OCOK Kinship Home Assessor (Hybrid)

Description

Position Function: 

Completion of kinship home assessments on families seeking to have placement of children who are in the custody of DFPS/OCOK.

Working Conditions: 

Position includes exposure to parents, guardians, and conservators as well as to youth with behavioral problems, including possible physical aggression. A personal vehicle is required for travel. Must possess a valid driver's license. Availability for travel in and out of region. Availability to conduct assessments after hours and on weekends. The position is sensitive to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.

Exposure to Confidential Information:

The Home Assessor 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:

· Maintain high ethical standards which are outlined in the ACH Child and Family Services Code of Ethics.

· A commitment to empowering others to solve their problems.

· Value a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a person.

· A conviction about the capacity of people to grow and change.

· The ability to establish a respectful relationship with persons served to help them gain skills and confidence.

· The ability to work collaboratively with other personnel and/or service providers and professionals.

· The capacity to maintain a helping role and to intervene appropriately to meet service goals.

· The ability to set appropriate limits.

· Performs other duties as assigned and required to maintain unit operations.

· Attends work regularly in accordance with agency leave policy.

Implementation:

· Complete kinship home assessments on families seeking to have placement of children who are in the custody of the Department of Family and Protective Services/OCOK.

·  Complete paperwork requirements in a timely, accurate manner in accordance with OCOK Policy and Procedures

· Offer services in professional manner which reflect good customer service

· Provide education and counseling to families on the kinship process prior to the placement of children in their home

· Accepts responsibility for appraisal of own work and for professional development

· Completes health and safety inspections, when qualified, to assess the appropriateness of the placement for Relative and/or Kinship options. 

· Completes documentation and forwards reports containing descriptive, analytical and evaluative content.

· Conducts health and safety checklist of potential relative care providers to assess the safety of the environment.

· Refrains from assuming any duty that is unrelated to and/or interferes with the responsibilities of the position.

· On call for home studies and assessments .

Training and Supervision:

· Attend continuing education necessary to expand knowledge and maintain certifications or licenses.

· Communicate regularly with supervisor and seek supervision when appropriate.

· Participate in in-service training.

· Participates in applicable agency staff training programs (or provides equivalent from credible training source) as well as seminars/conferences in the community at large 

Requirements

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

Experience: Two years experience working within human services required. Home study writing experience is preferred.

Functional: Knowledge of good child placement practices. Advanced writing skills. Skills in developing and maintaining professional working relationships. Ability to assess and determine families’ ability for placement appropriateness. Ability to support families dealing with separation and attachment issues. Ability to access child’s needs and process in the placement progress. . Ability to manage workload and meet established deadlines. Knowledge of agency policies, procedures and regulations. Knowledge of laws and regulations to child care, abuse, and neglect. Ability to assess current life situations of children to determine the presence of child abuse and 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 the region.