FAMILY FINDER SPECIALIST - 60074768

FAMILY FINDER SPECIALIST 

Department of Children and Families

Pinellas County

Current employees will be compensated in accordance with the DCF salary policy.

What you will do:

This position performs advanced family finding program efforts to discover, engage, plan, make decisions, and evaluate strategies to locate relatives and fictive kin. Additionally, this position is responsible for providing assistance with the completion of home study assessments on identified potential placements and engaging with the Judicial system, as appropriate, to support placement changes. The position will be working mostly in the northern counties of the Suncoast region – Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties.

Incumbent will:

Conducts extensive/advanced searches, such as case mining, mobility mapping, internet searches and cold calls, to locate adult relatives and fictive kin. Conducts home study assessments on identified potential placements and provides a recommendation the primary worker on placement consideration.

Collaborate with the child protective investigator to identify and build positive connections between the child and the child's relatives and fictive kin.

 Identify and build positive connections between the child and the child's relatives and fictive kin.

Attends and participates in family finding group decision making which may include conducting a multidisciplinary meeting with all parties involved and prospective family members or fictive kin.

Establishes and maintains cooperative working relationships with organizations and other agencies involved with child welfare such as community-based care providers, Children’s Legal Services, Guardian ad Litem, schools, clinical professionals, and other community agency resources.

Regularly reviews and identifies any changes to Florida Statutes, DCF Operational Procedures, Administrative Rule and policies. Ensures participants are aware of changes, confidentiality and HIPAA, and identifies potential problems related to case specifics.

Engages with the Judiciary and Children's Legal Services/State Attorney's Office, as appropriate, the support placement changes

 Other duties as assigned

What you are expected to know:

Knowledge in Florida's Practice Model and Florida’s official electronic system of record, Florida Safe Family Network (FSFN). Experience in Microsoft Office, familiar with the child welfare system, excellent written and oral communication skills; strong interpersonal skills relative to diverse populations in academic, public health, and community settings. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with multiple competing deadlines. Analytical, decision making, and organizational skills.

Licensure/Certification:

Bachelor's Degree; Valid Florida Driver's License, Certified Child Welfare Professional through the Florida Certification Board

Other job related requirements:

Travel to the Northern Suncoast Region's service cetners, including but not limited to: Tampa, New Port Richet and Largo.

Successful completion of the Department's approved training in Family Finders methodology.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• At least 2 years of experience as a Child Protective Investigator.
• Must be trained and practicing Florida’s Safety Practice method.
• Current/Active Child Welfare Certification credentials from the Florida Certification Board.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.
• Must possess operational private vehicle for use in the performance of daily work activities. Selected applicants are required to provide proof of vehicle registration and documentation of the appropriate insurance coverage. The Department provides a Vehicle Insurance Allowance to assist with the cost of insurance coverage due to the use of private vehicle for work purposes.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent critical thinking skills.
• Highly competent with data collection and analytics.
• Knowledge of theories and practice in Child Protection.
• Knowledge of professional ethics relating to child protection and counseling.
• Knowledge of family-centered interviewing and counseling techniques.
• Knowledge of investigative techniques.
• Knowledge of interviewing and observation techniques.
• Skill in considering child development in guiding placement of children.
• Ability to recognize indicators of abuse and neglect.
• Ability to conduct risk and safety investigations.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to understand and apply relevant laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Ability to actively listen to others.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to maintain well-executed case files.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to utilize computer systems.
• Ability to write accurate investigative reports.

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

No state income tax for residents of Florida;

Annual and Sick Leave benefits;

Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year;

State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options;

Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please click www.myfrs.com);

 For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

Growth Opportunities:

With 12,000 employees across the state DCF promotes opportunities and training for all.  Our jobs are among the most challenging, complex, and difficult in State government. They are also among the most rewarding. All employees are encouraged to take advantage of available Department opportunities for advancement and professional development.

Where you will work:

Florida is the only state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.  In other words, no matter where you land in Florida, you’re never more than 60 miles from a body of saltwater.  And if the beach isn’t your scene, there are 175 state parks to explore!  Meanwhile, Floridians hail from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, and walks of life, making it an incredibly diverse melting pot that many residents and visitors to Florida love.  The Sunshine State is a great place to live and work – Come join our team!

About Department of Children and Families:

Mission:  The mission of the Department of Children and Families is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.

Vision:  We are a highly skilled workforce committed to empowering people with complex and varied needs to achieve the best outcomes for themselves and their families. In collaboration with community stakeholders, we will deliver world class and continuously improving service focused on providing the people we serve with the level and quality that we would demand and expect for our own families.

Values:  A workforce that operates with integrity maintains loyalty to a code of ethics that requires the courage to take responsibility for providing the highest quality of service to the vulnerable. We are a solutions-focused learning organization built on a foundation of transparency in action and accountability of results. Both within the organization and among our stakeholders, we thrive in a culture of respect for diversity of opinion that is nurtured through open communication. High performing and committed, we are unified in our goal of excellence in achieving quality outcomes for those we serve.

To learn more please visit https://www.myflfamilies.com/.

 If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida.  Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you will be required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.

The position will perform all job tasks in accordance with laws, rules, regulations, policies, and requirements applicable to state and federal laws or procedures.

We hire only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers.

Participation in the State of Florida Direct Deposit Program is required as a condition of employment per F.S. 110.113, and enrollment must be completed within the first 30 calendar days of your appointment.