IL Consultant

Shineforth•Richmond, VA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Shineforth is a nonprofit organization that provides a comprehensive array of programs to support children, teens, and parents as they work to overcome challenges. We equip families with tools for success so they can achieve their goals. As a national leader in helping young people and families, we also proactively identify unmet social services needs and develop the necessary partnerships to address those needs. This role provides successful partnering and collaboration with Virginia’s local departments of social services and other private child welfare agencies to meet federal and state guidelines which support services and promote permanency for older youth in and transitioning out of the foster care system. The consultant will provide the necessary training, tools, and technical assistance to local departments of social services and other private child welfare agencies to enhance their skills, improve their effectiveness, and impact systemic changes when serving youth in and transitioning out of foster care.

Requirements

Knowledge of standards and requirements for assigned programs particularly as it pertains to Virginia’s Independent Living Program, Education and Training Vouchers Program, National Youth in Transition Database, and Casey Life Skills Assessment.
Directly supervise volunteer, staff, and youth at scheduled events and activities.
Knowledge of federal and state laws, regulations, and policies affecting permanency and educational needs of older youth in foster care.
Knowledge of pertinent laws, regulations, and guidelines relevant to clinical services and operations.
Knowledge of current issues pertaining to youth in foster care in relation to the juvenile justice system, education, substitute care providers, and group home operators.
Knowledge of research and development techniques in the field of education and social work as it pertains to youth in foster care.
Proven ability to speak publicly and train for large and small groups.
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a degree in social work or related discipline with 3 to 5 years related experience.

Nice To Haves

A Master's degree is preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide coaching, technical assistance, and support to adults and youth ages 14-23 around Virginia’s Independent Living Program to ensure federal and state requirements are being met to help youth prepare for adulthood.
Provide best practice approaches to assist youth and adults working with youth in achieving permanency through connections with caring adults, their community, and overall interdependent connections.
Collaborate with local departments of social services to improve National Youth in Transition Database(NYTD) federal requirements by providing training to youth and professionals, and offering technical assistance as it relates to NYTD.
Partner and collaborate with the Virginia Department of Social Services’ Child Protective Services, Foster Care/Adoption, Resource Family Specialists and others as needed on assigned projects to impact the successful transition of youth from foster care.
Assist in planning and carrying out Virginia Statewide Youth conferences.
Provide training and technical assistance, resources, and tools to assigned local departments of social services Regional Specialists and other stakeholders on Permanency for Older Youth, Virginia’s Independent Living Program, the Education and Training Vouchers Program, the National Youth and Transition Database, Casey Life Skills Assessment tool, and Credit Checks for Older Youth.
Provide local, regional, and statewide learning opportunities to youth and young adults on topics including but not limited to: permanency, life skill development, leadership, and advocacy.
Present regionally at identified meetings, represent the program to professional organizations and community groups regarding assigned programs.
Implement appropriate project evaluation and reporting mechanisms, assist with the revision of program objectives and evaluation criteria.
Must be able to frequently travel and drive to department of social services sites, regional and other pertinent meetings, conferences and youth events. Some travel will involve overnight stay and long distances. Staff may be required to work out of assigned regional and/or satellite offices.
Provide “on-call” responsibilities to respond to after-hours emergencies as assigned by program.
All other duties as assigned.