Foster Care/Adoption Specialist - Rural in Fort Worth, Texas at ACH Child and Family Services

Position Function:

Provides clinical and technical support to Foster and Adoptive families, including licensed kinship families, through intensive case management services, client behavioral support services, crisis management, home visits, weekly contact, monitoring of standards compliance, documentation, ongoing training, transportation assistance as needed, aftercare services, and advocacy. This position serves families throughout a multi-county service area, focused on Hood County but will also include Parker, Erath, Somervell and Palo Pinto counties. The position also supports foster care and adoption recruitment, retention, and community outreach efforts. The job requires sensitivity to the service population’s cultural, geographic, and socioeconomic characteristics.

Requirements:

Education: A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required; a Master’s degree in social work or related field is preferred.

Experience: A minimum of two years of documented full-time work experience in a child-placing agency is required with a Bachelor degree.

Functional: Must have excellent verbal and communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with youth, families, collaborating agencies, community professionals, and ACH Child and Family Services staff. Must be able to travel independently throughout a multi-county service area and maintain a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and automobile insurance in accordance with agency requirements.

Working Conditions:

Position includes exposure to parents, guardians, and conservators as well as to youth with behavioral problems, including possible physical aggression. A personal vehicle is required for travel, and the position requires frequent travel throughout the agency’s service area, including Granbury, Weatherford, Stephenville, Mineral Wells, and surrounding rural communities. Travel may include home visits, family meetings, school visits, training events, recruitment activities, and collaboration with community partners. The position provides 24/7 on-call support to assigned foster families.

The foster care/adoption specialist will have access to confidential records including youth files, foster care/adoption records, and foster/adopt parent information. Must maintain confidentiality and follow policies related to personnel records and client records.

Key Expectations/Responsibilities:

• Ensure that all case management practices, including crisis management, interventions, and family support, are driven by a child-centered Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) approach that respects the unique needs of each child.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and utilize trauma-informed practices when working with children and families, recognizing the impact of trauma on children’s development and emotional well-being.
• Work with families in a culturally responsive manner, ensuring that care plans and interventions are sensitive to the cultural, environmental, and socio-economic needs of children and foster/adopt families.
• Emphasize the strengths of both the children and the families served, helping them build resilience and increase their capacity to care for and support children in foster care.
• Establish and adhere to a regular work schedule.
• Engage in collaborative efforts with foster parents, biological families, service providers, and community agencies to create a holistic, child-centered support system.
• Advocate for the child’s needs and best interests in all settings, ensuring that the child’s voice is heard in decisions related to their care and placement.
• Empower foster and adoptive families through support, training, and crisis management, ensuring they feel capable and supported in meeting the needs of children in their care.

Planning:

• Participate in the development of foster care/adoption programs, ensuring that they align with TBRI® principals and T3C requirements and are responsive to the evolving needs of children and families.
• Participate in the development and facilitation of training curriculum for foster/adopt families, ensuring that the training incorporates principles of trauma-informed care, child development, and culturally responsive practices.
• Participate in case planning meetings with collaborating agencies to ensure a cohesive, child-centered approach to each child’s care.

Implementation:

• Schedule and facilitate Plan of Service meetings and reviews, ensuring that plans prioritize the child’s well-being and development, incorporate family input, and reflect trauma informed principles.
• Document meetings, case progress, and interactions with families in a timely and thorough manner, ensuring that records reflect a child-centered approach and are aligned with agency standards.

· Ensure that children receive the recommended and/or required services as per their service plan and T3C service package as well as any psychological or therapy recommendations as approved by their legal guardian or managing conservator.

• Maintain regular communication with foster/adopt parents through phone calls and home visits, providing ongoing support and guidance.
• Lead monthly meetings with foster parents to review youth progress, discuss concerns, and provide guidance on behavior management and interventions.
• Assist in conducting home studies and assessing potential foster/adopt parents, ensuring that the families are equipped to provide a safe, nurturing environment.
• Facilitate and participate in home inspections to assess compliance with licensing standards, ensuring that the foster home environment is safe, supportive, and child-centered
• Provide after care services beginning with an aftercare plan that provides referrals and transition supports as indicated by the service package and agreed upon by the managing conservator.
• Provide services to foster and adoptive families throughout the assigned service area, including rural and geographically dispersed communities.
• Be present in the Hood County community to create visibility for ACH’s foster care program and to provide support and assistance for local foster families.

Recruitment and Retention:

• Conduct foster care and adoption recruitment efforts by serving as an ambassador for ACH Child and Family Services within the assigned service area.
• Promote foster care and adoption awareness through community outreach, presentations, and recruitment events, in coordination with other outreach efforts conducted by ACH in Granbury and surrounding communities.
• Support foster parent retention by maintaining strong relationships with families and connecting them to resources and support services.
• Develop and maintain relationships with community resources and service providers throughout the region.

· Support qualified candidates seeking to become licensed foster parents in successfully navigating and completing the licensing process.

Training and Supervision:

• Facilitate pre-service, ongoing, and specialized training for foster and adoptive families in accordance with agency requirements, licensing standards, and best practices.
• Participate in weekly supervision meetings to reflect on casework, share challenges and successes, and ensure that practices align with the principles of child-centered care.
• Communicate regularly with supervisor and seek supervision when appropriate.
• Attend relevant in-service training offered at ACH to expand knowledge of services and the application of clinical skills.
• Attend TBRI®, MAB, first aid, HIPAA and CPR training.
• Attend at least one round of preservice trainings which our foster/adopt families attend.
• Attend training on trauma informed care and attachment –focused-parenting and demonstrate the ability to implement interventions in the home based on these models of care.
• Attend continuing education necessary to expand knowledge and maintain certifications or licenses.
• Notify supervisor properly when absent.
• Complete assignments on time.
• Establish effective working relationships with co-workers.
• Deal satisfactorily with and acknowledge work-related stress.
• Maintain appropriate boundaries between professional and personal issues.
• Adhere to all polices and procedures of the agency and its accrediting and standard setting bodies, such as COA, T3C, OCOK and state licensing.
• Respect the dignity and worth of clients and foster parents.
• Maintain client confidentiality per agency standards and all applicable codes of ethics.
• Use outside professional collaboration and intra-agency teamwork appropriate to the agency.
• Use a professional development plan to address own strengths and limitations in periodic and annual reviews.
• Learn, understand, and support the agency mission, purpose and function.
• Be prepared to address appropriate issues during supervisory conferences and meetings.
• Accept direction from supervisor and implement supervisor’s suggestions and instructions.
• Understand your job description in relation to other agency positions.
• Continue to work to improve skills needed for position held.
• Consider the environmental, cultural, safety, diversity issues and needs for the foster parent and client.
• Identify and understand the strengths, abilities and competencies of the foster parent/adopt and client.
• Complete other duties as assigned by supervisor.

The above noted job description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that may be assigned but rather to give the employee a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of his/her position. As the nature of business demands change so, too, may the essential functions of this position

Education: A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required; a Master’s degree in social work or related field is preferred.

Experience: A minimum of two years of documented full-time work experience in a child-placing agency is required with a Bachelor degree.

Functional: Must have excellent verbal and communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with youth, families, collaborating agencies, community professionals, and ACH Child and Family Services staff. Must be able to travel independently throughout a multi-county service area and maintain a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and automobile insurance in accordance with agency requirements.