Recruitment & Retention Caseworker

Jefferson County CO•Golden, CO

17h•Hybrid

About The Position

Jefferson County Human Services' Caseworkers provide Child Welfare services using Partnering for Safety techniques to engage families. This position includes Recruitment/Retention and Certification Caseworker duties for the Collaborative Foster Care Program of Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties. The Recruitment and Retention Caseworker is responsible for the development and enhancement of the Foster Care recruitment component of the Collaborative Foster Care Program. This role involves identifying inefficiencies in recruitment efforts, recommending solutions, and planning/conducting events to recruit foster families. Additionally, the position identifies barriers to foster family retention and develops programming to increase retention. The ideal applicant will have high energy and enthusiasm, enjoy flexibility and variety, and desire to work with families and professionals in a team setting. This position requires daily use of the Trails database system, the Caseworker Application Timesaver (CAT), and the Integrated Case Management System (ICM), along with knowledge of foster care policy, rules, regulations, and Volume 7 regulations for foster care certification. SAFE (Structured Analysis Family Evaluation) training is required or must be obtained after hire. The Personal Choice Work Model allows for flexibility in work location after six months of employment, but the nature of this position requires more office- and community-based work, including evening and weekend hours.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree from a higher education institution with coursework related to the job responsibilities of child welfare social caseworker (e.g., human behavior, child development, family intervention techniques, diagnostic measures, or therapeutic techniques).
Thorough knowledge of theories, principles, and concepts of social caseworker practice related to child protection.
Knowledge of caseworker principles and methods of human needs and behavior pertaining to child development, parenting, attachment, and separation.
Knowledge and skill in interviewing techniques, crisis intervention methods and relevant treatment modalities.
Knowledge of community resources, of agency rules, regulations and procedures related to child protection issues.
Ability to independently analyze complex situations, formulate plans and make quick decisions as needed.
Ability to establish and maintain harmonious professional relationships with other employees, outside agencies, and the public.
Ability to testify effectively in court hearings.
Exceptional organizational skills to effectively manage the volume of work and prioritize tasks.
Familiarity with foster care policy, rules and regulations, as well as all Volume 7 regulations for foster care certification.
A valid Colorado driver’s license is required within 30 days of hire.
Successful completion of criminal history, motor vehicle report, education verification, and/or references.

Nice To Haves

SAFE (Structured Analysis Family Evaluation) training is or must be obtained after hire.

Responsibilities

Actively establishing new partnerships within the community to recruit foster families from their membership and/or customers (e.g., faith-based organizations, schools, libraries, community groups, businesses).
Actively maintain already existing partnerships within the community to recruit foster families.
Actively support and engage community partners with print material/advertisements and discussions to raise awareness for the need for foster families.
Assist in managing the 1-KID foster care recruitment line, ensuring availability and responding to all inquiry calls and voicemails within 24 hours.
Manage inquiries received via the Collaborative Foster Care Program (CFCP) website, responding within 24 hours.
Work with the Public Information Officers (PIO) of all three counties to create effective avenues of communication and advertisements.
Manage all social media platforms for the Collaborative Foster Care Program (CFCP), including Facebook, Nextdoor, and the CFCP website, to promote program needs, specifically around Recruitment and Retention.
Author and manage grant applications to fund cooperative agreements for developing programs to recruit foster families.
Ensure recruitment efforts are communicated with staff throughout the three Divisions and organize efforts to engage staff to assist with recruitment.
Represent the CFCP at community events and festivals, which often occur in the evenings and/or on weekends.
Manage, organize, and promote activities throughout the year associated with foster care awareness (e.g., National Foster Care Awareness Month, Child Abuse Awareness Month).
Manage all aspects of “Recruitment Day” in all three counties, including promotion and organization.
Engage current foster families to solicit their involvement with the recruitment of prospective families, including foster parent attendance at Information Night and ensuring foster parents are capable and prepared for their involvement in events.
Co-manage the Information Night team and facilitate Information Night sessions requiring evening and weekend work.
Provide crisis intervention to foster care providers on an as-needed basis, utilizing skills/framework developed from Partnering for Safety practice.
Participate in staffing as needed within the agency, other providers, and professionals.
Manage a workload of certification cases, which can vary depending on program needs. This includes assessing foster and kinship families’ abilities to provide safe placement while children are in care.
Ensure assigned foster families are in compliance with all Volume 7 regulations and collaborate with the teams of youth placed in their families’ homes.
Assess potential families as candidates for caregivers to children who have been abused/neglected.
Manage the internal Support Group for the Collaborative Foster Care Program (CFCP), including arranging guest speakers, securing locations and childcare, and ensuring material presented addresses needs and interests of certified families.
Co-manage a foster family support and coaching program which connects foster families by region to increase retention.
Research and identify resources, events, and useful information for the retention of foster families.
Manage the CFCP Newsletter on a weekly basis to communicate identified information to foster families.
Maintain working knowledge of foster care policy, rules and regulations, and Volume 7 regulations for foster care certification.
Complete yearly home study updates as this position may be responsible for Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE) certification.