Lead Adoption Specialist

One Hope United•Sebring, FL

About The Position

Under an assigned supervisor, the Lead Adoption Specialist works with children, families, and prospective adoptive families to support child safety, permanency, and well-being. The role includes meeting families in their homes at varied hours, including evenings, nights, and weekends, and working in potentially high-risk neighborhoods. The position focuses on preventing inappropriate out-of-home placement, strengthening family functioning, and ensuring child safety. The specialist oversees and coordinates adoption-related work, including home studies, family and child visits, recruitment and matching activities, court documentation, placement and post-placement services, and adoption subsidies. The role collaborates with children, biological, foster, and adoptive families, supervisors, case management, recruitment partners, and medical, educational, and mental health providers. Work must comply with applicable state and federal laws, Florida Department of Children and Families rules and procedures, funding policies, and internal policies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work, Criminology, Psychology, Sociology, Counseling, Special Education, Education, Human Development, Child Development, Family Development, Marriage & Family Therapy, or Nursing.
Five or more years of progressive work experience related to child welfare.
Three years of child welfare adoption experience.
Previous supervisory experience.
State of Florida Child Welfare Certification.
Reliable transportation, a valid driver’s license, and auto insurance meeting OHU’s required coverage levels.
Knowledge of FSFN adoption procedures.
Workable knowledge of community resources.
Ability to assess, interpret, and deliver care-related information concerning the life-span development of children and families.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to document clearly and concisely.
Strong organization and flexibility, with the ability to manage multiple projects or priorities and tight deadlines.
Intermediate data-entry skills.
A positive attitude in a challenging environment, patience and respect when working with children and families who may be angry or demanding, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to contribute positively to a team.
Resourcefulness in researching issues, analyzing information, solving problems, and developing solutions with minimal supervision and in a timely manner.
Proficient computer skills in a Microsoft Windows environment and the ability to learn additional software applications as needed.
Ability to exercise discretion and ensure confidentiality.
Ability to meet the stated physical and travel demands of the position.

Responsibilities

Approve adoption home studies for matched and unmatched children in FSFN.
Assist individuals and families in crisis in ways that promote positive change, growth, development, and safety.
Attend all recruitment and match events.
Attend court hearings and prepare and file court documents within required timeframes.
Complete and review subsidy files, adopt-only home studies, OTI home studies, and ICPC adoption home studies.
Conduct visits with children and prospective adoptive families, including ongoing assessment of child safety, permanency, and well-being.
Continually assess risk of abuse, neglect, and threatened harm by gathering appropriate information.
Serve as a conduit of information between case participants and stakeholders, including medical, educational, and mental health providers.
Engage and assess families from a strengths-based perspective.
Ensure children are registered on the adoption exchange within 10 days.
Ensure post-placement work is completed within one week of a child's placement in the identified prospective adoptive family's home.
Facilitate placement and delivery services in collaboration with biological, foster, and adoptive families.
Apply knowledge of the Adoption Program Administrative Rule, Chapter 65C-16.
Refer hard-to-place children to recruitment partners when necessary.
Attend and participate in weekly team meetings.
Participate in match staffings and adoption review committee meetings with the adoption team.
Perform adoption-related responsibilities in accordance with state and federal laws, Department of Children and Families Administrative Codes and Operating Procedures, funding-source policies, and internal child abuse, abandonment, and neglect policies within required timeframes.
Prepare and maintain spreadsheets of active adopt-only families and all available children in the service office.
Staff internal TPR cases with supervisors and case management at least monthly.
Use empowerment approaches to develop case plans with children and families.
Work closely with the Supervisor to provide oversight of the unit.
Perform other related duties as assigned.