Resource Coordinator
About The Position
The Department for Children & Families' Family Services Division Barre Office is seeking a Resource Coordinator to support children, families, and communities. The position supports district office assessment of foster care placement and respite resources and recruits foster parents in response to local needs. The coordinator works with family service workers to identify, assess, and appropriately support relatives and natural supports as placement resources for children and youth. The role also provides foster care orientation and foundation training to potential foster parents. The Resource Coordinator provides ongoing support to licensed foster parents through visits, telephone contacts, and home contacts; serves as the district liaison to the local foster parent association; and participates in developing foster parent contracts, including defining work and setting payment rates. The coordinator may mediate disputes between foster parents and social workers, ensures foster families respect the cultural, ethnic, and spiritual values of the families served, and follows the Diligent Recruitment process to recruit, retain, and support kin and foster families and track recruitment data. Duties are performed in both field and office settings. Candidates must have private transportation available for required travel. Some work outside normal office hours may be required. Candidates must pass applicable background investigations, which may include criminal record, DMV, and adult and child abuse registry checks.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree and one year of human services work or community resource development; OR one year or more of graduate credits in a master's or doctorate program related to social work, counseling, psychology, or public administration; OR four years of child welfare experience recruiting, training, and retaining foster families.
- Private means of transportation must be available for needed travel.
- Must pass any background investigation applicable to the position.
Responsibilities
- Support district office assessment of foster care placement and respite resources.
- Recruit foster parents in response to local needs.
- Work with family service workers to identify, assess, and appropriately support relatives and natural supports as placement resources for children and youth.
- Provide foster care orientation and foundation training to potential foster parents.
- Provide ongoing support for licensed foster parents through visits, telephone contacts, and home contacts.
- Act as district liaison to the local foster parent association.
- Participate in developing foster parent contracts, including specifications of work and payment rates.
- May mediate disputes between foster parents and social workers.
- Ensure foster families respect the cultural, ethnic, and spiritual values of the families served.
- Follow the Diligent Recruitment process to recruit, retain, and support kin and foster families and track recruitment data.
Benefits
- 80% State-paid medical premium and a dental plan at no cost for employees and their families
- 12 paid holidays each year and a generous leave plan
- State Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FMLI)
- State defined benefit pension plan and deferred compensation 457(b) plan
- Tuition reimbursement
- Flexible spending healthcare and childcare reimbursement accounts
- Low-cost group life insurance
- Incentive-based Wellness Program
- Qualified Employer for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program
