Permanency Adoption Specialist

Caritas Family Solutions•Belleville, IL

61d•Remote

About The Position

At Caritas we believe every life deserves LOVE! If you agree, then please consider joining our team!! Caritas Family Solutions is seeking a dependable, detailed oriented Permanency Adoption Specialist to serve at our Belleville office. This position is perfect for office professionals who are highly organized and value being part of a great team. Most importantly, the work you’ll do helps support those that strive to protect children every day! If you’re ready to change the world, please apply today!!! At Caritas, we know we’re competing with other employers for your services, and we want to win! It is our goal to offer competitive compensation and affordable benefits to all eligible employees. Caritas currently offers the following benefits to full-time employees: · 403 B Retirement Plan (5% Employer Match) · Generous Paid Time Off · Health, Dental and Vision Insurance Coverage · 12 Employer Paid State & Federal Holidays · Telehealth Services · Employer Paid Life Insurance · Health Saving Account · Employer Paid Short- & Long-Term Disability · Tuition Assistance Program · Real Work/Life Balance Remote Work: Allowed (work arrangement can change depending on performance and/or needs of Caritas). Job Tasks Typically: Unstructured - worker will be allowed to determine/plan the order of tasks, priorities, and goals. Description of Typical Work Schedule: 40-hour workweek; schedule varies as they may be required to work evenings and weekends (Hours set based on necessity of department or office.) PURPOSE: The Permanency Adoption Specialist is responsible for the completion of the adoption and/or guardianship subsidy packets in a timely manner. They will collaborate with DCFS, assigned Foster Care Case Manager, Foster Care Supervisor, foster parents, selected adoption attorney, youth and other identified supports to achieve permanency for youth involved in the Illinois child welfare system. REPORTING STRUCTURE: Refer to the updated organizational chart for reporting structure and responsiblities.

Requirements

Degree/Field Required: Bachelor's Degree in Social Work or Human Services field (Related fields will be considered.)
Administrative — Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Sociology and Anthropology — Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Therapy and Counseling — Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Experience Required: Minimum 2 years of experience in providing foster care services or other relevant social work services. (For positions that manage staff, the years specified need to be progressive years of management experience. For all positions, the years required can be interchanged with equivalent experience from an advanced degree related to this job and/or with other relevant experience verified by applicant/incumbent).
Licenses/Certifications Required: Child Welfare Employee License
Active Learning — Understand the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening — Give full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking — Use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Learning Strategies — Select and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Monitoring — Monitor/Assess performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension — Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking — Talk to others to convey information effectively.
Writing — Communicate effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Language — Able to read and write in English.
Coordination — Adjust actions in relation to others' actions.
Negotiation — Bring others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion — Persuade others to change their minds or behavior.
Service Orientation — Look for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness — Be aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Complex Problem Solving — Identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Time pressure decision-making — Make decisions without much analysis or time to consider alternatives.
Time pressure planning — Plan and be responsible for regularly meeting strict deadlines.
Judgment and Decision Making — Consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one ensuring that decisions made have an impact on others, the image/reputation of Caritas, and/or the financial resources.
Systems Evaluation — Identify measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Must display a willingness to adopt trauma informed interventions, principles, and practices as well as commitment to ongoing development of their capacity for application of trauma informed care. Realizes the prevalence of trauma among persons served by Caritas and the general population. Recognizes how trauma affects everyone involved-including clients, their families, staff, and community; and impacts behaviors. Responds to trauma by actively implementing the guiding principles of trauma informed care into their daily practice. Resists re-traumatization of persons served and staff providing services, by creating safe, welcoming, and supportive environments.
Proficient Computer Skills In: Excel, Outlook, Word, Database Management Software
Expert Computer Skills In: Excel, Outlook, Word, Database Management Software
Concentration/intensity — Focus on higher order mental functions at average to high intensity when performing the majority of job tasks. Have limited opportunities for breaks.
Deductive Reasoning — Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Fluency of Ideas — Come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Inductive Reasoning — Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering — Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Memory — Remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures. Performance of job tasks rely on memorization of tasks or sequences of events. Consider amount and type of information.
Oral Comprehension — Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression — Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Perceptual Speed — Quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Problem Sensitivity — Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Selective Attention — Concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speed of Closure — Quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Written Comprehension — Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression — Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Light work. Exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for sedentary work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for light work.
Reaching — Extend hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
Fingering/Grasping — Pick, pinch, type or otherwise work, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling. Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
Feeling — Perceive attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
Standing — Particularly for sustained periods of time.
Walking — Move about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
Sitting — Particularly for sustained periods of time.
Speech Clarity/Talking — Express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly. Includes the ability to understand the speech of another person.
Hearing — Perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discriminations in sound.
Repetitive motion — Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
Coordination, including eye/hand, hand/feet.
The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: analyzing data; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspections; inspect machines.
Access to reliable transportation to get to/from work: Required.
Access to a reliable automobile: Required.
Must provide proof of auto liability insurance (and continue to while working in this position): Required.
Must possess a valid driver's license: Required.

Nice To Haves

Degree/Field Preferred: N/A (Related fields will be considered.)
Licenses/Certifications Preferred: N/A

Responsibilities

Completes and complies all DCFS subsidy paperwork and with accurateness by required timeframes of completion.
Completes all Caritas Family Solutions paperwork and complies with program expectations as related to the position.
Communicates regularly with the assigned case manager and foster care case manager supervisor to ensure there is effective communication.
Communicates regularly with the assigned case manager and foster care case manager supervisor to ensure accurate information is given to the adoptive parent i.e., the status of the adoption.
Completes a review of the case file and SACWIS information
Assists the assigned case manager in obtaining information and documentation needed to complete the subsidy paperwork.
Communicates with adoptive parents to obtain any needed information in order to complete the subsidy paperwork.
Coordinates with DCFS adoption unit and adoption attorney for review/corrections and scheduling the finalization date.
Troubleshoots adoptions that are past deadlines so that they can move forward.
Assists in maintaining tracking systems and ensures completion of all paperwork for assigned adoption cases.