Assistant Director of Foster Care - Foster Home Division

Basic Function/Overall Responsibilities: The Assistant Director-Foster Home Division, is a direct report to the Director of Foster Care and plays an integral leadership role in the effective coordination and quality service delivery for children involved in the child welfare system and in need of a stable, safe home. As a key player in the leadership of the department, the role is directly responsible for recruiting suitable foster parents, ensuring those homes meet standards of care in line with Agency and State regulations, and assisting those homes as children live there. Homes will be certified or approved as Kinship, Regular, Therapeutic or Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO). As such, the Assistant Director is responsible for the approval and ongoing monitoring of all homes involved with the House of the Good Shepherd.

• Communicate regularly with LDSS staff to include CPS supervisors and investigators, and Grade A supervisors in order to maintain a positive working relationship with custodial agencies
• Work in partnership with CPS Grade A supervisors, CPS investigators to maintain child safety and foster parent compliance with LDSS, OCFS and HGS regulations for the foster boarding home division.
• Provide support and consultation to Foster Care Staff to help ensure appropriate admission/transfers and to maximize utilization of all agency foster homes and programs (should a different level of care be required)
• Review and approve foster home licensure, recertification and closure in the NYS Connections system
• Provide general support to all Foster Care staff in the absence of the Director of Foster Care.
• Ensure the regular compliance of the Office of Children and Family Services regulations, NY State Law, and The House of the Good Shepherd Policy and Procedures.
• Liaison with OCFS staff from the Syracuse Regional Office regarding Foster Parents/Foster Homes.
• Co-facilitate and manage program and/or special reviews conducted by regulatory bodies in collaboration with the Director of Foster Care.
• Hire train and provide ongoing supervision to the Senior Foster Family Specialists, Foster Family Specialists and Kinship Permanency Specialists to include direction, support accuracy and compliance with NYS/OCFS and HGS guidelines.
• Provide support to HGS Foster Parents through mediums and in person conferences
• Maintain the incident management policies and procedures of the House of the Good Shepherd through training, direction, review and administrative review of all incidents and allegations of Abuse/Neglect/1 CC.
• Review and sign off on Foster Parent mileage forms verifying compliance with LDSS/HGS travel reimbursement policy.
• Members of the Rounds team, reporting on CPS investigations and monitoring reports on the status of foster homes, to include Kinship homes.
• Oversee the Newsletter to foster parents on a Quarterly basis
• Provide ongoing to training to Foster Parents and staff as necessary
• Develop, plan and implement foster parent quarterly meetings.
• Maintain positive relationships with all agency staff, programs, and departments and with licensing/certifying bodies and the greater community to promote a positive agency image.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in social work or a related field and threeyears' supervisory experience in foster care or a behavioral health setting.