Resource Coordinator

Professional level work recruiting, retaining and supporting foster care resources in a Family Services District office. The purpose of the position is to provide trained, licensed foster parents for children who need foster care placement. Resource Coordinators support the Family Services' vision, mission and core practice principles to promote partnerships with families and community to achieve safety, well-being, permanency and law abidance for children and families. Duties are performed under the supervision of a Family Services District Director. All employees of the Agency of Human Services perform their respective functions adhering to four key practices: customer service, holistic service, strengths-based relationships and results orientation.

Assesses district office need for foster care placement and respite resources. Recruits foster parents in response to local needs. Works with the social worker to ensure relatives and natural supports are identified, assessed and appropriately supported as placement resources for children and youth. Partners with the social worker to ensure the larger family network is engaged in the ongoing support of the placement. Screens all foster care applicants and refers them to Residential Licensing and Special Investigation (RLSI) if appropriate. Provides foster care orientation and foundation training to all potential foster parents. Provides on-going support for licensed foster parents through visits, telephone contacts and home contacts. Ensures unique supports and training associated with relative placements is provided. Acts as district liaison to local foster parent association. Acts as a gatekeeper in ensuring respite and foster care placements are done with awareness of the needs and risks of each individual child or youth in mind. Works with the training partnership to identify training needs and to arrange and coordinates on-going training for foster parents. Assists social workers in the placement process by providing the necessary information concerning available foster care resources and by identifying foster homes appropriate to the needs of individual children in custody. Ensures foster parents and respite providers are fully informed of the needs and behaviors of the children in their care at the time of placement and ongoing. Ensures permanency needs are considered at every stage of decision making including all placement changes. Ensures foster parents support parents in understanding the needs of their children and in achieving the caseplan goal, including supporting them to attend Shared Parenting Meetings. Participates in the development of foster parent contracts including specification of work to be performed and establishment of rates of payment. May mediate disputes between foster parents and social workers. Ensures foster families respect the cultural, ethnic and spiritual values of the families we serve. Promotes and preserves family and community connections for children and youth. Fosters life long connections for children and youth. Maintains all foster home and foster parent records. Identifies community resource needs with District Director. Does extensive work with community partners to create resources to meet these needs. May serve on community boards. Maintains a community resource file for the office. May function as a member of the district office leadership team. May administer foster parent rewards and recognition funds, foster care expenses and foster care payments. May do data entry. May provide supervision to resource coordinator assistant. Must be computer literate and able to operate multiple electronic devices. Able to use technology effectively to process foster parent expenses, track placements, maintain resource list and inquiries.

Bachelor's degree AND one (1) year of human services work or community resource development.