What are the responsibilities and job description for the OCOK Adoption Recruitment Specialist position at ACH Child & Family Services?
Description:
Position Function:
Responsible for coordinating adoption services for youth and families referred to OCOK. Promotes the well-being of children, participates in staff meetings/trainings and coordinates with staff from other agencies involved in providing adoption services to children. Performs the following duties directly: creates adoption recruitment plan and profile, gathering of regular documents, scheduling of staffing's and other necessary recruitment activities. Create a recruitment plan and execute to ensure legally-free youth are accurately and thoroughly portrayed for adoptive families.
Requirements:
Education: Bachelor’s degree, in a human services field, is required.
Experience Requirements: Two years experience working within human services required. Preference may be given to candidates who have experience working with children and youth through the adoption process and / or experience working with older youth in permanency planning and preparation for transition to adulthood.
Functional Requirements: Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills. The ability to work collaboratively with youth, families, collaborating agencies, community professionals, and OCOK staff and relevant stakeholders such as Hope Local and Gladney. Must be willing to increase knowledge in the application of all related standards that govern residential services. Must demonstrate good organization skills as well as the ability to develop systems that support compliance. Must demonstrate an ability to continue learning through supervision, continuing education and experience, and work cooperatively using a team approach. Must be willing to put in practice Trauma-Informed Care principals.
Working Conditions:
Position includes exposure to prospective adoptive parents, foster parents, guardians, and conservators, as well as youth with behavioral problems, including possible physical aggression. Will be required to travel to attend meetings, training, or conduct business off site. Must have a valid driver's license and meet agency’s underwriting standards if driving on agency business. After-hours work will be needed on occasion. A personal vehicle is required for travel. The position is sensitive to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
Exposure To Confidential Information:
The Adoption Recruitment Specialist will have access to confidential records including youth’s files, foster care/adoption records, foster/adopt parent information and biological family history. Must maintain confidentiality and follow policies related to personnel records and client records.
Key Expectations/Responsibilities:
Planning
Requirements:
Education: Bachelor’s degree, in a human services field, is required.
Experience Requirements: Two years experience working within human services required. Preference may be given to candidates who have experience working with children and youth through the adoption process and / or experience working with older youth in permanency planning and preparation for transition to adulthood.
Functional Requirements: Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills. The ability to work collaboratively with youth, families, collaborating agencies, community professionals, and OCOK staff and relevant stakeholders such as Hope Local and Gladney. Must be willing to increase knowledge in the application of all related standards that govern residential services. Must demonstrate good organization skills as well as the ability to develop systems that support compliance. Must demonstrate an ability to continue learning through supervision, continuing education and experience, and work cooperatively using a team approach. Must be willing to put in practice Trauma-Informed Care principals.
Position Function:
Responsible for coordinating adoption services for youth and families referred to OCOK. Promotes the well-being of children, participates in staff meetings/trainings and coordinates with staff from other agencies involved in providing adoption services to children. Performs the following duties directly: creates adoption recruitment plan and profile, gathering of regular documents, scheduling of staffing's and other necessary recruitment activities. Create a recruitment plan and execute to ensure legally-free youth are accurately and thoroughly portrayed for adoptive families.
Requirements:
Education: Bachelor’s degree, in a human services field, is required.
Experience Requirements: Two years experience working within human services required. Preference may be given to candidates who have experience working with children and youth through the adoption process and / or experience working with older youth in permanency planning and preparation for transition to adulthood.
Functional Requirements: Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills. The ability to work collaboratively with youth, families, collaborating agencies, community professionals, and OCOK staff and relevant stakeholders such as Hope Local and Gladney. Must be willing to increase knowledge in the application of all related standards that govern residential services. Must demonstrate good organization skills as well as the ability to develop systems that support compliance. Must demonstrate an ability to continue learning through supervision, continuing education and experience, and work cooperatively using a team approach. Must be willing to put in practice Trauma-Informed Care principals.
Working Conditions:
Position includes exposure to prospective adoptive parents, foster parents, guardians, and conservators, as well as youth with behavioral problems, including possible physical aggression. Will be required to travel to attend meetings, training, or conduct business off site. Must have a valid driver's license and meet agency’s underwriting standards if driving on agency business. After-hours work will be needed on occasion. A personal vehicle is required for travel. The position is sensitive to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
Exposure To Confidential Information:
The Adoption Recruitment Specialist will have access to confidential records including youth’s files, foster care/adoption records, foster/adopt parent information and biological family history. Must maintain confidentiality and follow policies related to personnel records and client records.
Key Expectations/Responsibilities:
Planning
- Coordinates and/or participates in meetings with collaborating partners and agencies as assigned.
- Participates in other administrative and planning meetings as needed to facilitate referral and placement.
- Receives and reviews client placement information from Permanency staff and other agencies to make appropriate recommendations for recruitment services.
- Ensures services adhere to applicable OCOK policy and procedures and other Contract outcomes.
- Ensure recruitment activities begin according to departmental guidelines/ agency policy.
- Maintains an up-to-date profile of each youth on their caseload including a current photograph.
- Coordinates relevant parties and sets up necessary staffing's in timely manner.
- Gather and ensure quality of needed documentation for adoption finalization.
- Tracks length of stay for youth placed with OCOK and reports metrics to leadership, seeking improvements in time to permanency.
- Ensures children/youth who are free for adoption move through the adoption steps in a timely manner.
- Maintains contact with provider liaisons on a regular basis for each prospective family, keeping them regularly apprised of progress.
- Ensures contract outcome measures are met with emphasis on the case management activities.
- Refrains from assuming any duty that is unrelated to and/or interferes with the responsibilities of the position.
- Advocates, promotes and practices cultural sensitivity and responsiveness in all day-to-day interactions.
- Develops, promotes and practices teamwork in all activities.
- Completes other duties as assigned.
- Attends relevant in-service training offered at OCOK to expand knowledge of services and the application of clinical skills.
- Attends mandatory trainings such as, but not limited to, Emergency Behavior Intervention (SAMA), CPR and First Aid, Psychotropic Medications and Trauma-Informed Care training.
- Communicates regularly with supervisor and seek supervision when appropriate.
- Attends continuing education necessary to expand knowledge and maintain certifications or licenses.
- Notifies supervisor properly when absent.
- Completes assignments on time.
- Establishes effective working relationships with co-workers.
- Deals satisfactorily with and acknowledge work-related stress.
- Maintains appropriate boundaries between professional and personal issues.
- Adheres to all policies and procedures of the agency and its accrediting and standard setting bodies, such as Council on Accreditation (COA) and state licensing.
- Respects the dignity and worth of all clients and families.
- Maintains client confidentiality per agency standards and all applicable codes of ethics.
- Uses outside professional collaboration and intra-agency teamwork appropriate to the agency.
- Learns, understands, and supports the agency mission, purpose and function.
- Is prepared to address appropriate issues during supervisory conferences and meetings.
- Accepts direction from supervisor and implement supervisor’s suggestions and instructions.
- Understands the job description in relation to other agency positions.
- Continues to work to improve skills needed for position held.
- Considers the environmental, cultural, safety, diversity issues and needs of the clients.
- Identifies and understand the strengths, abilities and competencies of the clients.
Requirements:
Education: Bachelor’s degree, in a human services field, is required.
Experience Requirements: Two years experience working within human services required. Preference may be given to candidates who have experience working with children and youth through the adoption process and / or experience working with older youth in permanency planning and preparation for transition to adulthood.
Functional Requirements: Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills. The ability to work collaboratively with youth, families, collaborating agencies, community professionals, and OCOK staff and relevant stakeholders such as Hope Local and Gladney. Must be willing to increase knowledge in the application of all related standards that govern residential services. Must demonstrate good organization skills as well as the ability to develop systems that support compliance. Must demonstrate an ability to continue learning through supervision, continuing education and experience, and work cooperatively using a team approach. Must be willing to put in practice Trauma-Informed Care principals.
