Job Description
Job Location: Chicago - Chicago, IL
Position Type: Full TimeEducation
Level: MSW or HS field CWEL & CERAP 2YR SUP EXP
Salary Range: $57,648.07 - $71,000.00 Salary/year
Job Shift: Business hours w/flexibility
Job Category: Health CarePURPOSE:
Supervises a team of Permanency Specialists per DCFS-Contract ratio (typically 1:5) for the Foster Care Program (Centralized Services – all sites) with the primary purpose of driving permanency attainment on behalf of youth in foster care by way/means of adoption and guardianship. May support adjacent permanency initiatives related to reunification as well. Provides clinical oversight and supervisory decision-making for assessment, treatment planning, workflow management, and court/client advocacy. Leads the Foster Care & Adoption Program continuous quality improvement initiatives by way/means of collecting data from all program departments (intake & recruitment; licensing and training; permanency; clinical; case management) and reporting out to department Directors and to VP of Family and Community Services and VP of Centralized Services as applicable.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The list of essential duties and responsibilities, as outlined herein, is intended to be representative of the task to be performed. The omission of an essential function does not preclude management from assigning duties not listed herein is such duties are a logical assignment to the position.
1. Responsible for ongoing supervision of Permanency Specialists for the Foster Care and Adoption Program aligned with DCFS policies and procedure.
2. Responsible for hiring, promoting, training, discharging, and evaluating team of Permanency Specialists. Prepares well-written and timely case documentation (i.e.,Supervision Notes, Subsidy Packets) on a minimum of a monthly basis, in addition to evaluating and approving Permanency Specialists written documentation as required by LCF and DCFS.
3. Conducts at a minimum of once monthly staffing with the Permanency Specialists team(s); participates in internal and external multidisciplinary and Child and Family Team Meetings (CFTM), clinical, supervisory, department and all staff meetings as set forth by the program, DCFS APME and other permanency-related meetings and committees, and other staffing’s as required per policy and/or regarding the demands of the assigned cases.
4. Ensures LCF and DCFS policies and procedures are implemented by the Permanency Specialists to promote best practice and positive well-being and permanency outcomes for youth.
5. Liaises with DCFS, including Agencies Performance and Measurement Team (APME), on a monthly basis to review cases and program compliance with DCFS Regulations.
6. Attend court hearings, Administrative Case Reviews, CIPPs, Clinical Staffing’s, and other DCFS or community meetings in order to support the case management team and promote the safety, well-being, and permanency of youth in our care.
7. Participate in weekly 1:1 supervision with supervisees to monitor workflow and case assignments, adherence to subsidy completion deadlines, compliance with policies and procedures; job responsibilities; and promote the well-being, safety, and permanency of the youth in our program.
8. Attend DCFS, LCF and other trainings as required by applicable licensure(s) and your job responsibilities. CPR/First Aid, Blood Borne Pathogens, and NCI must be updated annually.
9. Train staff, foster parents, volunteers, and/or interns on an as needed basis.
10. Promote program compliance and best practice by contributing to the Foster Care and Adoption Program New Employee Manual, On- Call Binder, Foster Parent Implementation Plan, Adoption Manual, and the likes.
11. Manages workflow of the case management team including case assignments in line with DCFS policies and procedures and weighted case assignment requirements.
12. Assures that the team members function in a professional and ethical manner and that such services operate in compliance with licensing regulations and applicable laws, including protecting the confidentiality of all people served by the agency.
13. Works cooperatively with other managers in program on the development and monitoring of strategic plans and goals.
14. Engages in continuous quality improvement (CQI), including creating and monitoring systems to data tracking and analysis to ensure compliance with DCFS Dashboard, CARF tracking measures, APME reports, monthly CQI tracking reports for medical and case file documentation collection, and internal CQI outcome measurements for the Foster Care & Adoption Program; report to Program Directors and VP on area performance monthly via sharing of these data collection reports.
15. Meet program outcomes and benchmarks as mutually established each fiscal year and reviewed in supervision on a minimum of a quarterly basis in the permanency department.
16. Along with the office managers and other department leadership, monitors case record and file compliance monthly to improve compliance. Ensures records are maintained according to DCFS Administrative Procedure 5 (case management files), Medicaid (clinical files), or Rule 402 (licensing files).
17. Responsible for the systematic collection of information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of Little City’s programs to assess the program, improve program effectiveness and efficiencies, and inform decisions about future program development.
18. Responsible for deliverables including planning, coordinating, collecting, evaluating, and reporting data with relation to the outcomes for each performance indicator. Presents this information at staff meetings, executive team meetings, and/or board meetings at least quarterly.
19. Represents the agency in a positive manner in the community and interacts cooperatively and constructively with agency staff.
20. Member of the agency’s management team. As such, regularly teams with program’s recruitment/intake; foster care team members; and clinical team members for the monitoring and development of program procedures; to monitor the safety of youth placed in agency-licensed foster homes; and the likes by bringing the permanency lens to the forefront.
21. Responsible for all safety activities in your workplace and immediately report all accidents and safety hazards to your supervisor.
22. Promote staff development through team building activities, outings, retreats, and training.
23. As a mandated reporter, supervisor will report all incidents of abuse and neglect immediately and encourage said practice in their CWS team. All reports to the Hotline will be documented via significant event report.
24. Report all licensing violations and/or concerns on behalf of the Permanency Specialists team to the licensing team within 24 hours and engage in any needed follow-up actions to correct any violations that may include monitoring of the home, internal meetings, etc.
25. Engages in internal staffing to proactively stabilize placements at-risk for permanency disruption or to manage crisis situations such as Joint Supervision, placement disruption staffing and the likes.
26. Creates monthly reports as required by supervisor and/or DCFS in order to monitor program compliance with DCFS and LCF policies and procedures.
27. Ensures the implementation of all DCFS and Little City policies and procedures.
28. Maintains a current American Heart Association certification in First Aid and CPR.
29. Successfully completes DCFS, Licensure-required, and Little City required training, re-training, and any additional training as required by Little City policies and practices, or as assigned by his or her immediate supervisor.
30. All other duties as assigned by supervisor.
QualificationsMINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
A Master’s degree in social work or other human services related field required. CWEL and CERAP certifications required. In addition, two years of relevant experience in child welfare and/or human services required, including knowledge of issues surrounding children with intellectual, and developmental disabilities, autism, and emotional/behavioral disorders preferred. At least two years administrative and/or supervisory experience preferred. Familiarity with DCFS rules and procedures specifically pertaining to adoption, subsidized guardianship, and the juvenile court system preferred.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORK ENVIRONMENT:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is subject to sitting, walking, and standing for prolonged periods; frequently grasps, lifts, holds, or feels objects; occasionally stoops, kneels, crouches, or crawls. The employee frequently is required to use manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination when working with persons served and handling office, medical, or household equipment. The employee is subject to assist and lift up to 30 pounds with varying amounts of assistance on a reoccurring basis. The employee is required to have corrected vision and hearing within normal range and the ability to operate a motor vehicle. Must have the ability to perform CPR and CPI. Generally, no occupational exposure to blood, body fluids, communicable diseases, or other potentially infectious substances, but may require performing unplanned Category III tasks (Category II). Typical office environment. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform successfully the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Disclaimer: The intent of this job description is to provide a representative level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.
