Child Welfare Services- Recruitment and Retention

Job Title:

Child Welfare Specialist - Recruitment and Retention

Department:

Child Welfare Services

Reports to:

Child Welfare Supervisor- Licensing

FLSA:

Exempt

Division

Child Welfare Services

Location

Hybrid

Business Unit

Child Welfare Services

Grade level

9

This position offers a starting salary range of $42,675 - $51,210 per year, depending on experience and qualifications.

Children’s Center of Wayne County (TCC) The Children’s Center, founded in 1929, provides evidence-based clinical therapy to children who deal with mental, behavioral, emotional, intellectual, and developmental health and educational challenges or may have experienced trauma.

School + Community-Based Partnerships: We partner with K-12 schools and community organizations that serve children to provide clinical therapy, counseling, psychological services, and psychiatric evaluations, treatment & interventions.

Child Welfare: In addition to the clinical therapy programs offered, The Children’s Center places children in licensed foster homes, and supports them throughout their time in the child welfare system.

Child Well-being + Family Success: We operate an onsite family success center that promotes child-wellbeing and offers children and youth from all walks of life to access relevant mental health crisis prevention and child abuse and neglect prevention services.

Advocacy: We champion child and youth well-being for those experiencing poverty-related issues, those within the child welfare system, and those in need of evidence-based, clinical therapy.

TCC’s mission is to help children and families shape their own futures. If as many children as possible, and their families can easily access comprehensive, evidence-based, clinical therapy that is integrated into and supports their everyday lives then, children will experience an improved quality of life where they have a true sense of agency and empowerment in their lives.

We embrace and demonstrate a set of Core Values as the foundation of our culture. They define how we do what we do, and what we value in our work with each other and our community. Daily demonstration of these values, in mindset and behavior, is required to be successful as a TCC team member.

• Dedicated-We are devoted, dedicated and always willing to pitch to accomplish our mission.
  
• Passionate-We are passionate about what we do and helping the people we serve.
  
• Accountable-We do what we say and accomplish all aspects of our responsibilities.
  
• Can Do Attitude- We approach our responsibilities with a positive attitude.
  
• Respectful- We always treat co-workers, donors, children and families with the utmost respect, courtesy, and patience.
  

Job Summary

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The Licensing recruitment and retention specialist is responsible for coordination of recruitment efforts that are consistent and innovative, creating an opportunity of new foster homes to open. Additionally, the Specialist is required to oversee retention efforts of homes that are already open with the agency including training, support, and event coordination.

Job Requirements

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• Must have an ability to coordinate and perform multiple tasks as it relates to providing client services.
  
• At minimum one (1) year of experience in licensing or related child welfare position preferred. Additionally, CWTI and DCWL training preferable.
  
• Must have reliable transportation, a valid driver's license, automobile insurance and be willing to go into the community.
  
• Must have an ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, their families, foster care parents, DHHS personnel and department team members.
  
• Must have strong communication skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships with potential clients, their families, current foster care parents, outside stakeholders and other agency personnel.
  
• Must have strong organizational skills and able to independently meet deadlines.
  
• Ability to work effectively both independently and with an interdisciplinary team.
  
• Must have an ability to provide excellent and compassionate customer service.
  
• Must have sufficient computer skills to perform essential functions including knowledge of Microsoft Office suite.
  

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in one of the following fields required: Behavioral Science, Community Services, Counseling (Psychology), Criminal Justice (Administration), Early Childhood Studies, Family Ecology, Family Life Education, Family Studies, Family and/or Child Development, Guidance/School Counseling, Human Development and Family Studies, Human Services, Psychology, Social Work or Sociology.

Essential Functions

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Recruitment:

• Develop and create community recruitment events quarterly.
  
• Host recruitment events in the community.
  
• Assist with developing a marketing strategy for the recruitment of new foster homes.
  
• Assist and support in Social Media marketing effort.
  
• Actively facilitate the opening process up to the point of direct case management assignment. This includes providing foster parent orientation, application assistance, fingerprint enrollment and GROW enrollment.
  
• Host quarterly Informational meetings
  
• Host Foster Parent Orientation at a minimum 3-4 times per month.
  
• Ensure all inquiries are followed up on within 3 business days and added to CWLM database within 5 business days.
  
• Process intake screenings for prospective foster parents
  
• Develop and coordinate an efficient, informative orientation for prospective foster families.
  
• Assist prospective foster parents through the initial screening and licensing process.
  
• Maintain current and accurate client information and other required documentation in databases within 3 business days.
  
• Comply with service delivery requirements as identified for the program. Additionally ensure that all DCWL, MDHHS, and TCC�s policy requirements are always followed.
  
• Ensure that all cases are transferred within 3 business days to the assigned ongoing Licensing Specialist after supervisor�s approval.
  
• Ensure that foster home recruitment efforts aide in reaching the established foster home goal.
  
• Develop Performance Goals and Expectations with immediate supervisor annually.
  
• Ensure foster home licensing, recruitment and placement practices are algin with MDHHS and The Children�s Center.
  

Retention:

• Develop Foster Parent activities and meetings directed at retention efforts to occur quarterly.
  
• Develop and facilitate ongoing and periodic training for foster parents to occur quarterly.
  
• Develop ongoing foster parent communication via quarterly newsletter and other necessary correspondence.
  

Other Duties:

• Actively participate in and represent the agency with outside stakeholders including MDHHS and The Coalition as meetings are held.
  
• Responsible for borrowed bed assessments and renewals.
  
• Responsible for intake coverage if/when Intake Specialist is unavailable.
  
• Assist in FTM facilitation when needed.
  
• Carry ongoing cases in case of department overflow.
  

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

• Ensure that all inquiries and new applications are assessed timely and accurately on MDHHS timeframes.
  
• Maintain strong communication with foster parents, applicants, peers and other outside entities.
  
• Ensure that all MDHHS/DCWL KPI metrics are met per policy and contract.
  
• Regular recruitment events are held quarterly in the community.
  
• Retention events are being held quarterly for open foster parents.
  
• Regular orientations are held 3-4 times per month.
  
• Maintain agency set goals for foster home census.
  
• Engage with foster care and foster parents to retain homes and maintain placements.
  
• Build and maintain healthy working relationships with MDHHS and DCWL.
  

• Responsive during on-call emergency situations.
  

• Build and maintain healthy working relationships with foster parents and new applicants.
  

• Maintain a customer satisfaction rate of at least 90% and have fewer than 4 documented complaints from any source in a 12-month period.
  

Physical Requirement

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• Ability to traverse stairs and other uneven terrain to gain access to and to maneuver throughout offsite locations including office buildings and special event locations.
  
• Ability to prepare and inspect documents in hard copy or electronic format. Ability to tolerate exposure to computer screen and operate computer/keyboard and other office equipment on a frequent and/or continuous basis.
  
• Ability to receive and exchange information and accurately and effectively communicate and converse with others.
  
• Ability to lift up to 10 Lbs.
  
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time.
  
• Must be able to drive long distances, must have reliable transportation.
  
• Must be available for traditional and non-traditional work hours at times to manage crisis if needed.
  

Other

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• Maintain a customer satisfaction rate of at least 90% and have fewer than 4 documented complaints from any source in a 12-month period.
  
• Ensure that all cases are transferred in a timely manner to the assigned ongoing specialist.
  
• 95% for all case documentation including but not limited to service plans, social work contacts, any opening foster home documentation and other case documentation required.
  
• Active participation in supervision, no less than on a bi-weekly basis, or consistent with regulatory standards.
  
• Attend a minimum of 32 hours training hours related to Child Welfare. The hours must include all required trainings by the agency and our partners.
  

Robust Health Care and Benefit Package including:

• Medical
  
• Vision and Dental Plan sponsored 100% by The Children�s Center
  
• Matching 3% 403(b) retirement plan after one year, fully vested after two years of employment
  
• 80 hours of paid time off after 90 days, 120 hours of paid time off your first year, 160 hours your 2nd, 3rd and 4th year, 200 hours every year beginning your 5th year
  
• Accrued Paid Sick Time
  
• 11 paid holidays
  
• Life Insurance (Employer-Provided)
  
• Long Term Disability sponsored 100% by The Children�s Center
  
• Longevity Pay
  
• Health Savings Account
  
• Dependent Care Account
  
• Tuition reimbursement
  
• Employee Assistance
  

Voluntary Benefits

• Critical Illness
  
• Accident
  
• Voluntary Life, voluntary spouse and dependent life
  
• Pet Insurance
  
• Legal Shield (prepaid legal services)
  

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.