Dependency Specialist - Independent Living

Children's Home Society of Florida

*** ANNUAL SALARY OF $54,000.00 ***

Since opening our doors in 1902, CHS became a part of Florida's history.

CHS has been committed to growing and evolving to provide the right services and solutions to address the needs of children and families throughout the changing times. Every day, our team works with parents and kids to empower them and encourage them. With innovative technology solutions and a dedicated, experienced team throughout the state, we’re changing the face of foster care and positively impacting children and families’ lives for generations to come.

Join our team to continue to do good and create history serving Florida's children and families!

The Dependency Specialist provides specialized assistance to Dependency teams and the children and families in care. Overall, the Dependency Specialist contributes to the CHS high performance culture by exhibiting our values and providing quality results that position CHS as the leader in delivering proactive behavioral health, case management, community and early childhood solutions for children and families.

WHY JOIN CHS?

• Uplifting mission-driven work culture
• Make an impact in your community and become a part of Florida's history!
• Growth and professional development opportunities
• Great benefits package, including generous paid time off and holidays

Primary Job Functions

1. Provide specialized assistance to Dependency teams and the children and families in care.

• Coordinate planning strategies and maintain positive relationships with agencies and community members as applicable.
• Maintain close contact with approved providers of care and secure daily reports of bed availability.
• Receive and review referrals for placement in CHS homes.
• Assist with approving placement of children into CHS homes.
• Receive/process requests for re-placement, respite, or step-down/step-up in level of care for children in care or sheltered.
• Complete calls and document all efforts to secure placement for child.
• Secure required approvals prior to finalizing placement arrangements.
• Assist with assessment of client’s behavioral and emotional needs to determine the best possible home match.
• Facilitate placement needs of children (Medicaid/Social Security card, Blue Book, medical information).
• Assist with physical placement of child.
• Negotiate payment with providers.
• Complete placement forms and distribute as necessary for timely and accurate completion of data input and payment.
• Provide on-site support to prevent placement disruption.
• Attend related meetings and inform necessary parties of procedural problems, changes, and placement issues.
• Act as a liaison with the case manager, school and other parties relevant to a child placed in a CHS home.
• Conduct home visits.
• Monitor and evaluate cases where a child has been in a shelter setting longer than 30 days.
• Attend placement staffings (step-down staffings, MDT, CBC placement meetings, etc.), as needed.
• Review and follow up on incident reports pertaining to incidents in CHS foster or adoptive homes.
• Complete any necessary file documentation and process data through FSFN and other required data systems.
• Prepare documentation for and attend/testify in court hearings.
• Work with child welfare legal team members on required documentation.
• Prepare TPR worksheet, which includes exhibits, witness lists, diligent searches, appropriate affidavits and verifications to support legal presentation of case.
• Track judicial requirements and timeframes.
• Manage legal performance (JR timeliness, filings, petitions, communication, reports).
• Conduct diligent searches.
• Request waivers on homes that are over capacity.
• Collect/track client exit interviews.
• Coordinate and conduct Permanency Staffings.
• Provide recommendations to supervisors and staff regarding timely case closure.
• Follow-up with supervisors and staff for compliance with Permanency Staffing and closure recommendations.
• Coordinate termination of parental rights process for clients with no contact with parents for more than 60 days.
• Coordinate the permanency plans and visitation agreements are in place in cases where siblings are separated.
• Review appropriateness of all AAPLA cases and document justification.
• Prepare Independent Living documents for aftercare planning.
• Participate in Independent Living required staffings.
• Gather and interpret data on permanency performance measures.
• Conduct process management workgroups.
• Develop procedures and protocols for improved performance.
• Set up systems and monitor performance for permanency and contract measures; Prepare and submit required contract performance reports.
• Participate in Community Based Care quality management activities and meetings
• Participate in peer CIRT and CFSR file reviews.
• Monitor contract measure targets and convene supervisors to deliver feedback on performance by units.
• Provide on-call support after hours.
• Provide transportation.
• May carry caseload.

2. Contribute to a positive, engaging work environment.

• Develop a strong knowledge base and stay current on job-related issues and trends.
• Participate actively in departmental meetings, training and education, as well as the quality process.
• Comply with CHS’s code of conduct, policies, procedures and other obligations.
• Assist with training other team members and providing back up when necessary.
• Pick up projects on the fly; perform other duties as assigned from time to time.
• Demonstrate the CHS Common Bond values in the performance of all job duties.

Job Qualifications

Education, Licenses & Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, required.
• Bachelor’s degree in a Human Services related field from an accredited university, preferred.
• Master’s degree in Social work from an accredited university, preferred.
• Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) Certification, preferred.
• Parents' Resources for Information Development Education (PRIDE), preferred.
• Florida Driver’s License within 30 days from hire required, with daily access to a reliable and insured vehicle

Experience:

• Two years of experience working with at-risk children and families, required.
• Experience training or supervising foster parents, preferred.
• Experience or knowledge of children with special needs.

Competencies

Knowledge of:

• COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Skills and Proficiency in:

• Planning, project management, organization and time management
• Oral and written communication, including presentation and platform
• Collaboration, teamwork, consulting, facilitation, coaching and mentoring
• Computer systems and MS Office, including Word, Excel and Outlook

Ability to:

• Perform at a high level of autonomy, with general supervision.
• Perform under strong demands in fast-paced, diverse, sometimes ambiguous environments.
• Commit to providing high customer satisfaction with positive service delivery results.
• Meet critical deadlines, while maintaining attention to detail, accuracy and quality.
• Handle highly stressful, sensitive situations; maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries.
• Demonstrate the behaviors of our CHS Common Bond Values.
• Be energetic, passionate and adaptable with a deep commitment to social service, empathy for children and families and a positive approach to embracing and managing change.

Together, good can be done.