ICPC Specialist

Position Function: 

The ICPC Specialist manages a high number of children on their caseload in multiple stages of service including parent reunifications, kinship both licensed and non-licensed, relative foster/adoption and non-relative foster adopt and complete at monthly announced and unannounced FTF visits consistent within required Permanency guidelines. The position interacts routinely with children and families, representatives from various organizations, out of state agencies, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and the general public.

Working Conditions: 

Position includes interaction with parents, guardians, and conservators as well as youth with behavioral problems, including possible physical aggression. A personal vehicle is required for travel.

Exposure to Confidential Information:

The ICPC Specialist will have access to confidential records including youth files, foster care and adoption records, and foster parent information. Must maintain confidentiality and follow policies related to personnel records and client records.

Key Expectations/Responsibilities:

• Receives cases from out of state agencies after   children are removed from their homes, placed in conservatorship, and placed   in care outside their homes. 
• Determines each child’s needs and ensuring that appropriate referrals for   testing, evaluations, records, or further assessments are made. Ensures all   services are focused on achieving positive permanency. 
• Working with children, families, and communities to plan for a child's   permanency. 
• Identifying potential permanency resources for the child through ongoing   contact with parents, family members, and other individuals the child and   family identify as important to them. 
• Completing and reviewing home studies of a child's family members or family   friends (kinship providers) who might care for the child.
• Meets with the parents and/or potential caregivers to assess risk and   safety issues, identify behavior changes necessary to achieve child safety,   referring parents to appropriate services to address the identified needs to   move towards positive permanency. Discusses with parents their progress   towards making changes to behaviors that pose dangers to their child(ren).
• Meets with children, parents, family friends, or foster homes in public as   well as in their own homes. 
• Collaborates with a Placement Team, and staff from the sending state to   coordinate placements, as needed. 
• Participates in meetings and conferences at times and places convenient for   the family members as well as everyone involved in the case. 
• Visits children monthly to assess the child’s feeling of safety in their   current home, to plan for permanency, and to discuss their needs, wishes, and   progress while in care 
• Keeps the child’s primary caseworker, from the sending state, informed   about the child’s circumstances and significant events. This information is   shared by submitting a written 30 day supervision report and quarterly report   thereafter to the sending state. This report includes information about the   child’s wellbeing, caregiver’s ability to meet the child’s needs, and any   concerns.
• Works with the primary caseworker from the sending state to prepare for   hearings and trials. 
• Works with kinship caregivers and foster parents to ensure that they have   what they need to care for the child or youth placed with them i.e., keeping   them informed about developments in the case, returning phone calls, and  being available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week at certain times. 
• Assist the out of state primary caseworker with transitioning the children   home during reunification services and provides support to the family until   the legal case is closed. 
• Supervises adoptive placements until the adoption is final.
• Using effective time-management skills to make sure all key tasks are done.   
• Documents case records by completing forms, narratives, and reports to form   a written record for each client. 
• Develops and maintains effective working relationships with the  out of state primary caseworker, Child Protective Services State Office staff, law enforcement officials, judicial officials, legal resources, medical   professionals, and other community resources.
• Performs other duties as assigned and required to maintain unit operations.   
• Promotes and demonstrates appropriate respect for cultural diversity among   coworkers, clients, and all work-related contacts.
• Attends work regularly in accordance with agency leave policy.   

Education: Bachelor’s degree, in a human services field, required.

Experience: Two (2) years of relevant work experience OR 60 accredited college credit hours plus two (2) years relevant work experience OR 90 accredited college credit hours plus one (1) year of relevant work experience.

Functional: Knowledge of good child placement practices. Skills in preparing children for permanency. Skills in developing and maintaining professional working relationships. Ability to support families dealing with separation and attachment issues. Ability to access child’s needs and process in the placement progress. Ability to maintain timely documentation and effectively manage caseload. Knowledge of agency policies, procedures, and regulations. Knowledge of laws and regulations to abuse and neglect. Ability to assess current life situations of children to determine the presence of child abuse or neglect. Ability to articulate an understanding of the intersection between race and poverty and the different outcomes and conditions that exist among specific groups as compared to other groups due to unequal treatment of services. Ability to negotiate available services. Ability to gather, assemble, correlate, and analyze facts. Ability to prepare clear and concise reports. Ability to travel locally and within Region 3B.