Foster Care Family Finding And Resource Specialist

Bethany for Children & Families in Moline, Illinois is looking for an energetic and self-motivated person to fill a brand new position in our Foster Care program. This newly created position, Foster CareFamily Finding and Resource Specialist, will be an integral part of our growing Foster Care program

What YOU get for being a Foster CareFamily Finding and Resource Specialist:

• Competitive Compensation,
• Ten (10) days of vacation earned during the first year of employment and twenty (20) days of vacation earned during the second year of employment,
• Twelve (12) sick days earned each year,
• Eleven (11) paid holidays,
• Agency contributions of 8% calculated on bi-weekly earnings to a 403(b) Thrift Plan (retirement plan) upon meeting plan eligibility criteria,
• An option of two health plans, one with a Health Savings Account benefit that includes employer contributions,
• Dental insurance,
• Vision insurance (100% employer-paid premiums if enrolled in the dental insurance plan),
• Group Life insurance,
• Options of employee-paid premiums for voluntary supplemental insurance offered, and
• An Educational Aid program.
  

The Foster CareFamily Finding and Resource Specialist will:

• Assist the family caseworker with facilitating the expansion of resources needed to better serve children and their families involved in Foster Care.
• Do extensive outreach in locating absentee parents/guardians.
• Provide professional technical assistance and Resource development support to casework staff who serve children with specialized and problematic behavior service needs.
• Drive to various locations to attend meetings, conferences, or to locate and assess family homes as needed.
• Utilize a family-centered, trauma-informed, strength-based, and EDI lens through which youth and family needs are assessed.
• Have the ability to engage the youth (as age-appropriate), birth parents, family and social connections, foster parents, and staff to facilitate and support stability and permanency for the youth.
• Understand implicit bias and how to work within a system that impacts decisions for youth and their families when locating placement options, and have the ability to have crucial conversations with staff and other child and family team members.
• Possess strong, creative problem-solving skills, and can use non-traditional search methods to identify and locate family members and supportive connections.
• Have strong data analysis skills needed to conduct diligent search activities across multiple databases, systems, social media, and other websites. Will complete required forms and SACWIS documentation, send written correspondence, and log / track data for use by the Foster Care team. resolve complex and stalled cases to improve permanency outcomes.
• Use ecomaps, genograms, and other tools to map and locate prospective supports and placement resources for the youth and family.

The Foster CareFamily Finding and Resource Specialist shall have:

• A Bachelor's degree in social work or other human services or criminal justice field.
• Preferably, two years of work experience within the child welfare system. Investigation skills preferred; experience working with children with special needs a plus.
• Strong leadership, organizational and communication skills.
• Successfully completed the examination(s) related to the licensing/approval of foster families.
• A valid driver’s license, auto insurance, and reliable transportation.
• The ability to fulfill all of the regulatory requirements for employees of Child Welfare Agencies as are prescribed in Illinois Administrative Rule and Procedure, including successful completion of the criminal background investigation, clearance from the Illinois CANTS, Health Care Registry, and certification as a driver of children by the IDCFS.
• A flexible schedule that can be tailored in response to program needs or the schedules of the foster family home caseload assignments.
• Sensitivity and responsiveness to cultural differences in the community.
• Effective communication skills, orally and in writing.
• A commitment to the agency’s vision, mission, philosophy, structure, and goals with an ability to work as part of a multi-person treatment team.

Join our growing Foster Care team with a mission to keep children safe, strengthen families, and build healthy communities!

EOE