Dir. Placement & Intact Family Services

This position provides oversight and management of the day-to-day operations of all placement and intact services of the Child Welfare program. This includes Traditional and HMR foster care, Specialized and Medical foster care, Early Childhood Court foster care, and Intact Services. This position ensures the implementation of all operational standards and program policies and procedures, management of program budgets, monitoring of client services, and involvement to quality assurance efforts. In addition, this position provides leadership and supervision of involved staff and has primary responsibility to staff recruitment and hiring.

This position maintains thorough knowledge on all foster care requirements and ensures all applicable aspects of programming and services meet these requirements. This position has primary responsibility in all reporting requirements of the funding and monitoring entities and serves as a primary point of contact with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

This position serves on the Ada S. McKinley Leadership Team and participates in all functions included in being a member of this team. The Senior Director ensures that all Child Welfare program elements align with the organization’s mission and strategic plan strategies.

It is required the person in this position maintain strong interpersonal and communication skills, develops a strong team approach and leads from both a position of accountability and compassion.

Reports To:

Supervises (Position Title):

Leadership:

• Demonstrates leadership in carrying out the agency’s mission, vision, guiding principles and communicates those values to staff, clients, partners and funding sources.

Operations:

• Oversees and manages the implementation of program policies, procedures, and systems and ensures all placement and intact programs and services function efficiently and effectively. Is responsible in ensuring program and service delivery compliance. Works with program to implement any needed remediation of any known non-compliance.
• Acts as a liaison to DFS and other service providers for all programs.
• Remain knowledgeable of all current and up-dated DCFS mandates and requirements as well as new developments in best practice and knowledge in the area of foster care, foster parenting, child welfare and intact services.
• Prepares reports as required by funding or accrediting agencies or as requested.

Budgets and Finance:

• Monitors reports related to inventory controls, staffing resources and financial controls.
• As necessary, prepares for the successful completion of all audits, including DCFS compliance reviews.
• In collaboration with Ada S. McKinley leadership is involved in seeking additional funding sources to support existing programming and to grow new or expanded programming.

Staffing:

• Hires, develops, and supervises personnel in a manner consistent with agency policies, procedures and guidelines. Implements policies and procedures to manage staff vacancies, absenteeism, turnover, and performance.
• Provides and/or secures any needed training and technical assistance for all program staff in order to ensure program quality and professional development opportunities.
• Promotes staff development with assessment and training. Recognizes staff for contributions and fosters a cohesive working environment by providing needed information, tools and resources.
• Sets consistent performance targets and position specific goals in coordination with the Sr. Director
• Promotes the resolution of staff issues.

Quality Improvement:

• Has primary responsibility in managing systems around the collection of data and data reporting around key program indicators, outputs and outcomes.
• Monitors reports related to key performance indicators. The purpose will be to ensure services will be of maximum quality and will meet the standards prescribed by funding, licensing and accrediting entities.
• Implements operating methods and procedures designed to enhance operations, improve service quality, minimize operating cost and optimize greater utilization of labor and materials.

Stakeholder and Community Development:

• Identify and establish, in conjunction with program staff, appropriate linkages and partnerships with other community service providers as resource options and supports for staff and client participants.
• Represents Ada S. McKinley on DCFS and child welfare related committees, workgroups and/or meetings as required or as schedule permits.

Contribution to One Ada Culture:

• Works collaboratively with other agency directors and managers to reduce organizational redundancy, promote the delivery of integrated person-centered services and achieve the agency’s strategic and annual goals and targets.

Other:

• Comply with all Ada S. McKinley policies and procedures as outlined in the organizational operating procedures and human resources manuals.
• Respond to agency and program needs by performing other tasks which do not fall within the above description. If such tasks are not of a temporary nature, they should be added to this list of designated responsibilities.
• Embrace and practice the concepts of a growth mindset.

Requirements

• The position requires a master’s in social work from an accredited college or university.
• At least 5 years of management experience in licensed child welfare agency is necessary.
• LCSW certification is a plus.
• This position requires valid driver’s license and access to personal transportation.
• This position requires the incumbent to pass certain security clearances per Federal and State client contracts.

Essential Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Excellent communication skills.
• Possess a caring and approachable method when engage with clients and staff.
• Strong knowledge and experience working in a foster care program setting.
• Knowledgeable of current child welfare standards and best practices.
• Ability to advocate for the needs of the families served and of the program.
• Contract administration experience.
• Knowledgeable of work safety standards and practices.
• Ability to maintain positive customer relations.
• Knowledge of Electronic Record Management Systems.

Mental/Physical Demands: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Environmental Conditions: The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Duties are performed in a typical office environment. No unusual or adverse working conditions exist.

This job description documents the general contents and requirements of the job. It is not to be construed as an exhausted statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. The principal duties and responsibilities shown are all essential job functions except for those indicated with an asterisk (*). The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Reviewed/revised: 4/4/2011; 5/2013,4/2020