Address
Form of workJOB TITLE: Specialized Services Child Welfare Specialist (S-CWS)
REPORTS TO: Specialized Services Program Manager
STATUS: Full Time, Exempt
OFFICE LOCATION: The office location will be based on the office nearest to the candidate’s residency. Travel is required across the 102 IL counties of which cases are assigned. This is generally in the county where the office is located and the surrounding counties for work related responsibilities. Opportunities currently available in Chicago, Oakbrook, Joliet and Kankakee.
WHAT WE DO
Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois improves the well-being of people across the state of by protecting children, strengthening families and building futures for those who have experienced trauma. We do this as a leading provider of a variety of Child Welfare services. LCFS is a welcoming organization serving children, individuals, families and communities of all faiths, races, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender expressions and gender identifications.
WHO WE ARE
- Champions in supporting children, youth and families throughout Illinois so they are able to reach their full potential
- Dynamic and innovative leaders who believe in collaboration with their team of professionals and are revolutionizing the impact on services to families
- A community which embraces and its committed to being WIDE (welcoming, inclusive, diverse and equitable)
- Impacts of the Child Welfare community by addressing institutional racism and implicit bias to increase positive outcomes for children and families of color
- Creators of culture focused on supporting families and ensuring all children find safe, loving permanent homes, particularly by reuniting them with their families
OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION
Under the direction of organizational leadership, the Specialized Services CWS is part of the Child Welfare team that achieves the LCFS vision for all children and families having the opportunity for safe, healthy and meaningful lives. This role is part of a Child Welfare team consisting of Child Welfare Specialist, medical and mental health personnel in building relationships, supports, partnerships and strengths amongst the youth, their identified caregivers and families to ensure youth who are involved in the Illinois foster care system and whom have a history of medical, mental health issues and/or multiple placements, delinquency or other level needs. The goals of the role are to ensure:
- Safety, permanency and well-being
- Successful and sustainable transitions and maintenance in the least restrictive arrangements
- Intensive wraparound and case coordination services for social. Emotional and physical well-being
- Natural and formal life-long supports, connections, safety, stability and permanency
- Supportive youth led strength building, positive development, pro-social life skills opportunities, behavior and medical adaptability, skills and empowerment
ESSENTIAL ROLES AND RESPONSILITIES (NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST)
- Serve with a team of supervisors and direct service Child Welfare, professional’s in partnership with children, parents and community providers to assess, plan, evaluate and make linkages for safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes
- Implementation and referral of individualized and targeted services for youth and families, such as counseling, respite, mentoring, educational support, case management, crisis intervention, and continual language to services to meet the specialize needs of children/families
- Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams and partners for continuous quality improvement, interventions, service delivery and the achievement of program outcomes
- Participate in System of Care principles (i.e.: collaborative service delivery for coordinated/integrated, youth-focused, family centered/engaged orientation) to include ensuring the provision of social/emotional/mental/behavioral/mental health specialty service provision. (This includes regular participation in clinical and medical staffing’s and level of care eligibility/maintenance reviews)
- Participate in regular supervision, mediation, problem resolution, and crisis response by effectively responding to parent, child, provider and other stakeholder concerns and demonstrating the ability to effectively manage crisis and difficult case situations. (This includes on-call support.)
- Assesses and maintain knowledge of Child Welfare and population specific laws, policies and trends for recommending program adjustments and implementation that aides program effectiveness, children, families and communities
- Achieve organizational performance outcomes on Key performance indicators metrics/dashboard towards safety, permanency, well-being and overall agency performance outcomes
- Represents clients’ needs and Agency interest to referral sources, DCFS, the judicial system and governmental agencies
- Exercise discretion and judgment, (under supervision) in performance of duties in conformance with applicable policies, procedures, statutes, rules and regulations
- Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the values, philosophy, policies, procedures and scope of the duties and enumerated above
ADDITIONAL CHILD WELFARE SPECIALIST ESSENTIAL FUNTCTIONS
- Primarily responsible for overseeing children and families assigned to Lutheran Child and Family Services for providing Child Welfare services which includes monitoring the child’s well-being, the birth parents progress towards reunification, facilitating home visits and communicating appropriate information to foster families in their efforts to assist the child and birth parents. Transport child and parents at times in own vehicle. May work evening and some weekends in order to complete tasks. May travel to high-risk communities
- Continuously assesses the child’s needs related to safety, education, medical and social and psychological well-being. Prepares required written, and verbal reports to the court and collateral contact information as appropriate upholding all consents and confidentiality issues. Handles all crisis situation and client complains with sensitivity and consults with supervisory chain when appropriate to resolve the matter
- Complies with all requirements regarding utilization of the DCFS electronic record-keeping system (SACWIS). Prepares written service plans for each client as required by DCFS contract. Maintains up-to-date and accurate client files and databases, as required by agency/programmatic policies and procedures, professional standards, and external requirements of all relevant, regulatory, licensing, or accrediting body’s. Implements, continuous quality improvement in all aspects of performance
- Maintains regular communication with supervisor regarding case issues, and properly notifies the same of all significant issues, particularly those that may impact the youth, permanency, safety and well-being, as well as risk management and contractual compliance
- Engages the child, the birth parents, and the foster parents incompetently assesses the dynamics of the relationships and establishes a therapeutic alliance. Teaches effective parenting skills specific to the needs of the family
- Maintains knowledge of community resources and coordinates appropriate referrals and follow up as needed and required for child, birth, parents, and foster parents. Establishes collaborative relationships with agency team members such as Case Aide, other child, welfare, specialists, service, providers, and institutions
- Correlates service plan outcomes and interventions to the integrative assessment and safety determination with specific interventions and at meeting the needs of the child and birth parents.
- Ensures expenditures are appropriate and according to agency policy and DCFS guidelines and reports expenditures in an accurate and timely manner.
- Maintains knowledge of changing regulations, policies, and rules from agency, DCFS, legal and accrediting bodies. Attends and participates in all required agency and DCFS training and timeframe required.
- Provides a welcoming and receptive environment. All contacts, client’s, agency, staff and collateral contacts. Develops understanding and continuously develops self-awareness related to diversity, inclusion, and equity issues.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES
- Knowledge of risk and safety assessment, and developing affective safety plans that reduce/mitigate future risk of child abuse, neglect, and improve child safety
- Ability to write, prepare and give clear, actionable, accurate, and comprehensive feedback for reports or documents number
- Knowledge of the medical and mental health diagnosis, treatment methodologies, and crisis intervention for high-risk situation
- Knowledge of readiness of change, grief, human development, and the impact of trauma
- Knowledge and understanding of the role of a change agent and interventions needed for a successful, helping relationship in maintenance of confidentiality,
- Ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills, be detail oriented with highly effective verbal, facilitation and written communication skills
- Ability to develop skills and the skills of others via training, application and supervision (must participate in organizational training, and an additional 15 hours of training specific to the specialized youth population served annually)
- Knowledge and ability to be open and excepting of others ethnicities, race, sexual orientation, and expression (SOGIE)
- Ability to collaborate and coach a diverse population of staff, with competence, understanding and sensitivity to the workforce and service populations cultural and socioeconomic characteristics
- Proficiency in the usage of computer software; demonstrate an understanding of computer files, systems, and databases, E. G., Microsoft office, XL, Outlook, teams, etc
- Ability to travel and work flexible hours
QUALIFICATION-EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
Bachelors in a related human service field with 1 year of related experience in child and family casework services. A Child Welfare Employee License (CWEL) in IL is highly preferred. (Proficiency in speaking, reading and writing in English and Spanish preferred.)
PHYSICAL AND SPECIAL DEMANDS
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 feels objects, or controls; reach with hand and arms. Objects include a computer and keyboard, calculator, typical business machines, such as a fax machine and copier. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee may work in and/or visit, agency offices, children, and family services throughout Illinois and must be able to safely transport him/herself to these environments. The employee is required to have a valid driver’s license, insurance and must be able to safely operate a motor vehicle. LCFS is committed to creating a diverse environment, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. Without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender, identity, or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. Lutheran Child and Family services offers a benefit package to health and dental insurance, includes 10 paid holidays, a robust paid time off/vacation/sick time policy, workforce self-care and resiliency benefits, life insurance, a 403(b) retirement program and performance based bonus potential.
