FAMILY FINDER SPECIALIST - 60074731

Department of Children and Families

 CPI FAMILY FINDER SPECIALIST 

Circuit 4 and 7

Internal Agency Only

Current Employees will be compensated in accordance with DCF salary policy

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.  

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 other areas across the Northeast Region service centers. 

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