Foster Home Resource Specialist

Northeast Center for Youth & Families, Inc. (NCYF)•Northampton, MA

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Northeast Center for Youth & Families, Inc. (NCYF) is seeking a Foster Home Resource Specialist for its Easthampton area office. This role is crucial in recruiting, screening, evaluating, and certifying foster homes. The specialist will educate applicants on the expectations and responsibilities of foster/adoptive parents according to state, city, and agency regulations. Key duties include conducting in-depth interviews with household members to assess parenting capacities and backgrounds, collecting collateral data such as employment and personal references, and performing outreach recruitment efforts. The position also involves maintaining collaborative relationships with other foster youth serving agencies and coordinating with case managers, clinicians, and other staff on placement decisions. The role requires on-call duties as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree
Licensed (LCSW, LSW or LSWA) or license-eligible
Ability to obtain and maintain required certifications and licenses, including but not limited to CPR/First Aid.
Ability to read, analyze and interpret general accounting and business periodicals, professional journals and reports, technical procedures and government regulations.
Knowledgeable about office programs (word processing, spreadsheets, accounting programs, payroll systems, etc.).
Ability to reason and solve practical problems, deal with a variety of concrete variables and interpret instructions furnished in various formats.

Responsibilities

Recruit, screen, evaluate, and certify foster homes for consideration.
Prepare applicants on the expectations and responsibilities of foster/adoptive parents as set forth in State, City, and Agency regulations.
Conduct in-depth interviews with household members regarding parenting capacities and personal background.
Collect written collateral data such as employment and personal references.
Conduct outreach recruitment efforts.
Maintain effective collaborative relationships with other foster youth serving agencies.
Coordinate with case managers, clinicians and other staff regarding placement decisions.
Perform on-call duties as needed.