30 Days to Family Specialist
3 days ago
Saint Louis
Job Description This short-term, intensive intervention role focuses on expanding efforts to locate, notify, and engage safe, appropriate relatives and kin for youth entering foster care. Using the evidence-based 30 Days to Family® model and family search and engagement practices, the Specialist works to ensure timely compliance with the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, Senate Bill 683, and other relevant Missouri statutes. The Specialist immediately begins identifying and engaging non-offending parents and grandparents, followed by an extensive search to locate, contact, and explore up to 80 additional maternal and paternal relatives for potential placement and ongoing support. Because foster care placements can be fragile, the goal is to identify multiple relatives or kin who can provide placement options or be part of a robust support network. Every effort is made to keep siblings together, maintain the youth’s school of origin, and preserve meaningful relationships with friends and supportive adults. Once a placement provider is identified—whether prior to the Protective Custody Hearing or later—the Specialist offers targeted support to promote placement stability. This includes assessing youth and family needs, identifying family and community resources, removing barriers to relative placement, and developing a comprehensive plan that outlines formal and informal supports available to the family. Essential Functions • Family Engagement and Support, • Demonstrates a commitment to core program philosophies:, • Youth belong with family., • Family takes care of family., • All families have capable members., • Families are experts on themselves., • Relatives have a right to know family exists., • Everyone has something to contribute., • Collects information from relatives/kin to expand the youth’s support system and identify placement options., • Visits with the youth and family in-home or in the community to address placement stability., • Family Finding and Diligent Search, • Identifies and documents a minimum of 80 relatives/kin for each youth., • Conducts diligent search activities: internet/database searches, case file reviews, and interviews., • Documentation and Case Management, • Facilitates communication with referring agencies and provides family documentation (e.g., genograms, contact information)., • Submits activity notes and billing documentation in accordance with funding requirements., • Maintains accurate client files and records., • Completes assessments at referral and closure to evaluate outcomes., • Licensing and Placement Preparation, • Assists in preparing families for licensure., • Provides additional community resources for relative resource providers to ensure placement stability., • Program Compliance and Court Involvement, • Assists case managers and court officials with compliance (Fostering Connections to Success Act, Missouri statutes, and policies)., • Participates in court hearings, internal/external meetings, and professional consultations., • Data Management and Reporting, • Uses software to track program outcomes (e.g., Salesforce, Genopro)., • Completes billing sheets and daily activity logs accurately and on time., • Team Collaboration and Professional Development, • Responds to supervision, coaching, and feedback., • Works effectively in a team setting. • Maintains professionalism in all interactions with families and professionals., • Respects and effectively engages with individuals from diverse backgrounds., • Responds to communication in a respectful and timely manner., • Meets all outcome expectations of the 30 Days to Family® program., • Willing to learn and use relevant software tools (Genopro, Salesforce)., • Travels within the designated service area: St. Louis City, St. Louis, Jefferson, St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren, and Franklin counties. Agency Accountability • Completes daily activity log., • Maintains an up-to-date Outlook calendar., • Assists with administrative tasks and volunteer responsibilities as needed., • Supports other agency programs to achieve organizational goals., • Performs other duties as assigned, with or without accommodation. Qualifications & RequirementsEducation Bachelor's degree in social work or a social service field Experience • Demonstrated experience working with interdisciplinary teams utilizing innovative strategies to overcome obstacles., • Direct experience in the child welfare field with knowledge of foster care and adoption and experience in family interview, engagement, and assessment., • Experience in resource parent licensing strongly preferred. Preferred Skills / Qualifications • Sense of urgency and understanding the importance of 30 Days to Family® search and contact guidelines, • Ability to work outside of a “business as usual” model, including:, • a “relentless” search for family, • vigorous search for and engagement of fathers a strength-based approach to engaging family members in a problem-solving process to identify and organize their collective resources to support relative placement, • Excellent written and verbal communication, • Strong organizational skills and superior time management, • Professional maturity to work independently, while also engaging with peers and supervisory staff, • Superior advocacy skills, • Experience in team facilitation, including conflict resolution and negotiation, • Adaptability and flexibility Additional Skills/Competencies necessary to carry out services to the service population's culture and socioeconomic characteristics • This position requires an understanding of diversity (ethnic, religious, socio-economic, etc.) as well as sensitivity to the situations of the children and families the organization serves., • This position requires respect for the confidentiality of the children and families the organization serves., • This position requires passing background checks (references, Family Care Safety Registry, Form 1-9, etc.)., • This position requires a clean criminal history., • Must fulfill the responsibility as a mandated reporter in the State of Missouri., • Behaves with integrity, demonstrates high ethical standards, and displays a positive image of the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition., • Demonstrates accountability for results and keeps commitments to others., • Must fulfill the responsibility as a mandated reporter in the State of Missouri., • Behaves with integrity, demonstrates high ethical standards, and displays a positive image of the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition., • Demonstrates accountability for results and keeps commitments to others. Organizational Relationships/Scope This position reports to the Director of 30 Days to Family®. Collaborative consultation will be sought from all program teams. Working Conditions • The physical requirements of this job include sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs, lifting to 25 lbs., pulling and/or pushing on occasion., • This position entails work in the community and office., • Use of automobiles for local travel to multiple sites including client homes and other community organizations is required., • This position requires flexibility to meet the needs of the family and the agency training schedule. Evening and weekend hours may be required to meet the expectations of this position. Agency Shared Values Employees of the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition agree to hold themselves and their colleagues to the following: • We insist on fairness and respect. We are deliberate in ensuring everyone has safety, opportunity, access, and support to be heard., • We are family. We are connected and support one another in meeting the needs of our own families and the families we serve. We assume the best and are committed to each other., • We celebrate differences and harness the power that diversity brings. Every viewpoint is heard and honored. We are stronger because of our differences., • We are intentional about knowing better and doing better, using innovation and solution-focus approaches with courageous passion and excellence., • We respect, leverage, and engage everyone's unique strengths and talents so each individual can contribute to their full potential., • We are an agency built on integrity, maintaining a culture of trust, respect, transparency, and honesty. We walk in our truth and uphold ethical standards., • We stand up for each other and what is right for our clients and stakeholders with truth, vulnerability, and accountability., • We develop and maintain authentic relationships by being flexible and open-minded and maximizing the strengths of each individual in the team to accomplish the best outcome for our children and families. Everyone contributes to leadership. Disclaimer The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees assigned to this position.