Foster Care Case Worker

Shelter Youth & Family Services • Arlington Heights, IL

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Foster Care Case Worker provides client services to foster care clients, including supervision, assessment, referrals, and coordination of services for high-risk families needing social services. The role maintains services in compliance with Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) rules and regulations. Working as part of a team, the Case Worker provides trauma-informed individual and family casework intended to facilitate healing and connect clients with community-based supports.

The position includes assessing client and family needs and strengths, developing and implementing service plans, monitoring progress, assessing safety and placement, and working toward permanency. The Case Worker supports parenting skills and youth preparation for self-sufficiency, coordinates family and sibling visits, and maintains ongoing contact with clients and their support networks. The role also involves collaboration with community providers and DCFS, court participation and testimony, case documentation, and timely reporting to supervisors and other required parties.

The Case Worker is supervised by and accountable to the Foster Care Supervisor and Director. Work hours and days are scheduled by them, and the position requires a flexible schedule to meet client needs. Work takes place at the agency office twice weekly, courthouses, DCFS facilities, clients’ homes, and frequently in a company or personal vehicle; for hybrid positions, work may also be performed at home. The employee must maintain an insured personal vehicle. This is a non-exempt position.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a human services field from an accredited school.
• Meet Child Care Facility Driver requirements in accordance with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
• Pass the CWEL Exam and complete Permanency Foundation courses as required by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
• Valid driver’s license, reliable automobile, adequate automobile insurance, and good driving record.
• Become certified in CPR, First Aid, and Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) within six months of employment.
• Complete a medical and TB test and provide proof of results.
• Be fingerprinted by the State of Illinois and submit to a full background check through the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
• Submit official academic transcripts from the last school at which a degree was awarded.
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds.
• Ability to drive for extended periods in rural or urban areas and visit clients’ homes, including climbing stairs to access living spaces.
• Ability to perform frequent sitting, talking or hearing, standing, walking, and handling or operating objects; occasional climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, lifting, and reaching.
• Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in child welfare or a related field.
• Master’s degree in Social Work.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct individual and family casework services, using trauma-informed services and community-based connections to facilitate healing.
• Provide support and education to enhance parenting skills and prepare youth for self-sufficiency upon emancipation.
• Continuously assess assigned clients and develop service plans that address the unique needs of clients and families.
• Implement client service plans, monitor progress, and review progress with the supervisor and DCFS as required.
• Incorporate client strengths and needs into assessments and service planning.
• Assess and monitor client safety in current living arrangements and make recommendations or referrals for appropriate placement.
• Assess permanency options, recommend plans, and implement steps to achieve permanency.
• Develop knowledge of community resources and maintain productive working relationships with service providers.
• Refer and connect clients to appropriate resources and secure written agreements according to DCFS guidelines.
• Respond to written correspondence, email, and phone inquiries about clients within 24–48 hours.
• Provide court testimony, develop reports, participate in administrative case reviews, host child and family team meetings, and maintain case files.
• Report client service progress to the supervisor and complete required written reports.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and timely client records and data; enter case notes within 48 hours.
• Report client progress in court proceedings through written reports and verbal testimony.
• Report possible critical and unusual incidents to the supervisor, management, or DCFS as required.
• Maintain required face-to-face contact through home and community visits.
• Conduct ongoing outreach to clients, family members, and other significant people in the client's life.
• Plan, coordinate, and supervise required family or sibling visits, modeling appropriate adult-child interactions.
• Maintain professional conduct and appropriate boundaries with clients.
• Demonstrate accountability for results and keep commitments consistent with client service plans.
• Attend work, meetings, training, and job-related activities prepared and as scheduled.
• Show openness and respect for the cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of clients and coworkers.
• Perform other related tasks as required or assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time