Resource Family/Foster Care Licensing

State of Maine • Augusta, ME

10d • $22 - $30

About The Position

As a Community Care Worker you will ensure resource family home applicants meet required standards to be approved as a licensed resource family capable of providing foster, adoptive and/or permanency guardianship services to children in care of the Department. With the Department’s focus on prioritizing placement of children with kinship families, you will be expected to explain the resource approval process to placement families and actively support these families through the steps to become an approved resource. Your duties will include:
1. Conducting home studies, foster home investigations to determine possible violations, or kinship assessments for relatives and fictive kin placements
2. Assisting in securing placements for youth entering care through OCFS utilizing available resources and best placement practices.
3. Playing a key role in providing information to teams about strengths which an approved resource family can contribute toward meeting the needs of a specific child.
4. Providing ongoing support to resource family applicants and approved resource families
5. Recruiting and providing training and support to resource families. This work requires frequent overtime, emergency kinship coverage, and other overtime according to operational need. Additionally, this position regularly travels within the geographic area served by the District Office.

Requirements

• A Bachelors Degree in Social Services or a Behavioral Science area -OR- a four year combination of education, training, and/or professional experience providing services to and working directly with children and/or families. Experience must demonstrate proficiency in public contact work, information gathering, analysis, documentation, and collaboration.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of motivational interviewing and information gathering methods and techniques.
• Proven ability to gather and analyze information, reach valid conclusions, and make sound recommendations (please provide specific examples representative of your experience).
• Ability to develop and conduct recruitment and training workshops and meetings.
• Strong oral and written communications skills.

Responsibilities

• Conducting home studies, foster home investigations to determine possible violations, or kinship assessments for relatives and fictive kin placements
• Assisting in securing placements for youth entering care through OCFS utilizing available resources and best placement practices.
• Playing a key role in providing information to teams about strengths which an approved resource family can contribute toward meeting the needs of a specific child.
• Providing ongoing support to resource family applicants and approved resource families
• Recruiting and providing training and support to resource families.

Benefits

• Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($12,845.82 - $15,112.76 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements.
• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($395.72 annual value).
• Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 14.11% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS).
• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receive six weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
• State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees