Position Title:   Licensing and Recruitment Supervisor

Department:     Professional Foster parenting

Reports to:        Associate Vice President of Professional Foster Parenting

Direct Reports: Licensing Specialists

                               Family Finder/Engagement Specialists

Position Summary:

Under the direction of the Associate Vice President, the Supervisor leads a team of Licensing Specialists, Family Finder Specialists and Birth Parent support Specialist whose strength-based approach includes the assessment of the totality of needs of all youth and their families. In this role, the Supervisor will oversee the recruitment, development and compliance of all homes for children and youth who need out-of-home placement and “special care”.  The supervisor will also oversee the support of Birth Parents with compliance to DCFS/UCAN goals via education and engagement to ensure that permanency, well-being and safety are achieved within reasonable time frames. Subsequently, these tasks will be performed while paying special attention to the diverse needs of various groups including but not limited to Birth Parents, medically complex youth and older youth in DCFS with higher care coordination needs.

This position focuses on recruiting professional Foster Parents who are open and inclusive as well as welcoming to youth as they enter their homes. Furthermore, this position will ensure that prospective Foster Parents are trauma sensitive, diverse and positive, willing to support youth and families around family reunification or alternative permanency whichever is in the youth’s best interest.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities: 

·       Orients and trains new employees according to program and department guidelines to ensure all new employees are ready and able to perform as necessary.

• Sets and evaluates clear and collaborative individual performance goals for employees.
• Encourages employee development by supporting training, assigning challenging work, and delegating tasks when appropriate.
• Coaches and advises employees around employee interests and career goals.

·       Provides critical feedback to employees around areas of development for increased performance

• Recognizes and rewards employee performance, initiative and decision-making
• Completes meaningful Annual Performance Reviews for all employees and submits on time.

Foster Home Licensing

• Directs staff on approaches to assess Foster Parent applicants and their skill sets.
• Develops, implements and participates in recruitment strategies and events for all Foster Care programs and Foster Home Conversions related to permanency.
• May act as a staff liaison to Foster Parent support group to facilitate communication and an understanding of Foster Parent professional/clinical development.
• Acts as liaison to DCFS Licensing Department to facilitate and expedite licensing materials and critical licensing reports and to maintain working knowledge of changing DCFS policies and procedures.
• Monitors, coordinates, and aids in the process of all foster family home licensing requirements including initial, renewal, revocation, changes in address, capacity, complaint investigations, licensing violations, corrective action plans, and six-month home compliance on an on-going basis to ensure practice conforms to DCFS and department goals, policies and procedures.
• Overseas and/or participates in the tracking, monitoring and licensing of all Relative Foster placements and ensures that DCFS performance benchmark is achieved.
• Ensures the development and licensing of Forever Families.

Family Finder/Birth Parent Specialist

Directs staff on approaches to assess Birth Parent referrals and their skill sets.

Develops, implements and participates in engagement strategies and events for all Birth Parents.

Acts as a staff liaison to Birth Parent support groups to facilitate communication and an understanding of Birth Parent professional/clinical development.

Acts as liaison to DCFS Licensing and Case management Department to schedule CFTM’s and track progress quarterly. Maintains working knowledge of changing DCFS policies and procedures to ensure both Foster Parent and Birth Parent compliance.

Assists with locating appropriate homes for young people who need out-of-home placements.

Overseas and participates in the tracking and monitoring of all referred Birth Parent benchmarks to ensure timely permanency.

Ensures the development and support of all referred Birth Parents.

Maintains regular and timely communication with Ada S. Mckinley and their Birth Parent Support program.

Participates in monthly, or as needed, meeting with case workers regarding the status of all referred Birth Parents.

Adheres to the 72-hour rule related to the submission of Contact Notes.

Monitoring Service Delivery

• Reviews, modifies and approves all written assessments, home studies and reports for Foster Parents and/or Birth Parents assigned to team. To ensure appropriateness, accuracy and timeliness.
• Follows up with case managers to ensure resolution of all critical incidents, significant events, placement issues, crisis situations and hotline reports for Foster Parents assigned to team.
• Provides regular individual supervision to Licensing Specialists, Family Finder specialists and Birth Parent specialists to ensure Foster Parent, Birth Parents and youth needs are being met in accordance with best practice standards, and DCFS and UCAN policies.
• Conducts group supervision and team meetings
• Monitors completion and appropriate content of case notes, bi-annual monitoring visits, Renewals, change of address, change of entity etc. on a regular basis.
• Ensures that all data entry is complete, accurate and updated in Evolv and ProFile as required by program standards including placement of non-UCAN youth in UCAN homes.
• Make critical case decisions around the issues of: Licensing, safety and risk; appropriate placement; permanency options etc.

Quality and Accountability

• Follows all applicable regulatory standards, including but not limited to: COA standards, IDCFS licensing regulations, IDCFS policy and procedure, CPS regulations, and Medicaid procedures.
• Gives input on program (s) evaluation and methods for CQI measures regarding foster home file quality, licensing outcomes, staff development, supervision, and other issues related to program quality.
• Leads team in accountability, quality and compliance through example and modeling behavior.
• Complies with UCAN Continuous Quality Improvement initiatives and corrective plans.
• Recommends policy, practice and procedural changes to better serve youths and to comply with regulations.

Team Building and Agency Networking

• Builds strong interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships with both internal and external teams and collaterals.
• Facilitates regular and productive team meetings and encourages team member participation
• Defines each employee’s role and responsibilities within the team
• Delegates in an effective manner while considering individual skills and workloads
• Accepts feedback and ideas from team and is constructive when giving feedback
• Discusses alternative problem solving and is open to new ideas and ways of doing things
• Shares specialized knowledge and resources with team and other UCAN departments
• Coordinates services with multiple UCAN programs to ensure appropriate services for youths and teamwork between programs

Professionalism and Work Conduct

• Behaves with integrity, demonstrates high ethical standards, and displays a positive image of UCAN
• Always acts in a professional manner and maintains appropriate boundaries with youth, birthparents and foster families
• Demonstrates accountability for results and keeps commitments to others
• Reports on work, meetings, training, and job-related activities prepared and as scheduled
• Demonstrates openness and respect for cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of youth, Birth Parents, foster families and coworkers
• Understands and supports UCAN’s standard of cultural proficiency and strives to meet it
• Responds to youth and their families, UCAN staff, DCFS, service providers and other stakeholders in a timely manner and ensures follow up to adequately address their need.
• Performs other related tasks as required or assigned

Education /Job Experience/Certification:

• MSW or MS/MA in Human Service field and 7 years child welfare casework experience
• Illinois Licensed Child Welfare Employee
• Three (3) years supervisory experience
• LCPC or LCSW preferred

Special Knowledge and Qualifications:

• Is open and respectful of cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of youth, foster families and birth families and is willing and competent to work with diverse populations including but limited to LGBTQIA and special needs.
• Demonstrates emotional competence and an understanding of implicit bias.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work both independently and as a part of a highly functioning team.
• Experience or ability to use technology for data entry, communication and report writing
• Car and valid Illinois driver’s license required.

Position Status:                         Exempt

Work Environment:          This position requires in-home contact with youth, birth families and foster families. This position requires