Assistant Director Placement - Child Welfare

The Assistant Director of Out of Home Care-Placement will lead all aspects of Placement operations, including oversight of administrative processes and facilitation of interdepartmental collaboration. The role will ensure regular high-level staffings are conducted to maintain placement stability, quality, and alignment with best practices, accreditation standards, agency policies and procedures in accordance with existing law.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Regular individual and group staff meetings and placement consultations as  appropriate.

• Work in partnership with the Senior Director of OHC to identify cost-saving strategies and assist in efforts to reduce the Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) budget without compromising placement integrity or safety.
• Facilitate weekly staffing with case management teams to discuss high needs youth and ensure appropriate services/support are in place for youth in licensed care. 
• Facilitate monthly Separated Sibling Staffing to ensure all placement options are explored, discuss efforts for services needed, review family finding efforts and document efforts to reunify siblings in licensed care when it is deemed safe and appropriate.
• Review and analyze critical placement data including cost of care, placement stability, etc., to identify areas needing performance improvement to reduce monthly cost of out of home care and reduce placement moves and disruptions.
• Develop and implement tools and processes to track critical data elements for High Cost and Residential Group care.
• Provide approval of over-capacity waiver reviews, ensures appropriate follow-up is conducted for homes with over-capacity waivers.
• Coordinate with accounting to ensure foster care providers and group facility payments are accurate and timely. Partner with accounting to resolve any issues. 
• Coordinate with the Relicensing Supervisor to ensure appropriate follow-up is conducted on homes with placement-capacity waivers.
• Participate in utilization management process to ensure most effective and efficient use of resources and the most appropriate services for children and their families.
• Collaborate with Initial and Re-licensing units to provide support to foster parents, identify placement needs and help resolve problems with existing homes.
• Actively monitor OHC budget and provides daily (and/or monthly) report as to dollars spent.
• Review and approve monthly board rate pay out reports.
• Participate and attend MDT staffings, court hearings, and various other staffings as needed.
• Act as liaison between foster parents and case management agencies in high level discussion regarding efforts to transition youth to least restrictive placements.
• Participate in Placement on-call rotation with other Licensing Supervisors.
• Participate in community presentations regarding placement services.
• Research operating procedures related to ICPC/OTI process and ensures policy updates or changes are communicated to assigned family care management agency.
• Develop and maintain a tracking system to ensure timely compliance regarding approved ICPC/OTI home studies for the placement of children in Licensed Care.
• Monitor weekly Child Placement Agreement Report to ensure documents are updated, signed and appropriate prior to each placement.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in Human Services or related field from accredited institution with a minimum of four years’ experience in child welfare, behavioral health or related field required.  Master’s degree in human services or related field and two years experience in child welfare or human services is preferred.

Certification as Child Protection Professional preferred

Current Background Clearance Screening Letter

Valid Florida driver’s license and insurable by agency’s current insurance carrier 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Ability to meet Organizational Required Competency standards
• Knowledge of child welfare system, applicable codes and statutes, and community resources
• Effective supervisory skills
• Ability to be available 24/7 on a rotating basis, which includes carrying a smart phone
• Excellent communications skills (verbal and written)
• Effective negotiation, conflict resolution, and interpersonal skills
• Excellent assessment skills
• Ability to use discretion and independent judgment
• Ability to multi-task 
• Ability to safely operate a motor vehicle
• Ability to travel up to 40%

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and to reach with hands and arms. The employee must also frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. The employee is regularly required to bend/stoop and kneel. Repetitive motion is also required. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. 

This list of functions is not intended to be exhaustive.  Kids Central reserves the right to revise this job description as needed to comply with actual job requirements.

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE:

Our mission is, “Protecting Children, Supporting Families, and Engaging Communities”. Kids Central, Inc. is the lead Community Based Care agency for child welfare in Circuit 5, which encompasses Marion, Lake, Hernando, Sumter, and Citrus Counties. We maintain a system of care for children and families that have experienced or are at-risk of experiencing child abuse or neglect. Kids Central, Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, disability, or veteran status as those terms are defined under applicable law. Kids Central is a Drug-Free Workplace, Equal Employment Opportunity and E-Verify Employer.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

Kids Central, Inc. provides a comprehensive compensation package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) with company match, and a generous paid time off allotment.

Employer is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V