About Childhelp

CEO and Co-Founder Sara O’Meara and President and Co-Founder Yvonne Fedderson started Childhelp in 1959, establishing it as a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect and at-risk children. Childhelp focuses on advocacy, prevention, treatment and community outreach.

The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD^®, operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. Childhelp’s programs and services also include residential treatment services (villages); children’s advocacy centers; therapeutic foster care; group homes and child abuse prevention, education and training. Childhelp also created the National Day of Hope^® that mobilizes people across America to join the fight against child abuse.  For more information about Childhelp, please visit the website at www.childhelp.org. 

About Childhelp Foster Family Agency in Michigan

In 2002, Childhelp opened the Foster Family Agency of Michigan (FFA MI) to meet one of the state's most pressing child welfare needs. In 2009 the facility became a fully licensed adoption agency as well. The Childhelp Foster Family and Adoption Agency of Michigan has successfully united children deserving of love, compassion and hope with families who are willing and capable of giving it to them. The agency actively recruits, certifies and trains foster and adoptive families throughout Southeast Michigan. Among the valuable continuum of care, Childhelp provides the following services: family and individual counseling, case management, free, on-going foster family training, foster family certification, and 24-hour support and crisis intervention.

Position Summary:

Responsible for all aspects of case assessment and case management services for 15 adoption cases meeting CWL guidelines and expectations including facilitating the adoption matching process.; overseeing support services; facilitating placements; 
 
Performs home studies/licensing studies for private adoption as well as provide adoption education. Performs administrative duties, prepares home studies/post placement reports, provides referrals to families and keeps required records in accordance with the appropriate Department of Children and Family Services, Hague Convention Accreditation Standards and CIS guidelines.
 

Essential Responsibilities:    

• Performs home studies/licensing studies for private adoptions; responsible for making telephone contact, home visits, investigation reports, written reports, coordination with referring agency, DCFS and Hague documentation, and follow up post-placements as needed
• Maintains proper documentation in legal files for all assigned cases 
• Conducts educational sessions for prospective adoptive parents as required by DHS and COA
• Provides referrals to appropriate agencies for counseling
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Maintains regular and consistent work attendance 
• Submits, by established deadlines, all reports, Initial Service Plans, Updated Service Plans, SDM paperwork, court reports, and agency specific paperwork in a timely manner
• Ensures that weekly billings are completed on time and accurately
• Manages a schedule to adequately reflect parenting time, case conferences, court hearings etc.
• Plans and coordinates post-adoption services, as needed
• Represents Childhelp at meetings, when requested
• Completes financial information, as required by the State, for difficult of care on each assigned case
• Oversees foster/adoptive parent compliance during home visits, tracking essential CWL materials (medicals, dentals, educational and compliance with statutes)
• Attends IEPC meetings and other educational meetings, as outlined in respective case plans
• Assists therapists in documentation and compliance with therapeutic goals, behavior management and emotional areas, as outlined
• Maintains contact with each assigned Department of Human Service (DHS) worker, ensuring documentation is signed and placed in the respective charts.  This includes case planning, permanency planning and discharge planning.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university equivalent to any of the following: Social Work, Psychology, Guidance & Counseling, Criminal Justice, or Sociology
• Must be organized, self-directed, pay attention to detail, and deadline oriented
• Possess good written and verbal skills
• Knowledge of SDM formats
• Ability to think and act quickly and appropriately in emergencies
• Ability to understand and follow complex oral and written directions
• Ability to work cooperatively and make team decisions
• Ability to write concise, accurate and informative reports
• Ability to be certified in and implement all modules of PRIDE Adopt Training
• Ability to identify needs and provide interventions, training, guidance and support to biological, foster and adoptive parents in implementing treatment and service plans for children

Desired Qualifications:

• 2 years of experience within a human service agency
• Master’s of Social Work with 2 years experience working in foster care
• Completion of Child Welfare Institute Core Training for foster care workers
• Knowledgeable in court protocol, legal system and DHS
• Knowledgeable in Structured Decision Making
• Knowledgeable in Child Protection Law

Childhelp is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer