Family Adoption Worker
Children's Services Worker - Family Adoption Worker (2105-12)
Deadline to Apply: December 16, 2019
Work Location:
Job & Family Services
222 E. Central Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Work Hours: Full Time – 80 hours biweekly
Starting Salary: $18.17-$24.69/hourly
NOTE: Applicants for positions with Hamilton County Job and Family Services are subject to background screening in accordance with the document: "Offenses that May Disqualify Candidates for Employment." Convictions from this list may disqualify a candidate for employment with HCJFS.
Requirements (Education, Experience, Licensure, Certification):
- Bachelor's degree in Social Work (or Human Services related); or Master’s degree in Social Work (or Human Services related)
- Must possess a valid driver's license issued in the state of residency.
- Must have the use of an insured automobile.
- A criminal records check conducted by the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation and the FBI is required.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: (*Indicates developed after employment)
Knowledge of: counseling, case management; interviewing; psychology and/or Human Behavior; sociology or social work; agency and/or community counseling programs
And services specific to area in which employed; federal and state regulations governing delivery of services; treatment team concepts; agency/institution practices and procedures.
Ability to: define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions; apply principles to solve practical, everyday problems dealing with variety of variables; recognize unusual or threatening conditions and take emergency action; review; critique individual programming and make feasible recommendations; gather, collate and classify information about data, people or things; develop good rapport with clients, residents, and respective families, handle sensitive face to face contacts and inquiries; cooperate with co-workers; establish goals and objectives; deal with a variety of variables and determine specific courses of action on basis of need; prepare routine letters reflecting standard procedures; write accurate reports; carry out instructions in written or oral form; work alone on most tasks.
ESSENTIAL JOB FACTORS:
Must undergo a background check via Ohio Bureau of Identification and Investigation (BCI). Must maintain a valid driver’s license issued by the state of residency and auto liability insurance.
Must have cell phone availability during working hours-Cell phone stipend eligible.
SPECIAL WORKING CONDITIONS AND/OR HAZARDS:
Lift and carry children; lift and carry child car seats; lift and carry infant carrier; stand entire length of home visit (an hour or longer); conduct home visits during warmest months of the year (no air conditioning); significant walking during home visit, and frequent walking to and from court; frequently enter and exit motor vehicle; frequently climbing and descending stairs; sitting for extended periods while driving; stooping, bending, crouching; able to quickly exit hazardous/dangerous situations that could involve violent clients, violent relatives, vicious animals, insects, rodents, unstable structures, etc.; able to lift and carry large case files and occasionally push a cart containing case files.
Job Duties (Summary):
- Conducts adoptive studies, amendments and updates with prospective applicants for placement of a child or children in their homes on an adoptive basis. Assesses adoptive applicants for their ability to parent children through all stages of development. Assists families in the process of Adoption Assistance negotiations. Provides follow-up counseling, education and support and referrals to adoptive parents and children until finalization of adoption. Arranges for supportive services that the families might require and collaborates with community resources.
- Provides daily case management for children ages 0-21 in permanent custody and waiting for adoption. Refers children for mental health services and appropriate placement settings. Responsible for attendance at dependency, delinquency and probate court hearings, school meetings, monthly home visits with children and their caregivers, team meetings and therapeutic appointments. Assists recruiters in locating adoptive homes for all children on caseload whose goal is adoption. Completes case plans, activity logs, court reports, case reviews, match committee documentation, reviews waiting families and completes referrals for children on caseload. Presents waiting children to the match committee and reviews waiting family files. Makes placement of children moving into new foster or adoptive homes, residential treatment settings, group homes or independent living settings , and to deal with separation trauma and loss.
- Completes Interstate Compact, adoptive placement and finalization paperwork, writes reports, maintains accurate and organized statistical data on caseload. Prepares and files appropriate forms for Court. Responsible for out of county and state travel and placements, with after hours and weekend appointments possible.
- Participates in regular supervisor and staff conferences and assigned seminars. Completes Adoption Assessor Tier I and Tier II trainings and maintains appropriate training hours according to agency policy and assessor responsibilities. Attends necessary training as assigned.
- Performs other related duties as required.