Adoption/Family Resource Social Worker- Lawrence, MA
LAWRENCE, MA – Child & Family Services is looking for a full-time Adoption Social Worker for our pre-adoption program in Lawrence, MA. The Adoption Social Worker works with pre-adoptive families. The Adoption Social Worker ensures that the children’s physical and emotional needs are met throughout the children’s relationship with the agency. The ultimate goal of this program is to aid children in achieving permanency with a family.
Child & Family Services has been providing Adoption services for decades- come join our legacy program!
Learn more about our Adoption Services
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Psychology, Social Work or a closely related field from an accredited university
- Must have strong case management experience and/or Adoption work experience
- Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation as frequent local and state wide travel is required
- Comfort and ability to transport children in your own vehicle
- Flexibility to work an occasional evening or weekend as needed
Responsibilities:
- Complete a thorough assessment of children referred for adoption which will include the child’s strengths, weaknesses, services needed, appropriateness of adoption plan, and projected time frame for adoption placement
- Maintain up to date records of physical health and mental health if necessary. Working with Foster parents to obtain these records and ensure placement is appropriate and safe. Attend quarterly treatment meetings if necessary with foster care agencies
- Facilitate and supervise visitation between children and birth family when appropriate
- Preparation of children or family for the adoption process which will include discussion of the child’s history and biological family, grief and loss, and process of transitioning to a new family
- Identification and matching child/ren with an appropriate pre-adoptive family
- Formulation and completion of a visitation schedule which is age appropriate and in the best interests of the child/ren
- Facilitate plans for a move of the child/ren into the adoptive family, including preparation of all individuals, transfer of all records, (i.e. medical, educational, and therapeutic) to new providers
- Supervision of the adoptive placement which will include frequent home visits, individual meetings, parents and with child/ren, contact with other providers of service, and overall clinical intervention as needed throughout the adjustment period
- Preparation of all paperwork necessary to legalize the adoption
- Provision of post-legalization services which include termination of social worker relationship with child/ren and family, and review of all service providers involved with family
- Maintain cases records in accordance with agency and EEC, and DCF regulations
- Attendance at all court proceedings, foster care reviews and other mandatory meetings
- Completion of Single Service products such as assessments and home studies, in a timely manner.
- Cross-training in the completion of a Family Home Study for potential adoptive parents
Cultural Competency Qualifications
- Awareness of personal attitudes, beliefs, biases, and assumptions about others
- Knowledge of the various dimensions of diversity, including gender, race, and ethnicity
- Acknowledging that people from other cultural groups may not share the same beliefs and practices or perceive experiences in the same way
- Cultural knowledge of key populations that will be served to address disparities in service delivery
- Demonstrates positive attitudes towards cultural differences by showing respect and openness towards people whose social and cultural background is different from one's own
- Demonstrates skills for communication and interaction across cultures, including the ability to recognize and manage personal behaviors, moods, and impulses to create an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming climate within the agency
BENEFITS:
- Heal and strengthen the lives of children and families
- Benefit eligible at 20+ hours
- Medical – Harvard Pilgrim/Health Plans – 75% employer paid for full-time employees
- Dental – MetLife
- 2 weeks’ vacation accrued over 1st year, 3 weeks after 3 years, 4 weeks after 5 years and 5 weeks after 20 years
- Generous sick time and personal time
- 10 paid holidays
- Tuition reimbursement – Up to $1,500 per calendar year
- Professional Licensure reimbursement (LICSW, LMHC, LMFT)
- Flexible spending accounts – save on medical expenses and dependent care!
- 401K – CFS matches first 1% at 100%; 2%-6% of annual earnings are matched at 50%
- 100% Employer paid Life Insurance
- 100% Employer paid Long Term Disability and AD&D
- 24 hour travel assistance, mileage reimbursement, discounted Healthtrax gym membership, BJs membership discounts and employee appreciation events!
Child and Family Services, Inc. values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages applicants from the BIPOC, LGBTQ+, AAPI, Hispanic, Latinx and Veteran communities to apply for employment. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, gender, sex,( including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy) disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.