Level 1 Licensing Specialist - Child Welfare

Kids Central•Wildwood, FL

About The Position

The Kids Central Prevention Department offers programs to help support families, kinship caregivers, resource families, independent living youth and children both in foster care and placed in the community. The services provided through the prevention department are designed to assist families to reach their full potential, to engage families in services that promote safety, family well-being, support placements and provide needed resources. The Level 1 licensing specialist is the primary contact for licensing of relative and fictive kin, child specific foster homes. The Level 1 licensing specialist will conduct home visits, gather information, conduct background checks, access the information and the family to determine their ability and willingness to become a Level 1 licensed foster home. The Level 1 licensing specialist must ensure that the home meets the minimum requirements for the home to become a level 1 licensed child specific foster home. The Level 1 licensing specialist is responsible for making recommendations to the Department of Children and Families based on the information gathered. The Level 1 licensing specialist will provide support to the families that they work with, to help promote a safe and stable placement for the child(ren) placed in the home. The Level 1 licensing specialist will be required to make quarterly contact with the families that are licensed and will be required to re-license the home, if the dependency case remains open after 12 months of licensure.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Services or related field with three years’ experience in child welfare or human services. Eligible college or university degrees must be awarded by an institution accredited by an accreditation body recognized by the Federal Department of Education and/or Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The college or university must have been accredited at the time the degree was awarded.
Child Welfare Certification preferred but not required at time of hire. Must obtain and maintain certification in good standings within one year of employment.
Must maintain a clear criminal background and driving record.
Must have a valid Florida driver’s license and be insurable by agency’s current insurance carrier
Must have reliable transportation
Must successfully clear Level II Background Screen
Ability to meet Organizational Required Competency standards
Knowledge of the child welfare system and applicable statutes
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written)
Strong computer skills (Microsoft Office Suite and FSFN)
Ability to work occasional weekends and nights (from 10pm Friday to 8am Monday or 10 pm to 8 am Monday -Thursday) to cover Placement.
Ability to multi-task and problem solve.
Ability to travel locally up to 75%
Ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.

Responsibilities

Conduct a minimum of one home visit and interview all household members to assess the home and ensure that the home and family members meet the requirements to become a level 1 licensed, child specific foster home.
Complete background screens on all household members.
Complete licensing packets for prospective new Level I foster homes in a timely manner.
Ensure the family has completed all required training, and paperwork for the licensing packet.
Analyze information gathered to make an assessment of the risk in the home and be able to document the information to present to the supervisor and Department of Children and Families.
Ability to write reports of the information gathered.
Follow the requirements set out in Florida administrative code and DCF policies.
Meet deadlines provided to them by the supervisor and/or director.
Maintain quarterly contact with the family once they are licensed until Permanent Guardianship is obtained for the child(ren) or the case is closed out.
Complete the annual re-licensing to ensure the caregiver meets required qualifications to continue to provide support for the eligible child.
Complete addendums as required by DCF in order to amend a family’s license due to a change in residence or a change within the home.
In the event of a significant weather occurrence, contact all assigned level 1 foster parents to ensure they are safe,they have a planand assess their needs.
Act as liaison between assigned level 1 foster parents and family care managers.
Participate in on-call placement and provides coverage during weeknights, weekend and holidays on a rotating basis.
Attend MDT staffings on assigned Level 1 foster homes as needed.
Conduct foster care referral investigations as required.
Attend institutional staffings involving assigned Level 1 foster homes.
Assess the immediate needs of the family to help support the placement.
Make resource requests as needed and coordinate delivery of the items to the family.
Demonstrate the ability to use excel as a tool to help manage and track their caseload, to determine when items are due and/or expire.
Have the ability to critically think and assess situation to determine child safety and the protective factors of the household members.
Effectively track children and families to ensure desired outcomes and objectives are met.
Document all work on homes within 48 business hours in FSFN.
Participate in one-on-one supervision with Level 1 supervisor on a monthly basis.
Provide case specific consultation to relative caregivers and children as needed.
Complete monthly reporting and projects in a timely manner.
All case activity is electronic, staff must ensure all case activity is documented in (FSFN) Florida Safe Families Network and all forms and documents are uploaded correctly into FSFN.
Provide input to the Level 1 supervisor and director on ways to improve processes and to better assist families.
Demonstrate flexibility in working with families and children, by scheduling meetings, appointments, and events at times convenient to program participants.
Participate in local April Child Abuse Prevention Month activities.
Contribute to the development of Kids Central’s strategic goals and objectives as well as the overall management of the organization.
Maintain continuous lines of communication, keeping Supervisor and Director informed of all critical issues, completing incident reports in a timely manner as needed.
Attend community events and speak publicly regarding Kids Central programs as approved by the supervisor and/or director.
Ability to update and maintain an outlook calendar.
Utilize the APD system to clock in and out.
Demonstrate the ability to manage their time appropriately within the work week, overtime must be pre-approved by the Level 1 supervisor or director.
Complete and submit mileage and time log, if needed, to supervisor for approval on a monthly basis.
Maintain a positive working relationship with customers, residents, co-workers and vendors, returning all phone calls and emails within 24 hours.
Effectively facilitate meetings at all levels.
Respect the confidentiality of clients.
Manage special projects assigned by Level 1 Supervisor or Director.
Identify, educate, develop, and maintain relationships with community partners to benefit and support families in their community.
Assist with identifying services needed in the community to impact the safety, permanency, and well-being of children in the community.
Work in a teamwork atmosphere with other staff members.