Family Finder Specialist

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Requisition No: 865563

Agency:
Children and Families

Working Title:

FAMILY FINDER SPECIALIST -

READY FOR THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR CHILD PROTECTION CAREER?

MAY BE THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU.

This position performs advanced family finding program efforts to discover, engage, plan, make decisions, and evaluate strategies to locate relatives and fictive kin. Additionally, this position is responsible for providing assistance with the completion of home study assessments on identified potential placements and engaging with the Judicial system, as appropriate, to support placement changes. The position will be working mostly in the Southern counties of the Suncoast South region – Lee, Chalotte, Collier, Hendry, Manatee, Sarasota, and Desoto County.

• Conduct extensive/advanced searches, such as case mining, mobility mapping, internet searches and cold calls, to locate adult relatives and fictive kin. Conduct home study assessments on identified potential placements and provide a recommendation to the primary worker on placement consideration.
• Collaborate with the child protective investigator to identify and build positive connections between the child and the child’s relatives and fictive kin.
• Identify and build positive connections between the child and the child’s relatives and fictive kin.
• Attend and participate in family finding group decision making which may include conducting a multidisciplinary meeting with all parties involved and prospective family members or fictive kin.
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with organizations and other agencies involved with child welfare such as community-based care providers, Children’s Legal Services, Guardian ad Litem, schools, clinical professionals, and other community agency resources.
• Regularly review and identify any changes to Florida Statutes, DCF Operational Procedures, Administrative Rule, and policies. Ensure participants are aware of changes, confidentiality and HIPAA, and identify potential problems related to case specifics.
• Engage with the Judiciary and Children’s Legal Services/State Attorney's Office, as appropriate, to support placement changes.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge in Florida's Practice Model and Florida’s official electronic system of record, Florida Safe Family Network (FSFN). Experience in Microsoft Office, familiarity with the child welfare system, excellent written and oral communication skills; strong interpersonal skills relative to diverse populations in academic, public health, and community settings. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with multiple competing deadlines. Analytical, decision making, and organizational skills.

Bachelor's Degree, Valid Florida Driver's License, Certified Child Welfare Professional through the Florida Certification Board.

Travel to the Suncoast South Region's service centers.

Successful completion of the Department's approved training in Family Finders methodology.

• Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:
• No state income tax for residents of Florida.
• Annual and Sick Leave benefits.
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year.
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options.
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please click ).
• Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Tuition waivers.
• And more!

For a more complete list of benefits, visit

With 12,000 employees across the state, DCF promotes opportunities and training for all. Our jobs are among the most challenging, complex, and difficult in State government. They are also among the most rewarding. All employees are encouraged to take advantage of available Department opportunities for advancement and…