Adoption RI is seeking a passionate, relationship-driven professional to join our Teen Focus team and help youth involved in the child welfare system build lifelong connections, strengthen support networks, and prepare for successful adulthood. This role combines direct service, family search and engagement, permanency planning, case management, and advocacy to ensure young people have a sense of belonging, stability, and a clear path toward their future.
Education & Experience
- Must possess bachelor’s degree in social work or related field
- Knowledge of adolescent/teen development
- Understanding of child welfare system
- Experience in direct service and policy development strongly encouraged
Duties & Responsibilities
- Maintain client confidentiality and conduct self in accordance with professional and ethical standards.
- Assist the agency in assessing and providing effective, equitable, understandable, and respectful quality care and services that are responsive to diverse cultural beliefs and practices, preferred languages, mental and behavioral health literacy, and other communication needs.
- Promote coordination and collaboration of service delivery, both internally across agency programs and departments, as well as externally, with community partners and contractors.
- Contribute to and participate in agency community outreach activities, as well as additional support programming, as assigned.
- Conduct initial intake assessment for youth with permanency goal of Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA)
- Apply Wendy’s Wonderful Kids model to conduct full record mining, individualized recruitment and permanency plans, and identifying, assessing, and engaging newly identified relationships as well as conducting face-to-face visits with youth
- Apply 3-5-7 Model© to assist and support youth in clarification, integration, and actualization of life story, including use of genogram, ecomaps, timelines, permanency pacts, and other permanency-focused tools
- Facilitate, encourage, and support open communication and contact (i.e. supervised visits, community visits, correspondence) with positive, meaningful connections and potential connections. Provide neutral and supportive environment for youth and families to prepare for visits and/or engage in informal events to maintain connections and bonds.
- Organize and implement trainings, workshops, and events for Teen Focus youth, including members of the youth’s natural support system, when applicable
- Communicate and coordinate with all members of the youth’s treatment team.
- Attend and participate in-service trainings, team meetings, professional development, and group and individual supervision, as applicable.
- Complete all necessary documentation, including all client records, narrative reports of assessments, progress reports, treatment plans, quarterly report submissions, and discharge summaries, in compliance with HIPAA standards.
- Actively participate and contribute to program and agency data collection and analysis for purposes of identifying trends, program development, and communication with the community.
- Other duties as assigned.
Skills & Values
Must possess and demonstrate:
All-agency:
- Alignment and commitment to values, mission, model, and vision of the agency
- Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Awareness of local, national, and global events, trends, and best practices in the agency’s fields of expertise
- Competence and confidence in building internal and external transparent, positive partnerships that will further the agency’s mission
- Effective written and verbal skills including public speaking
- Data-informed decision-making
Position-specific:
- Experience in service provision of trauma-informed care, permanency practice, and educational needs of child welfare population
- Knowledge of and demonstrated experience with best practices and state and federal laws related to foster care, youth permanency, homelessness and housing, mental health, education and health for at-risk populations.
- Ability to assess, deliver, and evaluate direct service programming
- Strong organizational, system building & strategic decision-making abilities
Other Requirements:
- Must pass Background Criminal Investigation (BCI) check
- Must pass Child Protection Services (CPS) background checks for RI as well as any additional states, per Adam Walsh Act of 2006.
- Ability to work a flexible schedule
- Access to reliable transportation
- Specific to staff-owned vehicles, staff must demonstrate:
- Possession of valid driver’s license
- Maintenance of clean driving record
- Possession of valid and continuous auto insurance coverage that meets the state’s minimum requirements
- Valid vehicle inspection sticker
- Hold an active license with the RI Department of health (RIDOH) for applicable positions
- Additional requirements, as outlined by service contracts, if applicable
Physical Requirements:
- Prolonged periods of (1) sitting at a desk/meeting table and (2) working on a computer.
- Ability to self-transport to client and agency-related meetings and work within the RI community
- U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) of strength level category: Sedentary to Light work
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable staff to perform the essential duties.
Pay: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Education:
Experience:
- Case management: 1 year (Preferred)
- Child welfare: 1 year (Preferred)
- Direct support: 1 year (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
