Family Permanency Specialist

Please Note: In order to be considered for this position, Interested candidates must visit https://www.nchs.org/careers, locate this position, and click on “Apply Now” beneath the job description to complete the online application form. The application must be completed in full and submitted for consideration.

Job Summary: Provides parenting and adoption education and support to women, men and their families dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. Conducts support groups for women and men who choose to parent or choose to make an adoption plan. Conducts home studies, provides education and conducts support groups for prospective adoptive parents or adoptive parents. Conducts post-placement visits and post placement services which includes education and support to adoptive families. Presents to schools, other agencies, physicians/nurses, service organizations and others on services provided by NCHS. Presents to prospective adoptive parents and adoptive families on issues surrounding adoption at educational trainings offered through NCHS.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Provides education and support to women, men and their families on parenting and adoption by:

a. Responding in a caring, understanding, prompt manner to all correspondence, telephone calls, and other inquiries.
b. Assisting women and men with providing information on obtaining services and resources such as medical care, housing, educational, vocational, employment, child care, state assistance, financial, etc;
c. Assisting women and men with providing education, within NCHS guidelines, on the options parenting and adoption by using decision making tools, budgets, the NCHS parenting curriculum, videos pertaining to parenting and adoption and using other articles and books.
d. For those women and men considering adoption: obtaining social and medical information on mom and dad; sharing prospective adoptive parent profiles based on the mother and/or the father’s requests; facilitates any pre-birth meetings between the prospective birth parents and prospective adoptive parents; assists in completing the required legal paperwork and required NCHS forms to make an adoption plan, facilitates the adoptive placement of the child and provides appropriate social background and medical information to the adoptive parents.
e. Collaborates with other caseworkers in the placement of children with special needs.
f. Participates in special needs adoptive parent preparation meetings.
g. Applies for SSI and subsidy for special needs adoption as needed.
h. Conducting groups as necessary in regards to parenting and/or adoption, including post relinquishment support groups.

2. Informs clients of legal aspects and documentation requirements.

3. Writes post-placement reports.

4. Maintains agency records related to dictation, NCHS required forms and legal documents pertaining to adoption planning and placement, including affidavits, notice to birth fathers, SSI and subsidy applications.

5. Conducts home studies on prospective adoptive parents as assigned in accordance with Federal
and with the State of Nebraska laws and NCHS guidelines by:

a. Facilitates the education of prospective adoptive parents regarding adoption issues;
b. Answers questions and assesses prospective adoptive parents readiness for
parenting;
c. Providing a written home study.

6. Conducts support groups for prospective adoptive parents and/or parenting groups for adoptive parents and other educational groups.

7. Providing education and support to adoptive parents post placement by:

a. Conducting post placement visits and writing post placement reports for
finalization.
b. Facilitates the ongoing contact between adoptive parents and birth families, as
needed.

8. Networking with other agencies by:

a. Provides schools, service organizations, physicians, nurses, hospital social workers, social service agencies, with brochures and other materials on the services provided by NCHS.
b. Creates and maintains working relationships with other social service agencies by attending community social service meetings.

9. Provides Presentations to groups, schools, agencies, physicians, nurses, hospital social workers and others to provide education on NCHS services and on how to present adoption as an option.

10. Attending educational trainings or workshops to provide ongoing professional development and to maintain individual license(s), if applicable.

11. Adheres to confidentiality guidelines.

12. Demonstrates respect, appreciation, and sensitivity for diversity.

13. Participates within Continuous Quality Improvement program.

Marginal Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Performs other duties as assigned by the Pregnancy, Parenting and Adoption Program Director.

Qualifications and Requirements:

1. Minimum education and experience:

a. Master Degree preferred in Social Work, Counseling or other related Human Service Field; PLMHP or LMHP preferred
b. Bachelor Degree in Social Work, Counseling, or other related Human Service Field
c. One (1) to three (3) years experience in the pregnancy, parenting or adoption field with direct client contact
d. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

2. Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

a. Knowledge of unplanned pregnancy, parenting, adoption and related issues
b. Ability to manage a high volume caseload with multiple demands
c. Ability to follow regulations and procedures
d. Ability to read, discern and interpret information given by pregnancy, parenting and adoptive parent clients
e. Ability to observe situations with sensitivity and objectivity
f. Strong interpersonal skills; excellent verbal and written communication skills
g. Basic computer skills, with willingness to learn and utilize NCHS software and hardware systems
h. Ability to work independently, self-manage and work toward goal achievement
i. Possess driver’s license and personal vehicle insurance

3. Physical demands:

a. Regularly required to speak and hear, walk, climb, sit, use hands and fingers to operate handle or feel objects and equipment
b. Manual lifting requirements are medium.
c. Able to operate a licensed vehicle for travel and possible transportation of clients.

4. Schedule demands (travel, adjustments to accommodate clients, weekends/evenings, etc.):

a. Must be able to adjust normal work schedule to accommodate the needs of clients, including possible evening and weekends.

5. Site factors (work location, environment, travel, etc.):

a. Location of this position is in an office setting.
b. Local travel will be required with State-wide travel on occasion for meetings.

Note: The physical demands and work environment characteristics described above are representative of those that will be encountered by a person performing the essential duties and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Salary/Wage: $21.60 - 24.06/hour

How to Apply

Interested candidates should visit https://www.nchs.org/careers, locate this position, and click on "Apply Now" beneath the job description to complete the online application form. The application must be completed in full and submitted by the specified closing date for consideration.

This position is an excellent opportunity for a professional with a Master Degree in Social Work, Counseling or other related Human Service Field to provide parenting and adoption education and support to women, men and their families dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. Responsibilities include providing education on the options of parenting and adoption, conducting home studies, providing post-placement visits and post placement services, presenting to schools, other agencies, physicians/nurses, service organizations and others on services provided by NCHS, and attending educational trainings or workshops. #Pregnancy #Parenting #Adoption #SocialWork #Counseling #HumanServices #Education #Support #UnplannedPregnancy #NCHS #JobOpportunity

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