Adoption Social Worker

Paths for Families•Greenbelt, MD

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Adoption Social Worker is responsible for providing clinical support, assessment, and case management services to adoptive families in both the foster care adoption program and the assessments department. This position is a full-time, 40-hour per week position. It is a hybrid position which requires the ability to perform home visits as required by regulations for the home study process. This position is expected to evolve as the needs of the program change.

Requirements

Master's degree in social work.
Licensure as an LMSW or LCSW-C, where required.
Minimum five years of professional experience in child welfare, adoption and/or foster care is required.
Superior proficiency in Microsoft suite of products and database case management.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of trauma, attachment, and child welfare is preferred.
Familiarity with and commitment to child and family mental health, child welfare, foster care, and adoption preferred.
Ability to understand and embrace the benefits of open adoption.
Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills; ability to understand complex personal relationships; ability to work on team and independently; ability to communicate with children and adults in adoptive families from diverse and multi-cultural backgrounds.
Ability to prioritize and problem solve.
Administrative ability to manage ongoing caseload.

Responsibilities

Provide clinical support to parents adopting from foster care through email, phone calls, in-person visits and video conferencing.
Attend the weekly foster care adoption team meeting to collaborate with other members of the team on the family and children's needs.
Facilitate the pre-service foster care adoption training, using the NTDC model, several times throughout the year.
Conduct support groups to foster care adoption families through video conferencing on a bi-weekly basis.
Create and send monthly newsletter to families in the program with updates and helpful resources.
Conduct interviews: Meet with prospective adoptive parents to assess readiness, motivations, and family dynamics. Interview children and other adults in the home in person and facilitate phone conversations with children outside of the home and references, including school personnel, and other professionals.
Perform home visits: Evaluate the safety, stability, and suitability of the living environment. Complete the necessary inspections for jurisdictions.
Review documentation: Examine tasks and documentation required by state, federal, and agency regulations to ensure compliance.
Prepare home study reports: Write thorough, objective assessments including social histories, financial evaluations, and background checks, using the agency model. Provide documentation through the use of My Adoption Portal and Sharepoint.
Assess eligibility: Determine whether families meet state, federal, and agency requirements for adoption.
Consult with agency staff regarding any clinical concerns that may prohibit a family from adopting.
Provide education and support: Guide families through the adoption process, offering resources and counseling.
Collaborate with agencies: Work with adoption agencies, courts, and other professionals to ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards.
Identify potential concerns: Investigate issues such as financial instability, health concerns, or unresolved trauma that may affect parenting capacity, emotional stability or mental health.
Complete (and maintain as necessary) a physical exam to include a TB test, a criminal background check in identified jurisdictions, and Child Protective Services Registries check in identified jurisdictions and orientation training.
Local travel to MD, DC, and VA offices is required periodically.
Maintenance of a valid driver's license, vehicle insurance, and safe driving record with the ability to transport clients as necessary.