Adoptions Specialist

Job Summary

Under assigned supervisor, the Adoption Specialist 1 meets with families in their homes at various hours of the day including evenings, nights, and weekends, in potentially high-risk neighborhoods; focuses on the prevention of inappropriate out-of-home placement, strengthening and improving family functioning, and ensuring child safety.

• Arranges match staffings for prospective adoptive families
• Assist individuals and families in crisis in a way that promotes positive change, growth development and safety for all families
• Attends all recruitment and match events
• Attends and is prepared for internal TPR cases with supervisors and case management at least once a month
• Attends court hearings, prepares and files all court documents within required time frames
• Completes adopt only home studies, child studies, OTI and ICPC adoption home studies and subsidy files
• Conducts full-disclosures for potential adoptive families
• Conducts visits with children and prospective adoptive families that include the ongoing assessment of child safety, permanency and well-being
• Continually assesses risk of abuse, neglect and threatened harm by gathering appropriate information
• Engages and assesses families from a strengths based perspective
• Ensures children are registered on the adoption exchange within 10 days
• Ensures that post placement is completed within one week of the child being placed in the identified prospective adoptive family's home
• Facilitates placement and delivery services in collaboration with biological, foster and adoptive families, including appropriate referrals
• Knowledge of the Adoption Program Administrative Rule (Chapter 65C-16)
• Meets with team on a weekly basis
• Must see the child in the home at least twice a month upon a matched placement
• Performs adoption related responsibilities in accordance with state and federal laws, Department of Children and Families Administrative Codes and Operating Procedures, funding source policies, and internal policies on child abuse, abandonment, and neglect within required time frames
• Prepare staffing packet for the adoption review committee upon a denial of an adoption home study
• Serves as a conduit of information between all parties to the case and identified stakeholders including medical, educational and mental health providers
• Utilizes empowerment approaches to provide case plan development with children and families
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Education: Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree in Social Work, Criminology, Psychology, Sociology, Counseling, Special Education, Education, Human
Development, Child Development, Family Development, Marriage & Family Therapy, or Nursing from an accredited college or university

Experience: One to Two years of related child welfare experience; one year of child welfare adoptions

Certification: State of Florida;
Child Welfare Certification

Other: Reliable transportation, valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record with OHU required levels of coverage for auto insurance, knowledge of FSFN adoption procedures; workable knowledge of community resources