Director of Family Support Services (Internal)

Position Summary:

The Family Support Services Director is responsible for overseeing all family support services and programs of the agency through the engagement, retention, support, and development of adoptive families. This includes services to families at all stages of the adoption process from their first initial contact with MARE through adoption finalization. The FSS director works in collaboration with DCF and other adoption agencies’ social workers in order to help pre-adoptive families to understand the adoption process, how to access the different services available for them, and how to overcome barriers to successful adoption.       

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have many of the following credentials, skills or characteristics:

• A degree in social work or a related field with at least two years of child welfare experience, preferably in foster care/adoption. Personal experience with foster care or adoption will also be recognized.


• Strong communication (written and verbal), organizational and interpersonal skills


• Self-motivated, creative, resourceful, and able to work both independently and as a team member


• Demonstrated experience with program development and leading complex projects


• Working with diverse groups, and a minimum of two years’ experience supervising staff, interns or volunteers


• Knowledge of the MA child welfare system and local resources to support families


• Demonstrated comfort with modern office technology, including basic proficiency using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database and the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint).


• Mission-driven and share MARE's urgency for finding permanency for all children and teens in foster care, through innovation, compassion and collaboration.

Specific Job Responsibilities/Duties:

Leadership:

• Serve as internal agency leader on issues related to adoptive families, including providing in-service training, sharing resources, and consulting on complex family cases.


• Serve on the Leadership team and represent Family Support Services in executive decisions.


• Envision and implement strategic planning goals related to Family Support Services in collaboration with other MARE departments.


• Work collaboratively with Child Services and Permanency Services teams to integrate family recruitment and support into all operations.


• Lead program development, quality assurance and evaluation initiatives for Family Support


• Supervise, develop, and manage all Family Support Services staff, consultants, and interns.


• Contribute to efforts towards employee engagement, staff retention, and professional development initiatives, fostering a culture of equity, inclusion and organizational wellness.

Engagement & Retention:

• Create and revise agency wide systems and processes to most efficiently respond to the needs of prospective families at different stages of the adoption process.

• Maintain systems to provide effective and personalized follow-up to families interested in learning about adoption from foster care.


• Advocate for families as they begin the adoption process and address institutional barriers/challenges.

• Develop partnerships with organizations and/or groups who have relationships with targeted populations (LGBTQ, communities of color, medical community, faith-based, etc.) as potential partners in reaching new families.


• Represent agency at community events, information fairs, etc. to promote MARE’s mission.


• Participate in agency wide efforts such as National Adoption Day and other media opportunities to raise awareness of the need of adoptive families.

Support & Development:

• Implement the creation of learning spaces including webinars, workshops, and other networking opportunities on relevant topics


• Network with DCF and contract agency family resource staff to facilitate child/family matching and to promote MARE’s Family Support Services (Caregiver Assessment Registration, Trainings, Mentor-Mentee Program, Specific Resources).


• General knowledge about other agencies in the state that provide family support services (Adoption Journeys, AFT, Kids’Net, Bpar, etc.) in order to help families benefit from those services.


• Promote and administer the “Friend of the Family” mentor program, pairing experienced adoptive families with families newer to the process or recently placed.

Internal Collaboration:

• Work collaboratively with other Departments to serve as liaison to experienced adoptive families volunteering at adoption events and supporting communications, fundraising, and recruitment efforts.


• Participate in the planning and execution of Adoption Meet & Greets and other MARE events, including evening and weekend commitments.

Other Related Duties:

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• Participate in full-staff and team meetings routinely both in-person and virtually.


• Represent MARE at adoption conferences and workshops.


• Complete other and miscellaneous tasks as assigned by the Associate and Executive Director.


• A valid driver’s license, the use of a car, and ability to work occasionall evening and weekend hours is required.