Foster Care Specialist

Foster Care Specialist – Placement Team

Full-time position – Seattle/Tacoma, WA

Amara is committed to positive long-term outcomes for children and families. We drive systemic change, promote healing, and advance racial and LGBTQIA+ equity by offering programs and services to families engaged within the child welfare system.

At Amara, we believe that a supportive, equitable and inclusive workplace, where everyone feels valued, trusted and nurtured, is key to shaping organizational culture and investing in underrepresented communities. Amara believes that a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace enhances our ability to fulfill our mission. We strongly invite candidates from diverse backgrounds, including communities of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply.

We are seeking to hire a Foster Care Specialist to become an integral and valued part of our Resource Care team working to achieve Amara’s vision. This Foster Care Specialist will be responsible for providing assessment, case management, and case aide coordination services to foster caregivers and children. This position will work with families from our whole service area which predominately includes families in King and Pierce counties, but may include families in Snohomish, Island, Kitsap, and Thurston counties. While some work is done virtually, travel to Amara’s offices in Seattle and Tacoma, and family homes is also required.

Position summary

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the following satisfactorily; other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This summary reflects the current expectations for the role; responsibilities will shift as contractual obligations and programmatic needs evolve.

• Provide Foster Caregiver Support Services to caseload as assigned. This includes, but is not limited to:
• Support families in determining which children to welcome into their home
• Complete Caregiver Support Plans with the assigned caregiver(s) for each youth placed in their care
• Support caregiver in monitoring child’s progress toward the child’s service plan
• Assess for the child and caregiver’s needs for additional services, resources, or community connections and coordinate referrals for those services (cultural, wellbeing, and educational)
• Assess and support children and families in accessing necessary Case Aide Services. If caseload allows, these services may be provided by the Foster Care Specialist.
• Ensure the physical, emotional, and social needs of foster children on your caseload are met
• Assist caregiver and child in building/maintaining connection to their family and other important individuals in the child’s life
• Provide caregiver with resources and skills training to increase their child-specific parenting skills (including behavior management, culturally relevant connections/practices, independent life skills, etc.)
• Assist with creation and implementation of child-specific supervision plans as needed
• Collaborate with the Licensing and Home Study team around a family’s license maintenance. This may include completing specific licensing related tasks.
• Liaise with multiple professionals in the child welfare arena
• Participate in the facilitation of family trainings and support groups as directed
• Meet requirements for timely, accurate, and thorough documentation for case files and required reporting as directed
• Attend and participate in staff meetings, supervision, and trainings as directed
• Provide occasional on-call services as a member of the on-call team
• Provide coverage for team members at the direction of the Foster Care Placement Manager
• Flex hours to accommodate family needs on an occasional and ongoing basis (ask that staff provide at minimum one evening a week for later appointments)
• Collaborate with staff in other Amara programs as directed to ensure appropriate cross-program referrals and consistent service delivery
• Be an active participant on the Resource Care Team
• Represent Amara in community and coalition meetings, events, partner, and donor meetings as directed by Foster Care Placement Manager
• Serve on internal and external committees as assigned

Qualifications: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• A BSW or equivalent (social services, human services, behavioral science, or allied field) is the minimum requirement with an MSW or equivalent preferred.
• 1+ year of experience providing healing-centered or trauma informed care (internships and lived experience within the child welfare system can substitute for paid-work experience)
• 1+ year of work experience in child welfare or social services (lived experience can account this requirement)
• Knowledge of child development and family systems, child welfare, foster care, guardianship, adoption, and the needs of families supporting children through transitions and post-permanency
• Strong written and oral communication skills; experience communicating through verbal and written formats with a wide variety of stakeholders while balancing responsiveness, empathy, and directness
• Ability to demonstrate initiative, discretion, maturity, flexibility, critical thinking skills, and independent judgment
• Ability to work with individuals across the spectrum of age, religion, race, culture, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and gender expression and identity
• Ability to work collaboratively with an outstanding professional team, DCYF, Tribal Leadership, and other community providers
• Ability to comfortably navigate complex conversations with staff and families with a respectful and accessible approach
• Ability to comfortably navigate ambiguous situations
• A highly competent team player who is energized by Amara’s mission and the array of expanded services that the organization is providing
• Ability to flex hours to accommodate client and staff needs on an occasional basis and successfully manage competing priorities, triage tasks, and effectively utilize time with colleagues and clients
• Strong familiarity with resources in King and Pierce counties
• Must provide proof of current COVID-19 vaccination
• First Aid/CPR/BBP Certification
• Willingness and ability to work at Amara offices, and travel as needed to other WA state counties
• Valid Driver’s License, reliable vehicle, current auto insurance
• Must be at least 21 years of age
• Ability to assess and communicate in languages other than English is a plus

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position will not directly supervise team members.

Criminal Background Check

Amara conducts background checks appropriate to the contractual requirements of the position. A previous conviction will not necessarily bar individuals from employment at Amara. Specific clearance requirements can be discussed with the Hiring Manager or Human Resources.

Vaccination Requirement:

Amara requires that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This requirement is designed to prioritize the safety of the children and families we serve. Exemptions may be sought only for documented medical or religious accommodation.

Salary and Benefits

This is a full-time position with a rate of pay between $57,000 to $73,000 annually depending on experience. Generous personal leave and benefits package, including paid time off, paid sabbatical, health, vision and dental insurance, 401k with a company match, life and disability insurance. Amara supports a hybrid work schedule with some flexibility to work from home. Occasional travel between our King and Pierce County offices may be required.

To Apply

To express your interest in this position, please send your resume and a one-page cover letter indicating why this position is the right opportunity for you in Smart Recruiters https://smrtr.io/nDTbw

Resumes submitted without a cover will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.