Post-Adoption Specialist (68592)

Post-Adoption Specialist

Join our team at FSS and enjoy comprehensive benefits including but not limited to:

• Tuition Reimbursement
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Well-Being Program
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Bereavement Leave
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Short & Long-Term Disability Coverage
• Employee Discounts
• 401k Plan with 3% Employer Contribution

The mission of Family Support Services is to be the leader in providing safety, stability, and quality of life for all children by working with the community to strengthen the family unit.

Job Summary: 

This position is responsible for the oversight of services to adoptive family’s post-finalization in partnership with our adoption team and contracted partners. Responsibilities include providing tuition waivers, tracking and ensuring adopted youth who are eligible for E-MAS payments maintain eligibility until the age of 21, working with families requesting enhanced subsidies or increase in subsidy based off of the cost of living increase, ensuring families are linked appropriately to assist in Medicaid questions, connecting with the CPI for post adoption cases to ensure families are provided proper referrals, working with families to update addresses and direct deposit information for subsidy.  This position will also work with higher level post-adoption calls and assisting/linking families to community support and resources, crisis response and transition planning. In addition, the position will conduct meetings with adoption leadership at FSS and other related departments, to determine the needs of the population. This includes facilitating discussions on overcoming barriers and creating action plans with timetables. The post adoption specialist will also make follow up calls with children/youth who have recently gotten out of Baker Acts or SIPP placements.  This position will be a liaison between the adoptive families and their Medicaid provider. 

Essential Duties: 

• Serve as point of contact for post-adoption services referrals for Pasco/Pinellas Counties including requests made from CBCIH, intakes received from FSFN, and calls from parents, 
• Make contact with adoptive families after Baker Acts and SIPP placement releases, assess/refer for services and document in FSFN. 
• Participate in meetings with Adoption leadership and other departments to review cases. 
• Assess requests for paid services post-adoption and prepare for approval/denial 
• Participate in Crisis staffings as needed 
• Provide Tuition waivers and assist with change of address and direct deposit forms for subsidy. 
• Complete tasks associated with E-MAS payments and/or eligibility 
• Complete 1 year post adoption follow up with families 
• Assess for enhanced subsidy requests based off of child’s needs 
• Complete all appropriate paperwork for cost of living subsidy requests 
• Appropriately assist families financially with post adoption funding 
• Perform other department-related duties 

Minimum Qualifications: 

Education: 

Bachelor’s degree required in the Human Services field. 

Experience: 

Proven combination of education and experience which demonstrates the ability to lead, manage, enhance, and promote the assigned project. Three years of child welfare experience is required. Adoption experience is preferred 

Licensure, Certification, and/or Registration: 

Valid driver’s license. Child Welfare Certification preferred. 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Ability to: 

• Participate in groups/meetings and conduct case staffings with a variety of stakeholders, including case managers, supervisors and leadership staff 
• Plan, organize and coordinate work assignments 
• Communicate clearly and work effectively with diverse groups of people 
• Maintain confidentiality of records and information 
• Work independently and efficiently  
• Write reports and correspondence 
• Speak effectively before small and large groups 
• Solve problems and deal with a variety of variables with a minimum of direction 
• Interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written or oral form 
• Be highly organized, detail oriented and flexible 

Knowledge of: 

• Policies and statutes related to adoption and post-adoption 
• Florida Statutes as it pertains to adoption and post-adoption 
• The current Florida child welfare system 
• Current policies and procedures of Chapter 39 adoptions 
• Best practices as it relates to engaging families 
• Community resources available in Pinellas and Pasco Counties and how to access those resources  
• Computer applications including database software, Word, Excel, PowerPoint 

Other Requirements: 

• Clear a Level II Background screening (Live Scan) in which your fingerprints will be used to conduct the screening. Please see the link with further details: https://info.flclearinghouse.com 
• Clear a reference check. 
• Clear a local background check from the County in which you reside. 
• Clear a substance abuse screen. 
• Provide a copy of all degrees prior to your first day of employment. 
• Clear a Motor Vehicles Records check and must be insurable under the company’s automobile policy. 
• Provide copy of automobile insurance. 
• Provide proof of and maintain a minimum personal auto liability insurance level $100,000/$300,000 if deemed to be a driving risk. 
• Clear an E-Verify check to substantiate that the successful candidate meets the Department of Homeland Security authorization requirements to work in the United States (for more information visit www.dhs.gov/e-verify). 

FSS is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. FSS is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. If you require a reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to Human Resources at [email protected].