Adoptions Specialist

Full job description Adoptions Specialist Join our team at FSS and enjoy comprehensive benefits including but not limited to:
Tuition Reimbursement: Earn up to $5,250 per qualifying year to invest in your education. Health Insurance: Choose from three comprehensive Florida Blue health insurance plans to keep you and your family covered. Dental Plan: Enjoy an employer-paid dental plan for our valued employees. Life Insurance: Your peace of mind matters to us. We provide employer-paid life insurance. Well-Being Program: Stay healthy and engaged with our highly interactive well-being program. Paid Time Off (PTO): Relax and recharge with our generous PTO plan. You can even earn three additional days per plan year! Bereavement Leave: We offer 3 paid days of bereavement leave annually to ease the burden during a family member's passing. Paid Holidays: Enjoy the 12 holidays without the worry of receiving a paycheck (to include 1 floating holiday) and unwind with family and friends to celebrate and rejuvenate! 401k Plan with Matching: Secure your financial future with our 401k plan and employer matching. Additional Benefits: Explore our range of benefits, including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Vision Plan, Short & Long-Term Disability coverage, Employee Discounts, and more. The mission of Family Support Services is to be the leader in providing safety, stability, and quality of life for all children by working with the community to strengthen the family unit.
Job Summary: This position is responsible for coordination of adoption activities. The position serves as the technical expert in child welfare adoptions. Also serves as a lead agency liaison for adoption related matters; handling inquiries and/or concerns made to the Lead Agency regarding the adoption process, disseminating adoption as needed to the case management agencies, providing adoption technical assistance, working directly with providers of adoption related services and coordination, review and approval of any adoption subsidy payments that exceed 100% of the foster care board rate. This position also facilitates problem resolution, assists with process information and disseminates resource contact information as needed.
Essential Duties: Track, on an on-going basis, all children receiving services, who are permanently committed to the custody of the Department, with a goal of adoption and lead agency outcomes related to adoption finalization, to include stratifying data related to adoption targets/performance by case management agency. Ensure that the lead agency has data to support how well a child is navigating towards adoption to include the child's status, specific barriers to achieving timely adoption finalization and efforts to effectively address and eliminate barriers. Coordinate with FSS staff and/or community partners directly responsible for adoptive home recruitment and participates directly or indirectly in all activities that promote community awareness of the adoptions program and the need for adoptive families. Assist in developing and maintaining policies and procedures for adoption and related services while maintaining compliance with all child welfare laws, policies and procedures governing adoption and related services. Provide technical assistance and training to all adoption related staff working for the case management providers. Facilitate adoption specific pre-adoptive family training and monthly information meeting. Work collaboratively to plan recruitment events for waiting children. Other Duties As needed Minimum Qualifications: Education:
Bachelors degree in social work or related human services field required.
Experience:
Requires a minimum of three years child welfare experience. Preference will be given to staff with 2-year background in child welfare adoptions.
Licensure, Certification, and/or Registration:
Valid drivers license. Current Child Welfare Case Manager Certification.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The qualifications listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Ability to:
Represent self and the organization in a professional manner Work independently with little direct supervision Interpret statutes, policies, contracts, and administrative rule requirements as related to program area Assess a situation and make appropriate recommendations/decisions Research, organize and analyze data Solve problems and to think through critical, time sensitive issues Maintain a professional working relationship with outside agencies Work collaboratively with staff at all levels in the organization Follow through on commitments, projects and responsibilities Speak effectively before small and large groups Calculate figures and amounts Maintain confidential information Knowledge of:
Florida Statutes, Florida Administrative Rules, and policies that regulate the adoption process
Skills:
Strong Written and Verbal Communication Strong follow-up and follow through Strong organizational and time management Proficiency in Excel and Microsoft Word Other Requirements:
Clear a Level II background screening Clear a reference check Clear a local background check from the County in which you reside Clear a substance abuse screen Provide a copy of all degrees prior to your first day of employment Clear a Motor Vehicles Records check Proof of personal auto insurance coverage in the amount of $100,000/$300,000 or greater if not insurable under company's automobile policy Clear an E-Verify check to substantiate that the successful candidate meets the Department of Homeland Security authorization requirements to work in the United States (for more information visit Family Support Services team members follow 5 core values: Partnership : At FSS, a belief that we are better together is core to who we are. Partnership is an essential component of a healthy system of care. Our team is committed to a respectful, open-minded, collaborative approach to co-creating solutions with the community. This extends to the children and families we serve as well.
Excellence : FSS challenges ourselves to always strive for better on behalf of those we serve. We foster innovative practices, encourage continuous quality improvement, and engage in strategic planning with our partners to achieve the highest possible outcomes for children, families, and the community.
Accountability : FSS recognizes our leadership role within the system of care and strives to be accountable to the community by being trustworthy partners. FSS is committed to ethical and transparent practices, and to operate with integrity as we pursue positive outcomes.
Compassion : We recognize that we often meet families at their most challenging moment and people are more than the sum of their circumstances. We provide trauma-sensitive care for the children and families in our system to reach their full potential. We embrace a service leadership approach and commit to finding the strengths in everyone we encounter while we foster resiliency.
Equity : Equity goes beyond the fair treatment of all people. For FSS, equity is the commitment to recognize the social justice issues intrinsic to our work with marginalized communities. We strive to amplify the voices of individuals and families impacted by poverty, racism, and discrimination in any form. We obligate ourselves to a belief that none of these factors should be a predictor of child welfare involvement or outcomes.
FSS is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. FSS is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. If you require a reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to Human Resources at . Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Employee assistance program Employee discount Flexible spending account Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Retirement plan Tuition reimbursement Vision insurance Schedule:
8 hour shift Monday to Friday Education:
Bachelor's (Required) Experience:
child welfare: 3 years (Required) License/Certification:
Florida Child Welfare Case Manager Certification (Required) Ability to Commute:
Largo, FL 33771 (Required) Work Location: Hybrid remote in Largo, FL 33771