Family Resource Specialist at The Baby Fold

Normal, Illinois, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

30 Dec, 25

Salary

25.2

Posted On

01 Oct, 25

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Social Work, Child Welfare, Trauma-Informed Practice, Communication, Problem-Solving, Cultural Competence, Resource Development, Community Engagement, Team Collaboration, Training, Technical Assistance, Research, Investigation, Organizational Skills, Client Relations, Microsoft Office

Industry

Non-profit Organizations

Description

Description The Baby Fold has been successfully wrapping services around children and families since 1902, offering life-critical support such as foster care, special education, early childhood programming, and post-adoption support. The Baby Fold is a unique resource with a strong and enduring heritage. We care for our youngest citizens so they can be blessed with loving homes, stable lives, and the futures they deserve. Benefits: Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance 403(b) Retirement Plan Life & Long-Term Disability Short Term Disability Health Savings Account Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Plan Paid Vacation, Personal time, Sick time, and Paid Holidays Tuition Reimbursement Employee Assistance Program Headspace Care - coaching, therapy, & psychiatry Paytient - line of credit for medical, mental health, & veterinary services Candidly - student loan navigation support Mentorship, advancement, and professional development opportunities Summary of the Family Resource Specialist: Assists the family caseworker with facilitating the expansion of resources needed to better serve children and their families involved in foster care. Provides professional technical assistance and resource development support to casework staff who serve children with specialized and problematic behavior service needs. Identifies and locates potential extended family/fictive kinship relationships. Supervising Case Assistants in Foster Care. Utilizes a family-centered, trauma-informed, strength-based, and EDI lens through which youth and family needs are assessed. Demonstrates an ability to apply trauma-informed principles and integrates them into daily practice. Communicates effectively and promotes collaborative problem solving by demonstrating care and respect in considering the diverse experiences and perspectives of others. OFFICE LOCATION: 1500 Fort Jesse Rd, Normal, IL 61761 WORK HOURS: Full-time, non-exempt, 37.5+ hrs/wk, which many include some evening and weekend hours to accommodate families we serve PAY: From $25.20/hour based on experience, education, and certifications ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Recruitment of Foster Families: Performs extensive research, investigation, and outreach in locating absentee parents/guardians; Identifies and locates potential extended family/fictive kinship relationships. Utilizes non-traditional search methods to identify and locate family members and supportive connections. Leads proactive general and target foster family recruitment efforts for youth in the foster care system. Targeted recruitment efforts will include specifically reaching out to potential families who are most likely to meet the needs for the specific youth, including but not limited to, attending and participating in community events throughout the area. Permanency Planning and Support of Foster Families: Assists the family caseworker with facilitating the expansion of resources needed to better serve children and their families involved in foster care. Engages the youth (as age-appropriate), birth parents, family and social connections, foster parents, and staff to facilitate and support stability and permanency for the youth. Uses ecomaps, genograms, and other tools to map and locate prospective supports and placement resources for the youth and family. Serves as a team member within the multidisciplinary team or Child and Family Team Meeting consisting of case manager, supervisor, foster parent, birth parents and youth to facilitate connections between newly found family/fictive kin members, supports, and other collateral resources to resolve complex and stalled cases to improve permanency outcomes. Follows up with potential foster parents to provide information and encourage engagement through the licensing process. Coordinates services and attends meetings with other agencies, systems and community providers to meet the needs of the clients. Community and Foster Parent Relations: Engages in a variety of techniques to meet and communicate with potential foster parents, including attending events, networking, social media, and other strategies. Drives to various locations to attend meetings, conferences, or to locate and assess family homes as needed. Coordination of Training and Technical Assistance: Understands implicit bias and how to work within a system that impacts decisions for youth and their families when locating placement options. Holds crucial conversations with staff and other child and family team members. Provides professional technical assistance and resource development support to casework staff who serve children with specialized and problematic behavior service needs. Provides training to potential foster parents and biological parents/relatives of foster children, as assigned. INCLUSION STATEMENT: The Baby Fold is committed to fostering a culture of respect and inclusion, where each individual feels empowered and where our differences are celebrated. We encourage each other to engage in meaningful conversations, seek out different perspectives, and continually work to cultivate an environment where all ideas are valued. Requirements MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or a related human services field. 2. Previous investigation and person location experience preferred. 3. Foundations training and child welfare experience with existing Child Welfare Employee Licensure or the knowledge of and skills necessary to apply the principles of child welfare and trauma-informed practice to specific cases preferred. 4. Knowledge of human behavior and individual differences in ability, personality, interests, learning and motivation. 5. Ability to establish rapport, communicate effectively, maintain consistency and boundaries with and effectively motivate various client populations. 6. Demonstrated skills in Microsoft Outlook and Word, as well as the ability to learn DCFS documentation software. 7. Ability to organize efficiently, establish priorities, and attend to details. 8. Ability to showcase strong and creative problem-solving skills. 9. Demonstrated competence in serving a culturally diverse population. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a diverse workforce. 10. Good physical and emotional health, including the physical ability to maintain the safety and well-being of children for whom there is responsibility. 11. Must pass necessary background checks. 12. Must travel for job responsibilities, including the ability drive distances to enter the homes of families in the service area and throughout the state of Illinois, a valid Illinois driver’s license that has not been revoked or suspended within the past three years, and use of a personal vehicle with adequate insurance. 13. Ability to work cooperatively with staff within The Baby Fold, as well as with necessary collateral contacts. 14. Mission-oriented and willing to apply The Baby Fold’s mission and values to the performance of job responsibilities.

Responsibilities

The Family Resource Specialist assists family caseworkers in expanding resources for children and families in foster care. They engage with various stakeholders to facilitate stability and permanency for youth while providing technical assistance and support to casework staff.