About CK Family Services
CK Family Services is the premiere foster care, adoption, and behavioral health organization in North Texas. For nearly two decades our team of mission-focused professionals has moved the needle in achieving the mission, People united through God to enhance the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of at-risk children and families. For more information regarding our work and focus, visit www.ckfamilyservices.org.
Job Summary
The position of Matched Adoption Specialist develops and implements program structure and design for our matched adoption program, supervises adoptive families to ensure compliance with state licensing and monitoring standards, Adoption Contract Terms, CK Family Services’ mission, policies, and procedures. Would also be responsible for leading and assisting the adoptive parents and their potential adoptive child through the adoption process.
General Responsibilities
Matched Adoption Families
- Provide continued case management support to families waiting for placement, including but not limited to ongoing contact with family, attending adoption staffing, presentations, pre-placement visits.
- Conduct at a minimum quarterly contact and/or home visits as required per Minimum Standards and agency policy with family; document each contact. These contacts are for the provision of supervision and training of family, as well as monitoring family for compliance with all regulations.
- Consistently work to develop the adoptive parents, prior to and following child placement, in the areas of parenting special needs children and encouraging the use of connecting principles and therapeutic behavior interventions.
- Teach and train adoptive parents in organizational skills, advocacy and professionalism.
- Routinely teach and monitor adoptive parents’ appropriate use and completion of agency forms. Collect completed forms as required.
- Regularly monitor adoptive parent verification relative to the capacity of the family home. Support efforts toward matching family with child for adoptive placement in conjunction with approved capacity, verification recommendations and family preferences. Communicate immediately with Adoption Director and Adoption Development Director any matching activity or changes in family’s verification or preferences.
- Complete Monthly Family Notes, and submit them to supervisor within established timeframe.
- Accurately and timely write Adoption Home Study Updates as required, submitting them to supervisor for review and approval.
- Maintain current and effective communication with appropriate DFPS staff necessary for matching and adoptively placing a child with a family. Act as liaison between child’s DFPS worker and adoptive family when family is being considered for placement, actual placement coordination, throughout post-placement supervision, and through to consummation.
- Once a family is selected for a child, effectively assist adoptive parents in pre-placement process, including reading the de-identified record, adoption presentation, preplacement visits and applying for adoption subsidy.
- Develop and ensure a plan is in place for all necessary support services for family (i.e. babysitters, mentor family, support group, etc.) prior to placement of a child. Once placement occurs, ensure services established are implemented.
- Prepare and complete all required adoption paperwork (placement, ongoing supervision, adoption finalization, and billing) accurately and timely. File and route paperwork according to agency processes.
- Provide crisis support to adoptive families, increasing frequency of contact and visitation if requested and required.
- After adoptive placement, conduct a visit to the home with all family members present within 7 days of placement.
- Once a child is placed, make regular, purposeful and meaningful visits to the adoptive home to observe family interactions and attachment, as well as the safety and overall home environment.
- Once child is placed in home for adoption, document each home visit and provide documentation of home visit to CPS via email within 24 hours.
- Conduct, at a minimum, monthly face-to-face visits with the entire adoptive family after adoptive placement date until finalization of the adoption.
- Familiarize family with community services and secure necessary resources to enable family to become independent of CK after finalization. This includes, but is not limited to, notifying the family about the adoption tax credit opportunity, available post adoption services, and the college tuition and fee waiver.
- Provide verbal and written feedback to the adoptive family, offering suggestions, encouragement, and areas for training. This includes keeping them informed of and holding them accountable for child’s service plan requirements.
- Maintain regular and effective communication with supervisor about any incidents or concerns related to family, and report and document such instances accordingly. This includes any indication the adoption placement may be heading toward disruption (and notify CPS per requirements), and family compliance issues.
- Upon planning for legal finalization of the adoption, serve as liaison with adoptive family’s attorney and DFPS, including writing and sharing court related documentation and scheduling.
- Complete applicable court paperwork accurately and timely for adoption consummation.
Children
- Complete accurately and update timely all paperwork required to manage child’s care in the home. Submit to supervisor, file and route paperwork according to agency processes.
- Complete child’s Service Plan according to timeframes established within the agency policies, Minimum Standards and In-State Adoption Contract. Update the plan of service as needed, but at least every six months until finalization of adoption.
- Regularly review all documentation provided by adoptive parents, outside agencies and all other documentation relevant to child upon receipt. Make immediate written request for missing and necessary documentation. Follow up until obtained. Immediately notify supervisor of issues.
- Develop and ensure a plan is in place for all support services for child (i.e. therapy, psychiatrist, physician, dentist, etc.) prior to placement. Once placement occurs, ensure services established are implemented, and documentation provided to agency.
- Interview all children privately during home visits regarding satisfaction with placement, safety issues, adoptive family attachments and overall home environment. Immediately notify supervisor of issues or concerns.
- Attend adoption related staffing, adoptive placement and court hearings as required.
- Act as liaison with school personnel on behalf of the child and adoptive parents. Assist parent in advocating for educational needs of child.
- Report suspected or reported child abuse or neglect, and serious incidents, immediately to the Abuse and Neglect Hotline and Supervisor.
- Monitor safety plans and compliance with supervision plans within the home as needed.
- Maintain regular and effective communication with supervisor about all incidents and report such immediately. This includes any indication the adoptive placement may be disrupted by the child or family.
- Attend all CPS, school, medical and other meetings as needed (including, but not limited to PPTs, ARDs, therapy, psychiatrist, etc.).
General
- Assist with adoption recruitment events.
- Assist with Adoption Training, parent support groups, and other parent or staff trainings.
- Assist in internal matching and placement of CK children whose parental rights have been terminated and whose foster family does not intend to adopt by subsequently placing them internally with CK adoptive families.
- Participate in meetings and chart audits as requested.
- Thoroughly and timely complete investigations as required.
- Open and process mail / e-mail daily in a timely manner, generally within 24 hours.
- Answer phone, collect messages and respond to requests timely and accurately.
- Input data into computer accurately and timely.
- Represent CK Family Services in the community by attending meetings and gatherings as required.
- Attend all clinical meetings and department meetings as scheduled.
- Advocate for adoptive parents and children with other agencies as well as CK Family Services staff
- Maintain compliance with all CK Family Services policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements including all state and federal laws.
- Review and supervise maintenance of complete and current records on each child and family in compliance with Child Placing Minimum Standards.
- Maintain confidentiality as required by government law and regulations.
- Perform other duties and tasks as requested.
