Social Services Worker 3 – Adoption

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:
1) Under general direction of supervisor, recruit, study, interview, assess, and evaluate families to determine their suitability for adoptive parenthood; approve or deny applicants, and if latter, address rejection issues with applicants upon request; maintain a roster of all children available for adoption; makes recommendations and refer foster care/adoption providers and/or children to community resources for ongoing support in order to maintain and/or to sustain future placements; attend IEP, Med-Som and Treatment Team Meetings; participates in placement conferences, pre-adoptive staffings, matching conferences, SAR’s and other staffings with responsibility for discussing progress with the child; presenting appropriate families for available children and sharing in the decision-making regarding the selection of a family; assist with preparation of child for adoptive placement; prepare family for child, present to adoptive family all information on child and participate in placement process; counsel adoptees whose adoption becomes final; consult with Judge or other court officials regarding issues and approaches under law.

(2) Documentation: Prepare written documents including reports and case plans and maintain SACWIS documentation and file paperwork regarding correspondence, file documents, case recording, adoption subsidies, Adoption Assistance applications and adoptive inquiries in accordance with ODJFS rules and/or BCCS policy; provides documentation for court and court testimony regarding involvement with child and/or adoptive placement; complete all required documentation associated with preparation of the child for adoption within required timeframes.

(3) Provide supportive counseling to foster/adoptive caregivers and monitors placements in accordance with ODJFS and/or BCCS rules and policies; provides education, counseling, community and neighborhood resource linkage and referrals for foster/adoptive parent; collaborate with providers and/or foster care staff when necessary to coordinate visits with the foster/adoptive parent to ensure continuity of care and support to the family and child in placement.

(4) Participates in Recruitment Activities, Recruitment Events; assists with all task associated with preparation of such activities; responds to inquiry calls within 24 hours when needed, enters all necessary data in SACWIS, and assists with any activities associated with mailing inquiry packets.

(5) Assist with searches of prospective adoptive homes and contact other agencies regarding placement of special needs children when local homes are not available; maintain telephone and written contact, which result from these listings, receive and review home studies on prospective homes for children in permanent custody and interview selected families.

(6) Meets all job safety requirements and all applicable OSHA safety standards that pertain to essential functions; complies with applicable laws, rules and regulations and agency policies and procedures that relate to the Adoption function as well as the on-call function.

(7) May be required to report to work outside normal working hours; may be required to serve On-Call duty in agency’s 24 hour emergency and crisis services to families and/or children in need. Perform duties under direction of On-Call supervisor and other duties as assigned by supervisor or administrator.

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Completion of Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred) in social work, sociology, psychology, criminology, or closely related human services field; and
• One (1) year experience in children services agency as Social Services Worker 2 (or equivalent); or
• Any combination of education, training, and/or experience equivalent to the stated minimum requirements.

Submit Cover Letter and Resume To: resumes@bcohio.gov  (please indicate Job Title in subject line)