PLACEMENT SPECIALIST - North FL (62737)

Placement Specialist

Join our team at FSS and enjoy comprehensive benefits including but not limited to:

• Tuition Reimbursement: Earn up to $5,250 per qualifying year to invest in your education.
• Health Insurance: Choose from four comprehensive Florida Blue health insurance plans to keep you and your family covered.
• Dental Plan: Enjoy an employer-paid dental plan for our valued employees.
• Life Insurance: Your peace of mind matters to us. We provide employer-paid life insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): a free, confidential resource, available to assist employees and their families in dealing with life’s challenges, and the demands of work/life balance.
• Paid Time Off (PTO): Relax and recharge with our generous PTO plan.
• Paid Holidays: Enjoy the 12 holidays (to include 1 floating holiday) and unwind with family and friends to celebrate and rejuvenate!
• Well-Being Program: Stay healthy and engaged with our highly interactive well-being program.  Employees can earn three additional PTO days per plan year by simply participating.
• 401k Plan: Secure your financial future with our 401k plan with employer contribution of 3%.
• Additional Benefits: Explore our range of benefits, including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Vision Plan, Short & Long-Term Disability coverage, Employee Discounts, and more.

The mission of Family Support Services of North Florida is to be the leader in providing safety, stability, and quality of life for all children by working with the community to strengthen the family unit.

Job Summary

The status of this position is non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standard Act.  This is a direct service role that secures appropriate placement for foster children and facilitate placement stability.  In addition to finding placement for foster children, the placement specialist assists in preventing children from coming into licensed care by ensuring the Foster Care Redesign model is followed by DCF Child Protection Investigator and CMO FSC’s.    

Job Duties

• Identify and coordinate appropriate placements for children in foster care. This includes considering children’s unique mental, behavioral, and physical health needs, keeping siblings together whenever possible, ensuring children remain in their school of origin whenever possible, and preserving other connections by making trauma-informed decisions regarding placement. 
• Collaborate with case managers, child protective investigators, and other key stakeholders to assess children’s individual needs and make timely, appropriate placements in least-restrictive settings.
• Ensure all placements comply with Florida state regulations, licensing requirements, and agency standards.
• Assist with placement stabilization for children in foster care. Communicate with case managers and other partners to discuss gaps in services and support needed to maintain placements. Work with other departments within FSS to resolve placement issues.
• Accurately enter information into required data systems in accordance with specified deadlines. 
• On call based on rotation, following the same protocol for placement during normal working business hours.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required, preferably in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, or a related field.
• Minimum two years’ experience working in child welfare, foster care, or related social services fields. Experience in crisis management and emergency situations preferred.
• Child Welfare Professional certification preferred.

Schedule & Hours

• Mon-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm
• Some on-call, including one weekday every week and two weekend days each month

FSS provides equal employment and advancement opportunity for all individuals without discrimination because of race, creed, color, gender, religion, age, national origin, disability, military status, marital status, or the other protected categories as defined by the EEOC and takes affirmative action in the implementation of this policy. If accommodation is needed in order to participate in the application process, please contact the Human Resources department at FSSHRDepartment@fssnf.org for our Duval and Nassau counties.

Salary : $5,250