to:
Human Resources
The Baby Fold
108 E. Willow St.
Normal, IL 61761
Fax: (309) 452-0115
Applications are also available at this address.

The Baby Fold is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Source: http://www.thebabyfold.org/news/?p=1268

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