Latino family Institute Social Worker Position

Job Summary:
Responsible, under the direction of Program Manager, to provide adoption, kinship and foster family program services, including but not limited to training and counseling services to children and families, coordination of activities with multiple public and private service providers, facilitate and monitor placements, case management, support activities of case managers.

Education & Experience:
Required
o Master’s degree in Social Work - MSW;
o At least two (2) years of social work experience/internship in the field of family or child welfare;
o Demonstrate knowledge of public child welfare system;
o Possession of a valid California driver’s license is required and must be insurable with the agency’s insurance carrier;
o Bilingual (English/Spanish). Must be able to speak and write fluently in Spanish.
Preferred
o (2) years of full-time social work employment in licensed foster family or adoption agency;
o Demonstrate knowledge of special needs children and of adoption, kinship adoption, and foster family program services and systems.

Key Responsibility Areas:
o Responsible for client caseload and maintaining the productivity levels as required;
o Provides routine home visits, case management, and psychotherapy/play therapy as needed to clients using a variety of modalities (including family, group and individual);
o Provides case management and treatment planning while achieving the agency’s productivity goal;
o Provides training, counseling, support groups and case management services to children, foster, adoptive and kinship families, and birth parents;
o Establishes and maintains linkages with Department of Children and Family Services, Courts and other public and private agencies/resources specific to project goals and objectives;
o Participates in supervision and case consultation services and educational training;
o Assists with recruitment, assessment and evaluation, certification of adoption and foster family homes;
o Assists with intake/admission of children into adoption and/or foster family programs;
o Assists with matching of children and families, provision of direct and support services;
o Ensures successful placements through careful monitoring and post-placement services;
o Maintains appropriate agency program records;
o Manages all kinship adoptions charts (approximately 20 at a time); case management includes:
o Direct contact with Program Manager to perform tasks below on kinship adoption cases and to make the families issues/concerns/questions known to the Program Manager;
o Direct contact with the families to request forms required in the home study process;
o Writes letters as needed to the appropriate County;
o Attends and signs adoption placement paperwork with the family and the County Social Worker;
o Completes all paperwork needed to finalize a kinship adoption.
o Performs Fost/Adopt & Foster Care Recruitment and facilitates placements:
o Attends Outreach/Recruitment events to promote agency and recruit families (some weekends required);
o Performs foster care initial intakes via phone; collaborates with County CSW and LFI contracted foster family to secure a foster care placement;
o Conducts foster placements by going to DCFS and/or LFI contracted foster home to sign County foster placement forms (possibly transporting the child/ren to the LFI contracted foster home);
o Performs monitored visits between birth parent/s and foster or adoptive families;
o Facilitates and/or co-facilitates support groups for foster and adoptive families;
o Participates in other projects, special events, trainings and meetings as required;
o Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge & Skills:
o Displays exceptional ability to prioritize/organize workload, multi-task and problem solve;
o Consistently displays flexibility, adaptability and manages time effectively;
o Works exceedingly well in a fast-paced environment;
o Responsible and accountable;
o Possesses an outstanding level of cooperation and willingness to function as part of a team;
o Flexibility to work any hours necessary to maintain effective department operation;
o Possesses exceptional skills with multiple computer applications, in particular Microsoft Word and Excel, and the ability to adapt to new processes;
o Superior level of oral and written communication with staff and management;
o High level of initiative, self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal management direction;
o Excellent interpersonal skills to include: patience, listening ability and telephone etiquette;
o Demonstrates professional communication with clients, peers, subordinates, and management.

Working Conditions:
o Availability to cover any work shift including, but not limited to, some weekends and evenings for home visits, quarterly trainings, support groups, recruiting events;
o Works within a standard office environment;
o Ability to maintain set production standards.


General Statements:

o This description does not include any marginal functions that are incidental to the duties and responsibilities. Also, it does not imply that these are the only tasks to be performed by the incumbent. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related tasks requested by their supervisor.
o The physical demands and work environment characteristics that may be described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the duties of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the duties and responsibilities.
o Any requirement may be modified to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
o Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees.
o Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities. The incumbent must have the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty and responsibility proficiently.
o This description does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise. ALL EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIPS AT LATINO FAMILY INSTITUTE, INC. “AT WILL.”