Why One Family Illinois?

At One Family Illinois (Formerly SOS Children's Villages Illinois) we are committed to keeping brothers and sisters in foster care together by providing safe, stable, and loving homes. We do this by offering an innovative approach to traditional foster care. Our model of care provides a private, single-family home, access to a community center, and support from professionally trained Foster Parents and staff. With this, the children we serve benefit from the stability of remaining with their siblings as well as the support of neighboring One Family Illinois Foster Parents and the entire community.

·         Work for an impactful organization with a purpose

·         Corporate culture that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion

·         Hybrid/flexible work options to help balance work and life

·         PTO (paid time off in the form of personal days, sick time, vacation days, and paid company holidays

·         Bonus Plan for Child Welfare Specialists

·         Employee Referral Bonuses

Employee Well-Being Benefits

·         Competitive Healthcare plans through BCBS for you and your dependents (eligible the first of the following month after 30 of FT employment)

·         Vision/Dental/Life Insurance offerings

·         Flexible PTO

·         Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

·         403b Retirement Savings Plan (nonprofit version of 401K). Able to contribute immediately upon full-time employment. In addition, the organization will contribute 4% to your savings plan after 12 months of full-time employment regardless if you are contributing.

·         Part of the federal student loan forgiveness program

·         Access to financial advisors and financial education tools

·         Tuition reimbursement options

·         Opportunities for further education as well as time to attend trainings/workshops/etc. for personal/professional development 

The Role: 

The Family Find and Resource Specialist is responsible for assisting the case management with facilitating the expansion of resources needed to better serve children and their families involved in foster care. This resource may lead to support, placement, and/or permanency. The Family Find and Resource Specialist in conjunction with the Licensing Unit, will provide training to potential foster parents and biological parents/relatives of foster children, as assigned. They work with the Licensing team and are located at one of our villages in Lockport, Roosevelt Square, or Chicago Village. 

Responsibilities:

• 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. 
• Conduct extensive research, investigation and outreach in locating absentee parents/guardians.
• Identify and locate potential extended family/fictive kinship relationships.
• Provide professional technical assistance and resource development support to casework staff who serve children with specialized and problematic behavior service needs. 
• Assist the family case manager with facilitating the expansion of resources needed to better serve children and their families involved in foster care.
• Utilize a family-centered, trauma-informed, strength-based, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) lens through which youth and family needs are assessed. 
• Complete required forms and SACWIS documentation (i.e CFS 458), send written correspondence, and log / track data for use by the foster care team.
• Use ecomaps, genograms, and other tools to map and locate prospective supports and placement resources for the youth and family.
• Serve 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. 
• Assist case manager with completion of licensing checklist documentation as needed for placement and permanency options for children with relative families.
• Assist case manager with completion of ICPC documentation as needed for out of state permanency options for children with relatives and licensed potential adoptive families.
• 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.
• Provides training to 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.
• Follows up with potential foster parents to provide information and encourage engagement through the licensing process.
• Maintain complete and accurate written case notes on children and families served.
• Submit reports  as required by Supervisor.
• Perform on-call duties as needed to carry out the responsibilities as required.
• Communicate problems and issues within the department to the Licensing team.
• Complete all mandatory agency and job specific training.
• Represent One Family Illinois in a professional manner to the public and guests.
• Comply with all One Family Illinois policies, state, federal, county and city laws, rules and      regulations.
• Attend general agency staff meetings, in-service education/training, individual      supervision, and other meetings as directed by the Village Director or Supervisor.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, other human services field, criminal justice, and communication experience in investigation and person location preferred. 
• Strong communication, organizational and  research skills. 
• Possess strong leadership, organizational and communication skills. 
• 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.
• Ability to obtain a DCFS Child Welfare Employee Licensure.
• Ability to work with DCFS, courts and other social service systems.
• Ability to pass DCFS required criminal background check including CANTS/SACWIS and SORS.
• Valid Illinois driver's license with acceptable driving record; insured and reliable      transportation.
• Ability to travel between One Family Illinois Villages and surrounding communities.
• Sensitivity to the cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of clients and staff.
• Ability to relate to the Agency staff and to the public in a courteous and professional manner.
• Ability to work in a team environment.
• Ability to exercise discretion, independent judgment and handle sensitive and confidential materials.
• Reliable, punctual, and able to manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to work flexible hours.
• Ability to work in an alcohol, tobacco, drug, and firearm-free environment.
• Commitment to One Family Illinois Children’s Villages Illinois philosophy and mission.

ADA DISCLAIMER/STATEMENT: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the person assigned to this position. Position responsibilities are intended to describe those functions that are essential to the performance of this job. This position description does not state or imply that the above are the only duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Employees holding this position will be required to perform any other job-related duties requested by management. All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability.

ONE FAMILY ILLINOIS is an equal opportunity employer. Employment, assignment, and promotion practices are carried out in accordance with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and orders without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, physical handicap, social handicap, sex, age, or ancestry.