Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
- Dental insurance
DePaul is seeking a Full-Time, Post-Permanency Specialist-RPPCS (Regional Post-Permanency Consortia Services) working 37.5-hours per week at the Roanoke Location.
JOB SUMMARY:
The Post-Permanency Specialist provides comprehensive post-permanency support services to adoptive families, kinship guardianship families, and relative caregivers to promote family stability, child well-being, and permanency preservation. The Post-Permanency Specialist serves as a primary point of contact for families seeking information, support, resources, education, advocacy, and community connections following adoption, guardianship, or other permanency arrangements.
Using a strengths-based, trauma-informed, family-centered, and adoption-competent approach, the Post-Permanency Specialist assists families in identifying needs, accessing services, strengthening protective factors, navigating challenges, and connecting with supportive resources. Services may include information and referral, brief case management, family support, educational programming, support groups, family activities, advocacy, crisis support, and linkage to specialized services.
The Post-Permanency Specialist works collaboratively with Success Coaches, Local Departments of Social Services, behavioral health providers, schools, community organizations, consortium members, and other stakeholders to ensure families have access to a comprehensive continuum of post-permanency supports and services. This position is grant funded by the Virginia Department of Social Services.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED:
The Post-Permanency Specialist reports directly to the Regional Post-Permanency Supervisor. This position does not provide direct supervision of staff.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES:
This list is not an exhaustive & all-inclusive list of job responsibilities. The distribution of time allotted for any function or duty is subject to change with or without notice. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign other responsibilities to this job or reassign them elsewhere at any time.
Family Engagement and Support Services
- Respond to referrals and inquiries from adoptive families, guardianship families, relative caregivers, professionals, and community members.
- Conduct initial assessments to identify family strengths, needs, concerns, and service priorities.
- Provide individualized support services designed to strengthen family functioning, caregiver capacity, and permanency stability.
- Maintain ongoing contact with families through telephone, virtual, office-based, home-based, and community-based services as appropriate.
- Support families in accessing resources and services that address identified needs.
- Promote family engagement and participation in available post-permanency services and supports.
Information, Referral, and Resource Coordination
- Provide information regarding available post-permanency services, adoption assistance, guardianship resources, community supports, educational resources, and behavioral health services.
- Facilitate referrals to community providers, support services, clinical resources, respite opportunities, educational programs, recreational activities, and other needed supports.
- Maintain knowledge of regional resources and service systems.
- Assist families in navigating service systems and overcoming barriers to accessing needed supports.
- Advocate for families when appropriate to promote access to services and supports.
Education, Training, and Support Groups
- Develop, coordinate, and facilitate educational opportunities for caregivers, youth, and professionals.
- Plan and facilitate parent support groups, youth groups, peer support opportunities, and family discussion groups.
- Provide education regarding trauma, attachment, adoption, kinship care, child development, grief and loss, identity development, behavioral health, and other post-permanency topics.
- Assist families in strengthening parenting skills, understanding child behavior, and building resilience.
- Promote opportunities for peer support and connection among families with shared experiences.
Family Activities and Community Engagement
- Plan, coordinate, and facilitate family events, recreational activities, workshops, and community engagement opportunities.
- Support development of natural support networks and community connections for families.
- Collaborate with consortium members and community partners to increase opportunities for family participation and support.
- Promote awareness of post-permanency services throughout the region.
Crisis Support and Family Stabilization
- Identify families experiencing elevated stress, challenges, or risks to permanency stability.
- Provide brief crisis intervention, problem-solving support, and resource coordination.
- Assist families in accessing appropriate crisis services and specialized interventions when needed.
- Collaborate with Success Coaches and supervisors when intensive services or higher levels of support are warranted.
- Support early intervention efforts designed to prevent escalation of family challenges.
Documentation and Program Compliance
- Maintain timely, accurate, and confidential records in accordance with agency policies, contractual requirements, and professional standards.
- Complete required assessments, service documentation, referral records, progress notes, activity reports, and satisfaction measures.
- Enter and maintain data within designated information systems.
- Participate in quality assurance activities, case reviews, and continuous quality improvement efforts.
- Ensure compliance with confidentiality requirements, agency policies, and grant expectations.
- Participates in a weekly rotating on-call schedule to provide after-hours support and timely response to family emergency situations.
Community Collaboration and Professional Development
- Participate in consortium activities, community meetings, provider collaborations, and outreach efforts.
- Maintain positive working relationships with Local Departments of Social Services, schools, behavioral health providers, community organizations, and other stakeholders.
- Participate in required training, supervision, and professional development activities.
- Maintain and strengthen competencies related to adoption, kinship care, guardianship, trauma, attachment, family engagement, and post-permanency service delivery.
- Assist with special projects and other duties as assigned.
Program Specific Preferred Knowledge and Expertise
- Knowledge of adoption, kinship care, guardianship, child welfare, family systems, trauma, attachment, and child development.
- Knowledge of community resources, family support services, and post-permanency best practices.
- Ability to engage and support families from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
- Strong communication, advocacy, organization, group facilitation, and relationship-building skills.
- Commitment to strengths-based, family-centered, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and adoption-competent practice.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES & OTHER CHARACTERISTICS REQUIRED:
Knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics or KSAOs are attributes needed to perform a job that are demonstrated through qualifying training, education, and experience. This list is not an exhaustive & all-inclusive list of all KSAOs for this job.
Knowledge of:
- Office and records administration techniques and procedures
- The structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar
- Microsoft Office Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Sharepoint, Teams, and virtual meeting applications such as Zoom, WebEx, Google Meet
- DePaul's policies, procedures, and standard practices and the rules and guidelines established by regulatory and governing agencies
- Relevant policies, procedures, and strategies to promote the safety and protection of people, data, and property
- Office procedures and spelling, grammar, punctuation, and arithmetic
- Policies, procedures, and guidelines established by DePaul, professional organizations, governing agencies, and local laws, statutes, regulations, codes, and standards related to the area of responsibility
- Motor vehicle operations, traffic rules and regulations, and maintenance of motor vehicles
Skill/Ability to:
- Demonstrate interpersonal and verbal skills to defuse emotional situations, calm upset individuals, allay fears, and lessen confusion.
- Give full attention to what other people are saying, take time to understand the points being made, ask questions as appropriate, and not interrupt at inappropriate times
- Demonstrate verbal and written communication and body language that purveys professional composure, emotional intelligence, thoughtfulness, patience, and respect amidst change, ambiguity, and within the daily trajectories of work
- Operate standard office equipment such as telephone, calculator, printer, scanner, cellular phone, tablet, computer, postage machine, shredder
- Collect and analyze data
- Manage multiple priorities and complete assignments on time, accurately, and with attention to detail, and ensure a high-quality work product
- Develop and maintain professional working relationships and appropriate boundaries with individuals served, coworkers, management, community partners, and business associates, and work collaboratively in a team environment
- Operate a computer and utilize computer applications, including spreadsheets, databases, word processing, email, internet, virtual meetings, internet, and department or program-specific software
- Develop objectives, evaluate effectiveness, and assess service plans for individuals served
- Analyze and prepare concise and accurate documents, reports, and correspondence
- Communicate effectively in both oral and written form
- Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing
- Make arithmetical computations and tabulations
- Effectively communicate policies and procedures clearly and concisely to coworkers, providers, and community partners
- Effectively market the programs and services of the department and organization
- Exercise sound judgment and critical thinking in decision-making and solving various work-related situations
- Learn and adhere to policies, procedures, and guidelines established by DePaul, professional organizations, governing agencies, and local laws, statutes, regulations, codes, and standards related to the area of responsibility
- Assist with the general upkeep and cleaning of office areas and agency vehicles
Other Characteristics:
- Demonstrate self-awareness, ongoing self-evaluation, and a commitment to being part of a diverse, equitable, respectful, and inclusive workplace where all people are valued
- Demonstrate professional composure in difficult and stressful situations
- Demonstrate the FIRST (fairness, integrity, respect, safety, trust) values in the daily trajectories of work
- Demonstrate professionalism regarding access to sensitive and confidential information related to employees, clients, and business records with no disclosure to others without needing to know
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY:
A Bachelor's degree in social work or a related human services field with one year of experience providing casework services to children or families is required. Experience as a foster/adoptive parent could substitute for formal casework experience.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described herein represent those an employee encounters while performing the position's essential functions. The employee regularly works in an office environment and occasionally in the field. Due to the nature of the work, the incumbent may be exposed to situations of a highly emotional nature; incumbents are expected to use verbal skills to resolve interpersonal situations to achieve desired results independently. Incumbents are exposed to various living situations and lifestyles. Work is generally completed regularly during weekdays; however, daily work hours may vary. Participation in and completion of job duties outside of normally scheduled hours may be required. Work is subject to frequent interruptions, and noise levels are varied based on the work locations.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
The physical demands described herein are representative of those that an employee in this position must meet, with or without reasonable accommodations, to perform the essential functions successfully. Physical activities required are finger dexterity necessary to operate equipment used in the position, effective communication and seeing or hearing verbal cues. Walking from one-third to two-thirds of the time, sitting from one-third to two-thirds of the time, standing from one-third to two-thirds of the time, bending from one-third to two-thirds of the time, stooping up to one-third of the time, lifting/pushing/pulling no more than twenty pounds is required. When accessing various locations, the incumbent must climb stairs and ramps. This position requires driving approximately fifteen percent of the employee's working time to various locations. Public transportation may not be available. Individuals needing reasonable accommodations should speak with their immediate supervisor/hiring manager.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
After a conditional job offer, the following may be required: current DMV driving record with results that comply with insurer guidelines; drug and alcohol screening with satisfactory results stipulated by applicable governing, funding, or regulatory agencies; criminal and child protective services background report. The applicant shall not have been convicted of any barrier crime(s) on the criminal background report. The applicant will have no founded disposition of child abuse or neglect as documented by the Child Protective Services background report.
NOTE:
This description provides information regarding the essential functions of the designated job and the general nature and level of work associated with the job. It should not be interpreted to describe all the duties whose performance may be required of such employees or be used to limit the nature and extent of assignments such an individual may be given.
Compensation depends on qualifications and experience.
DePaul is an Equal Opportunity Employer and E-Verify Participant.
Flexible work from home options available.