Adoption Specialist

Heartshare St. Vincent's Services ("HSVS") has served New Yorkers in need for over 150 years!  HSVS believes that every youth deserves a safe, stable, and loving family.  HSVS is seeking an extremely motivated and highly organized Adoption Specialist to help youth in foster care join their forever families. The Adoption Specialist meets with pre-adoptive families to gather all of the information and materials necessary to finalize adoptions, including conducting a home study and drafting a comprehensive adoption report. The Adoption Specialist works collaboratively with the case planning team, legal team, adoption attorneys, and courts, and as such, must be a very effective communicator. 

First and foremost, the HSVS Adoption Specialist must believe that every youth, regardless of age or needs, deserves a permanent family, and is willing to work hard to make adoptions happen!

Responsibilities:

•    Meet with pre-adoptive foster parents to gather information and documents needed for home study, adoption subsidy, and finalization process.

•    Write and organize comprehensive adoption report, including adoption home study and any needed addendums.
•    Prepare adoption subsidy application.
•    Gather all documents needed to complete adoption package for adoptive parent’s attorney to file in court
•    Gather all documents needed to complete adoption package for adoptive parent’s attorney to file in court
•    Work collaboratively internally with casework, home finding staff, and legal team; and externally with adoption attorneys, ACS and OCFS to facilitate expedited filings and finalizations.

•    Appear in court for adoption finalizations and as required by judges and ACS attorneys.
•    Prepare status update reports for caseworkers for permanency hearings and other court appearances.
•    Maintain accurate and current tracking system for progress toward goal of Adoption and enter this information into Connections

•    Attend and participate in regular meetings with leadership and external stakeholders.
•    Attend all required trainings. 
•    Prepare cases for Adoption audits
•    Performs other duties as assigned.
•    Go to pre-adoptive homes to meet with pre-adoptive family and to conduct home studies.
 

Requirements 

• Bachelor's Degree required
• Knowledge of Foster Care and the Child Welfare System
• Demonstrable computer proficiency, including in Word, Outlook, and Excel
• Exhibit an ability to apply the principles of logic and critical thinking with problem solving and ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Up to 25% travel required including conducting visits to prospective foster parents’ homes.
• HSVS requires all new hires to provide proof of vaccination prior to their start date. Employees who require an accommodation for medical or religious reasons should notify Human Resources.
   

Benefits:

• Rewarding Work in a team environment;
• Paid vacation, sick, personal days and holidays;
• 403(B) retirement plan with employer contribution;
• Health, dental, vision and life insurance;
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP);
• Flexible spending account (Dependent Care, Medical, Parking, and Transit);
• Employee Appreciation Programs and Events;
• Tuition Assistance Program;
• Professional Development opportunities;
• Gympass Discount
• Verizon Wireless Discount;
• BJs Membership discount;
• Discounts on Broadway tickets, movie tickets, theme parks, sporting events, gift certificates & more.

HeartShare is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). If you need to request accommodation during the recruiting process, please reach out to Leaves@heartshare.org.