Adoption Specialist

CHILDRENS NETWORK OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA LLC•Fort Myers, FL

5d•$61,236 - $0•Onsite

About The Position

The Adoption Specialist is responsible for the oversight and promotion of adoptions recruitment and retention activities within the Children’s Network of Southwest Florida. The person in this position will develop and implement adoption recruitment and retention activities, participate in Quality Management activities, identify System of Care needs, and provide technical assistance to CMO’s and any type of guidance required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university
A minimum of four (4) years of related experience in a child welfare related field
Official transcripts are a mandatory requirement
Must pass a Level II Background Check
Must meet the Children’s Network requirements for certification as a credentialed Child Welfare Case Manager within one year of hire into the position unless exempted by Children’s Network management
Valid driver’s license required, with proof of insurance
Clean Driver’s License check is a requirement (annually)
Criminal background screening (fingerprinting) (Local Law Enforcement and FBI/FDLE)
Drug Screening is a requirement
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations
Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals
Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form
Ability to sit for extended periods; walk; stand; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel or crouch; talk and hear
Visual acuity sufficient to read and to operate standard modern office machines
Must be able to operate standard modern office machinery, including fax, telephone, calculator, computer, scanner, printer, copier, and mail machine
Must be competent with Microsoft Office Suite programs, including Word, Excel, Power Point, Access, Publisher, and Outlook
Must be competent with basic e-mail protocol and procedures including sending, receiving, replying, attachments, and meeting scheduling
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Effective listening skills
Ability to work as a team member
Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
Must possess excellent organizational skills
Abide by the highest standards of confidentiality
A commitment to empowering others to solve their own problems
Valuing a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a person
A conviction about the capacity of people to grow and change
The ability to establish a respectful relationship with persons served to help them gain skills and confidence
The ability to work collaboratively with other personnel and/or service providers or professionals
The capacity to maintain a helping role and to intervene appropriately to meet service goals
The ability to set appropriate limits
Safety and permanency of children

Nice To Haves

Child welfare certification is preferred

Responsibilities

Monitor the Case Management Organizations’ compliance with adoption performance measures
Review adoption home study and subsidy packets for compliance and approval
Process enhanced subsidy requests
Complete be-monthly staffing of all cases in the adoption units
Participate in required staffings, to include sibling separation and family selection
Compile the Adoption Monthly report
Maintain database of post adoption cases
Review abuse reports received on post-adopt families and ensure appropriate follow-up, as needed
Maintain database of local families available for adoption
Chair the Adoption Applicant Review Committee
Develop and implement recruitment and retention activities for adoptions
Coordinate and provide adoption related training for staff
Identify SOC training needs and resources
Provide technical assistance on federal and state laws, rules, and programmatic and procedural issues
Identify technical assistance needs
Provide programmatic expertise for adoptions programs
Assure that best practices are being implemented
Manage the Adoption Exchange System and other internet adoptions systems
Coordinate publicity activities with the Community Development and Communications Director
Develop and implement System of Care procedures
Provide technical assistance in new policies and procedures as needed
Stay current with Federal and State Laws, rules and best practices
Participate in implementation of Quality Management System
Participate in 2 Child Safety reviews per year
Provide analysis utilizing FSFN reports
Participate in and maintain Quality Improvement systems to: Comply with Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) in relation to adoption recruitment
Participate in the Local Performance Improvement Plan (LPIP) pertaining to adoption recruitment when needed
Meet goals or improve current performance by 2%
Increase Child Safety performance by 5% over current base
Develop and implement regular monthly management and performance reports
Participate in required reporting as needed
Perform any other activities as needed by the CNSWF
Participate in program monitoring as needed
Other duties may be assigned as special projects may be requested