Employment Opportunities

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Base Salary: $56,595

The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition, an agency that strives to create permanency in every foster child’s life by recruiting and supporting foster and adoptive families, is searching for a Family Works Specialist to join the team. The Family Works program is an in-home (virtually at this time) parenting support intervention intended to stabilize and enhance foster, pre-and post-adoptive, or guardianship homes that are at risk of disruption.

Specialists are master level individuals who work with advanced training, understanding, and practice in the neurobiological impact of trauma on child development and attachment-based interventions to address the complexities that have created barriers to healthy family and individual functioning. Enrolled families have access to 24/7 support and coaching, as needed.

The 18-20 week program follows the principals of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and uses the strategies and techniques to help the families stabilize and further support the children and youth to develop greater relational skills, increase their sense of personal safety and security, begin to resolve developmental trauma and facilitate new relationships.

The Coalition hires individuals:

• Passionate about serving foster/adopted youth and families
• Confident enough to work independently, while knowing when to reach out for help
• With the highest level of integrity and flexibility when working both in the office and in the field

Essential Functions:

• Utilize knowledge of complex-developmental trauma and attachment-based strategies to educate parents and caregivers about the unique issues surrounding adoption and guardianship, child development, loss, grief, attachment, and trauma
• Identify, collaborate with, and refer to collateral service providers
• Respond to families in crisis situations in an urgent and timely manner
• Provide face-to-face (virtual at this time) child and family interventions
• Partner with families to identify and establish attainable goals and support families to achieve their goals
• See job description for a complete list

Candidates must:

• Hold a Master’s Degree in Counseling or Social Work–LMSW, LCSW, PLPC, or LPC preferred
• Have 2 years of experience providing direct service to clients
• Maintain a flexible work schedule to meet the needs of youth and families—early morning, late afternoon, evening and weekend meetings are planned as needed
• Demonstrate the ability to build rapport and relationship with children and families during face-to-face meetings and phone contact
• Critically assess family and relational functioning in a strengths-based manner
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Exhibit excellent knowledge of community services that support foster/adopt families
• Demonstrated experience working with child welfare teams utilizing innovative strategies to overcome obstacles

This is a full-time position. Send your resume and cover letter to Denise Kelley at denisekelley@foster-adopt.org Applications without a well-written, thoughtful cover letter stating your passion and qualification for serving our population will not be considered. The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Download full job description.

Base Salary: $56,595

Summary of Position

Multiple systems serve children in foster care with the highest level of mental and physical health needs. These systems function independently and often at cross-purposes, resulting in poor outcomes for youth. The Navigation and Support Specialist theory of change is to create a practice-level System of Care created for each youth and family served. The intention is for these systems to function as an accountable, cohesive network that meet the youth and family’s needs. Services are designed to be culturally sensitive, trauma informed, and evidence-based or promising practices to ensure the youth will have improved outcomes that results in placement stability.

The Navigation and Support Specialist acts as care coordination consultant, helping the youth and family navigate multiple systems by: Engaging the youth and family; Being a single point of contact; Facilitating communication among providers; Tracking outcomes; Providing referrals and linkages; Managing transitions; Providing supportive follow up. The Navigation and Support Specialist helps the family drive the service plan to completion, navigating systems, and overcoming barriers.

Navigation services are tailored to the youth’s specific plan and may include some or all of the following:

• Mental Health Services Navigation: to include the Department of Mental Health, BJC, Hopewell, Easter Seals, etc. Youth will experience continuity of mental health services or secure first-time services, as many youth are erroneously denied benefits.
• Life Skills Systems Navigation: to include service beyond those offered by Chafee, such as Easter Seals Midwest, St. Louis ARC, Bridges, etc. for household maintenance, meal planning, personal care, etc.
• Social Security/Disability Services Navigation: Youth who qualify will receive benefits when they transition to independence.
• HUD/Affordable Housing Navigation: Youth will be guided through the complex intersection of housing vouchers, eligible housing opportunities, as well as practical concerns such as location and accessibility to meet life, work, and family needs.
• Employment/Workforce Development Navigation: to include the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, STL Community College, SLATE, etc. (the goal is a living wage). Youth will receive an assessment for interest and suitability, be connected with resources to start on that path, and secure relevant supports to ensure the youth is able to sustain employment.
• Placement Stability Navigation: If living in a foster home, youth will receive placement navigation services to ensure they are in a home which will meet their physical, mental, behavioral, emotional, and cultural needs.
• Family and Community Navigation: Youth will be connected to safe and appropriate family and friends to establish a caring community who will help guide the youth through young adulthood.
• Transition Services Navigation: Upon emancipation, youth will not lose access to their therapeutic services, doctor, dentist, pharmacy, medication, or any other needed support during their transition to independence.

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or related field

Experience

• Demonstrated experience collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams utilizing innovative strategies to overcome obstacles.

To Apply

This is a full-time position. Send your resume and cover letter to Denise Kelley at denisekelley@foster-adopt.org. Applicants without a well-written, thoughtful cover letter stating passion and qualifications for serving our population will not be considered.

Download full job description.

Base Salary: $56,595

Summary of Position

Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) is provided to youth who need a higher level of foster family setting to remain in the community. In the absence of a TFC home, the youth would be at risk of placement into a restrictive residential setting. While the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition does not hold a TFC contract with the State of Missouri, the Coalition’s Therapeutic Foster Care Specialist does work in collaboration with partner agencies that do in an effort to recruit, train, and retain quality homes.

The Therapeutic Foster Care Specialist provides training and assessment to prospective Therapeutic Foster Care parents. In addition to training, this position involves on-going support to families that have taken the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition’s Therapeutic Foster Care training. The Specialist also communicates and partners with licensed child placing agencies for the purpose of parent support and ultimately placement stability. This service is provided through partnering with the family in their home environment or where the family is most comfortable, for the purposes of evaluating and maintaining the needs of the child’s placement.

Therapeutic Foster Care at the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is a developing program and requires the Specialist to remain open and engaged in on-going program evaluation and modification as determined.

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in social work or related field

Experience

• Knowledge in the field of foster care and adoption.
• Demonstrate experience utilizing effective strategies to navigate through challenges.
• Direct experience in the child welfare field. A minimum of 3 years preferred.

To Apply

This is a full-time position. Send your resume and cover letter to Denise Kelley at denisekelley@foster-adopt.org. Applicants without a well-written, thoughtful cover letter stating passion and qualifications for serving our population will not be considered.

Download full job description.

Base Salary: $56,595

Summary of Position

30 Days to Family® is a short term intervention to expand efforts to find safe, appropriate relative supports for children entering foster care. One goal of the program is to assist in meeting the 2008 Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act’s 30-day standard of notifying a child’s adult relatives of their option to participate in the care and placement of the child. The initial search is for parents, siblings and grandparents, but the goal is that at least 80 additional relatives will be identified and explored. Because foster care placements can be fragile, the goal is to identify multiple relatives or kin as potential placement providers. Maternal and paternal relatives are explored with equal interest. In all cases, every effort is made to keep siblings together, maintain children in their school of origin, and preserve the child’s important relationships with friends and supportive adults. Once the placement provider is identified, family support interventions provided include, assessment of child and family needs, identification of family and community resources, assistance in eliminating barriers to placement with relatives, and creating a network of support services that are documented in a Roadmap to Family.

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in social work or related field

Experience

• Demonstrated experience working with interdisciplinary teams utilizing innovative strategies to overcome obstacles.
• Direct experience in the child welfare field with knowledge of foster care and adoption.
• Working knowledge of resource parent licensing strongly preferred.

To Apply

This is a full-time position. Send your resume and cover letter to Denise Kelley at denisekelley@foster-adopt.org. Applicants without a well-written, thoughtful cover letter stating passion and qualifications for serving our population will not be considered.

Download full job description.

Base Salary: $56,595

Summary of Position

The Coalition is hiring a Grants Manager to support fundraising operations. Members of the Development Team support the Coalition’s mission by inspiring, managing, and growing the gifts of donors. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the full grant lifecycle including, but not limited to: prospecting new grant funders, managing the grant calendar, stewarding relationships with foundation staff and/or trustees, and writing compelling grant proposals and interim reports to support the vision, mission, principles, and strategic goals of the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition. This includes, but is not limited to, securing grants from government, private, and individual sources.

The Coalition hires individuals:

• Passionate about serving foster/adopted youth and families.
• Confident enough to work independently while knowing when to reach out for help.
• With the highest level of integrity when working with internal and external clients

Candidates must have:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a related field
• Minimum of one year of experience in grant writing OR technical writing
• One year of demonstrated grant research experience and knowledge
• Demonstrated ability to work with top-level community leaders and philanthropists
• Experience managing various projects and deadlines with a high degree of independence
• Strong ability to work collaboratively and as a member of a team, sharing in responsibilities, successes, and challenges

To Apply

This is a full-time position. Send your resume and cover letter to Kyle Williams, kylewilliams@foster-adopt.org

Download full job description.

Base Salary: $56,595

Summary of Position

The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition, an agency that strives to create permanency in every foster child’s life by recruiting and supporting foster and adoptive families, is searching for a Family Support Specialist to join the team. The Family Support Specialist is focused on supporting families impacted by foster care who are living in Franklin, Lincoln, and Warren Counties or caring for youth under the court jurisdiction of Franklin, Lincoln, and Warren Counties. The Specialist will engage with biological family, child welfare team, and foster placement at the initial Family Support Team Meeting. The purpose of this initial and ongoing contact with all parties is to engage and support the development and implementation of the visitation and case plan. This may include:

• Assisting in the identification of additional familial/natural supports to aid in maintaining connection between parents and extended family while the child is in foster care
• Provide linkage, referral, and system navigation support as needed to meet the needs of the youth, foster parent, and/or biological parent
• Increase partnership between case management team and family

Services provided by the Family Support Specialist include a mixture of direct and navigation services proven to prevent placement disruptions. The Specialist will benefit from a rich, culturally competent knowledge of community resources in Franklin, Lincoln, and Warren Counties that work specifically in each of these five areas of activity:

1. Education
2. Mental Health
3. Parent Coaching/Behavioral Health
4. Kinship Navigation
5. Resource, Referral, and Case-based Advocacy

The Coalition hires individuals:

• Passionate about serving foster/adopted youth and families
• Confident enough to work independently, while knowing when to reach out for help
• With the highest level of integrity and flexibility when working both in the office and in the field

Essential Functions:

• Respect and demonstrate understanding for differences including the ability to interact effectively with individuals regardless of race, religion, gender, gender identity and expression, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, and socioeconomic status.
• Partner with family to identify and establish attainable goals and supports families to achieve their goals. Receptive and responsive to training, coaching, supervision, and feedback; works well in team setting.
• Respond to communication from families and professionals in a timely manner.
• Visit with the child and family in-home or in the community to address concerns that relate to placement stability. (virtually during pandemic restrictions)
• Participate in team and agency meetings and/or individual professional consultations. Majority of these meetings should be attended in person (virtually during pandemic restrictions).
• See job description for a complete list

Candidates must:

• Hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or related field
• Have two years of experience in the child welfare field. Direct experience working with foster and adoptive families and knowledge of services and supports in Franklin, Warren, and Lincoln Counties preferred
• Maintain a flexible work schedule to meet the needs of youth and families—early morning, late afternoon, evening, and weekend meetings are planned as needed
• Demonstrate the ability to build rapport and relationships with children and families during face-to-face meetings and phone contact
• Exhibit excellent knowledge of community services that support foster/adopt families
• Reflect experience working with child welfare teams utilizing innovative strategies to overcome obstacles

To Apply

This is a full-time position. Send your resume and cover letter to Denise Kelley at denisekelley@foster-adopt.org Applications without a well-written, thoughtful cover letter stating your passion and qualification for serving our population will not be considered. The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.