Foster Care Specialist

Job Qualifications

The Foster Care Specialist requires an individual to possess a bachelors degree in social work or related field as well as experience working with at risk children and families. Must be available to work three (3) week nights and six (6) hours on the weekend. The Foster Care Supervisor will assign duties which may include but are not limited to the following:

• Manage a caseload of eighteen to twenty-one (18-21) Foster Care level children. 
• Maintain a sixty/forty percent (60-40%) split between their direct contact hours and any additional hours. 
• Maintain weekly face to face contact with each Foster Care child for a minimum of one to three (1-3) hours depending on the level of the Foster Care child within the program. 
• Maintain at least weekly contact with children in Agency Based Foster Care. 
• Develop activities with Foster Care children which directly correlate to the goals and objectives that the Foster Care Specialist is focusing on while working with the child during a particular session. 
• Determined, based on the interactions during the session, the level of learning the child has achieved on targeted goals and objectives. 
• Maintain a minimum contact with the Foster Care parent of two (2) times per month (one (1) time per month for ABFC-Agency Based Foster Care children) to coordinate services and activities, discuss and implement interventions and address issues with and support the Foster Care parents. 
• Collaborate with clients and parents/caretakers in coordinating a consistent schedule between children and foster parents. 
• Work with the Foster Care family on transition issues for when a child is transitioning to a different Foster Care home, back to their biological home or to any other type of placement. 
• Per contract with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NHHS) the specialist may be responsible for transporting the child to and from visitation with family and/or supervising these visitations. 
• Establish a working relationship and rapport with Foster Care clients and families. 
• Assist in maintaining the child in his/her Foster Care home. 
• Assist the foster parent in learning and implementing appropriate strategies to assist the child(ren) in making the outlined progress toward the goals and objectives on their individualized treatment plan. 
• Assist the Foster Care parent in identifying appropriate goals and objectives from the treatment plan to focus on. 
• Assist foster parents in completing additional documentation such as medication logs, clothing inventories and incident reports. 
• Provide support to the Foster Care parent in collaboration with other Foster Care team members, this support may include crisis calls and attending meetings.)
• Assist in setting up respite for the Foster Care parents. 
• Assist in moving children to new foster homes if disruption occurs and assist the foster parent and child in acclimating to the changes. 
• Assist the client/family in obtaining the identified goals. 
• Provide planned interventions (teaching, coaching, practicing, role-modeling, affirmation, etc.) based on the Foster Care individualized treatment plan. 
• Secure funding for special activities and additional clothing or personal needs. 
• Maintain a strengths-based approach while working with client(s) and families to assist in the retention of dignity and the development of positive intrinsic qualities. 
• Provide the necessary outcome measures information to Clinical Director and Foster Care Supervisor. 
• Adhere to the emergency protocol (found in the Employee Manual) in the even that a client or individual associated with the client discloses abuse/neglect information. 
• Complete 12 hours of Mandt training
• Complete CPR training or recertification for CPR training.
• Maintain appropriate boundaries and confidentiality with client(s) and families as well as all team members involved in a particular case. 
• Adhere to the strict confidentiality polices individualized in the Employee Manual, as well as all of the other policies and procedures.
   

The average starting rate for the Foster Care Specialist is $26,000.  Additional compensation may be applicable based upon educational and professional experience. Full-time employees are eligible for benefits outlined in the Employee Manual.