Summary of Position
30 Days to Family® is a short-term intervention to expand efforts to find safe, appropriate relative support and placements for youth entering foster care. The program is designed to assist in meeting the 2008 Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act’s 30-day standard and Missouri youth placing agencies’ legal requirement of notifying a youth’s adult relatives of their option to participate in the care and placement of the youth. The initial search is for non-offending parents and grandparents, but at least 80 additional relatives will be identified, contacted, and explored for potential placement and support. 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 youth in their school of origin, and preserve the youth’s important relationships with friends and supportive adults. Once the placement provider is identified, the Specialist provides support to the family in the identification of family and community resources, assistance in eliminating barriers to placement with relatives, and creating a network of formal and informal supports to assist with placement stability.
To best meet the scheduling needs of the family, approximately 10% of the Specialist’s work may be performed in the evening or during the weekend.
Essential Functions & Responsibilities
- Maintains professionalism in all interactions with families and professionals.
- Respects and effectively engages with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Responds to communication in a respectful and timely manner.
- Meets all outcome expectations of the 30 Days to Family® program.
- Willing to learn and use relevant software tools (Genopro, Salesforce).
- Travels within the designated service area: St. Louis City, St. Louis, Jefferson, St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren, and Franklin counties.
- See job description for a complete list of responsibilities.
Qualifications & Requirements
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in social work or a social service 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 and experience in family interview, engagement, and assessment.
- Experience in resource parent licensing strongly preferred.