Family Finding Specialist

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI), is a leading not-for-profit organization providing healing, justice and wholeness to people and communities. For over 150 years, LSSI has made a difference in the lives of children and families, and we're still a strong, viable presence in the State of Illinois, continuing that commitment to making a difference.

LSSI is offering a full-time position for: Family Findings Specialist, Monday through Friday. Targeted recruitment efforts will include specifically reaching out to potential families who are most likely to meet the needs for the specific youth, including but not limited to, attending, and participating in community events throughout the area. Will do extensive research, investigation, and outreach in locating absentee parents/guardians. Identify and locate potential extended family/fictive kinship relationships. Will assist the family caseworker with facilitating the expansion of resources needed to better serve children and their families involved in foster care. Serves as a team member within the multidisciplinary team or Child and Family Team Meeting consisting of case manager, supervisor, foster parent, birth parents and youth to facilitate connections between newly found family/fictive kin members, supports, and other collateral resources to resolve complex and stalled cases to improve permanency outcomes.

Benefits and Perks:
LSSI is growing! Come be a part of this rewarding environment, and enjoy the knowledge that you’re helping make a positive difference in the lives of others, as well as these career advantages

• On Demand Flexible Paydays for earned wages through an app called Dayforce Wallet.
• Competitive salary based upon relevant education, experience and licensure.
• Opportunity for advancement.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare insurance, up to 26 days of paid time off per calendar year, 11 paid holidays, sick time, 403(b) plan, Employee Assistance Program, and flexible hours.
• The paid training you need to learn, grow, and succeed!

Essential Functions:

• Understand implicit bias and how to work within a system that impacts decisions for youth and their families when locating placement options. Has the ability to have crucial conversations with staff and other child and family team members.
• Provides professional technical assistance and resource development support to casework staff who serve children with specialized and problematic behavior service needs.
• Will drive to various locations to attend meetings, conferences, or to locate and assess family homes as needed.
• Will utilize a family-centered, trauma-informed, strength-based, and EDI lens through which youth and family needs are assessed.
• Have the ability to engage the youth (as age-appropriate), birth parents, family and social connections, foster parents, and staff to facilitate and support stability and permanency for the youth.
• Possesses strong, creative problem-solving skills, and can use non-traditional search methods to identify and locate family members and supportive connections.
• Has strong data analysis skills needed to conduct diligent search activities across multiple databases, systems, social media, and other websites. Will complete required forms and SACWIS documentation, send written correspondence, and log / track data for use by the foster care team.
• Uses ecomaps, genograms, and other tools to map and locate prospective supports and placement resources for the youth and family.
• Possess the ability to identify and engage familial supports and connections including relatives and fictive kin for the purpose of life-long connections and permanency achievement.
• Assist in training potential foster parents and biological parents/relatives of foster children, as assigned.
• Engages in a variety of techniques to meet and communicate with potential foster parents, including attending events, networking, social media, and other strategies.
• Support potential foster parents to provide information and encourage engagement through the licensing process.
• Will take the lead in engaging in both proactive general and target foster family recruitment efforts for youth in the foster care system.
• Coordinates services and attends meetings with other agencies, systems, and community providers to meet the needs of the clients.
• Performs other related tasks as needed.

Position Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, other human services field, criminal justice is required and communication experience in investigation and person location preferred. Strong communication skills, research skills experience working with children with special needs a plus. Possess strong leadership, organizational and communication skills. Must have an ability to pass a background check.
• Bachelor’s degree in social work, other human services field, criminal justice is required and communication experience in investigation and person location preferred. Strong communication skills, research skills experience working with children with special needs a plus. Possess strong leadership, organizational and communication skills. Must have an ability to pass a background check.
• Excellent communication, organization, presentation and pc/computer skills (including proficiency with Microsoft Office – Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) along with other related software.
• Full access to SACWIS in order to “file mine’ (review investigative reports, previous assessments, case notes, placement history, collateral contacts, etc.) in the initiation of Family Finding activities.
• Internet accessibility to search tools and engines.
• Access to and knowledge of completing background checks.
• Valid Illinois driver’s license and proof of automobile liability insurance required. Access to transportation for visits and to transport clients to and from appointments.
• Position requires valid IL statutory minimum liability auto insurance coverage (including bodily injury and property damage).
• Required travel up to 120 miles within Central Region.
• The Permanency Achievement Specialist will work with their assigned team supervisor to determine most beneficial schedule for on-site presence. A hybrid working approach will be required for this position.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, pregnancy, any other characteristic protected by law.