Adoption Recruitment Coordinator for Youth with Disabilities

MARE•Newton, MA

35d•$52,000 - $60,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Adoption Recruitment Coordinator for Youth with Disabilities, known internally as a Specialized Recruitment Coordinator (SRC) is an agent of change in the lives of children and teenagers with disabilities in the Massachusetts foster care system who are waiting for adoptive families. The SRC will identify adoptive families or other permanent adult relationships for youth with disabilities and/or complex medical needs. The SRC is responsible for developing, coordinating, and administering individual recruitment plans for a small caseload of children and teenagers with a goal of adoption, including monitoring the progress of each child toward a successful permanent match. The SRC will nurture relationships with prospective adoptive families interested in adopting children with disabilities and/or complex medical needs and support their progress towards successful placement and adoption. The Specialized Recruitment Coordinator is also responsible for planning several events annually, which focus on matching MARE-referred children with disabilities and/or complex medical needs, recruiting new families to adopt such children and teens, and educating families and social workers about disability issues. The SRC collaborates cross-departmentally to maximize the resources MARE offers for the youth on the SRC caseload. The SRC visits with the youth on their caseload quarterly, and devotes much of their time to building partnership with other significant adults in each child’s life including foster parents, relatives, case managers, group home staff, and other providers.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and experience in human services, special education, child welfare or a related field.
Strong written and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to adapt communication approach for children, teens, prospective families, and professional colleagues.
Comfortable advocating on behalf of clients and the organization and must demonstrate strategic problem-solving skills.
Committed to contributing to a workplace culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, and must share MARE’s urgency for finding permanency for all children and teens in foster care, through innovation, compassion and connection.
Self-motivated and able to manage their time and priorities independently, while contributing as an active team member within their Department and the organization at large.
Ability to plan and execute events, being able to articulate a broad vision, as well as coordinate the details to implement vision successfully.
Demonstrated comfort with modern office technology, including basic proficiency using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database and the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint).
Reliable access to a car and ability to be in the field several times per month, including occasional statewide travel.
Avialability for occasional scheduled weekend and evening commitments.

Nice To Haves

A Master’s degree and personal or professional experience with the disability community are considered a plus.

Responsibilities

Identify adoptive families or other permanent adult relationships for youth with disabilities and/or complex medical needs.
Develop, coordinate, and administer individual recruitment plans for a small caseload of children and teenagers with a goal of adoption, including monitoring the progress of each child toward a successful permanent match.
Nurture relationships with prospective adoptive families interested in adopting children with disabilities and/or complex medical needs and support their progress towards successful placement and adoption.
Plan several events annually, which focus on matching MARE-referred children with disabilities and/or complex medical needs, recruiting new families to adopt such children and teens, and educating families and social workers about disability issues.
Collaborate cross-departmentally to maximize the resources MARE offers for the youth on the SRC caseload.
Visit with the youth on their caseload quarterly, and devotes much of their time to building partnership with other significant adults in each child’s life including foster parents, relatives, case managers, group home staff, and other providers.