Bilingual Licensing and Home Study Specialist

Do you want to work with a great team of professionals and help to make a positive difference in the lives of people every day? EnCircle is seeking a dynamic member for our foster care program for unaccompanied immigrant children in Richmond, VA.

EnCircle’s Transitional Foster Care program is part of our Immigration and Refugee Services division. This program is in partnership with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) and serves unaccompanied children in the custody of Office of Refugee Resettlement, placing them in foster families in the Richmond area until they are reunited with family/sponsors in the U.S.  

The Bilingual Licensing and Home Study Specialist is responsible for cultivating a robust network of strong foster families to host unaccompanied children referred to enCircle’s Transitional Foster Care program and will work closely with the Recruiting Specialist for Foster Care. This role requires the ongoing management of the licensing/re-licensing foster home process. This includes conducting all aspects of initial certification and pre-service training and on-going training of foster families. A successful Bilingual Licensing and Home Study Specialist will maintain a working knowledge of the ORR Unaccompanied Children program and Virginia licensing standards and is well aware of child welfare best practices. This position will deliver innovative training congruent with best practice models including, but not limited to, trauma-informed and strengths-based care. This role is responsible for the completion of home studies, coordinates team effort to maintain homes and minimize disruptions; and ensures quality assurance of foster family case documentation.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary starting at $61,000
• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
• 401(k) and 401(k) Matching 
• Employee Assistance Program, including Access to Chaplain Services  
• Educational Assistance Program  
• STD, LTD, Life, and AD&D Insurance
• Generous PTO and Paid Holidays
• Flexible Schedule
• Retention Bonus
• Cell Phone Reimbursement 
• Unlimited access to Premium Calm App for Staff plus Friends and Family
• Early access to paid wages with Wisely ADP and DailyPay
  
  

Minimum Education, Training, Requirements And Prerequisities

• Bachelor's degree in social work or related field and 1 year experience in case management with children and families; OR
• Bachelor’s degree in the behavioral sciences, human services or social services fields and at least 2 years of experience in case management with children and families; OR
• Master’s degree in social work or related field and 1 year experience in child welfare/case management.
• Bilingual in Spanish and English.
• Knowledge of foster care and/or unaccompanied children services strongly preferred.
• Excellent presentation and public speaking skills and an ability to effectively implement training and program presentations in front of groups.
• Ability to clearly explain program expectations of foster families as well as the realities of the UC pipeline being referred to enCircle based on a working knowledge of ORR Policy and Procedure and local state licensing requirements.
• Familiarity with training strategies and intervention techniques that may help to minimize disruptions in foster homes and maintain open homes.
• Computer skills sufficient to perform essential functions (using the UAC Portal, Microsoft Office, and any internal e-case management software).
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and maintenance of records, prepare reports and required paperwork according to licensing and agency requirements in a timely manner.
• Valid Drivers’ License and proof of insurance.
• Satisfactory Driving Record in accordance with Driver Requirements Policy.
• Ability to drive agency vehicle and access to a personal vehicle as needed for conducting home visits with prospective foster parents.
• Must be willing to work some evenings and weekends to meet the needs of the scheduling for prospective foster parents.
• Ability to travel within the greater Richmond area as needed.
• Pass a criminal history screen, including state and local child protection agency registries.
• Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-4:30PM. Weekends and evenings on occasion/on call. Need for flexibility.
  
  

Specific Duties And Responsibilities

Essential Functions: May be required to perform any of the following duties:

• Accompany prospective foster families through the application and licensure process, assist with completing paperwork, develop a positive working relationship.
• Working knowledge of the ORR transitional Foster Care program and local state licensing requirements.
• Coordinate with trainers regarding status of prospective parents and assist with training as needed.
• Manage retention efforts by developing and facilitating supportive activities for existing foster families.
• Coordinate with and report activities to the LIRS Program Manager for Foster Family Licensing and Recruitment.
• Conduct home visits for initial licensure and licensure renewal as needed.
• Performs administrative tasks, including submission of expense reports and employee leave reports.
• Participates in administrative supervision at least bi-weekly.
• Performs other related duties as required and assigned to help the team (i.e. attendance at some recruitment events, collaborate with case managers as needed).
  
  

To give equal employment and advancement opportunities to all people, we make employment decisions at enCircle based on each person’s performance, qualifications, and abilities. EnCircle does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

As part of the Company’s EEO commitment, we will also provide reasonable accommodations consistent with applicable law. The Company will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of the job unless doing so would cause significant difficulty or expense — i.e., an undue hardship. Similarly, the Company will also make reasonable accommodations to the known limitations of a person related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship.

If you seek an accommodation because of a medical condition or impairment, or related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, please notify Human Resources so we can evaluate your request. Please cooperate with the Company as to any information needed so we can assess your request for an accommodation.

As part of our EEO commitment, the Company will also reasonably accommodate an employee whose sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance conflicts with a work rule or requirement unless doing so would impose more than a de minimis cost or burden.

Please inform Human Resources if you seek an accommodation based on a religious belief. The Company will not take any adverse action or tolerate any retaliation against a person who requests or uses a reasonable accommodation.