About the position

At Wellpoint Care Network, our mission is to facilitate equity, learning, healing, and wellness by restoring the connections that help children and families thrive. Every person deserves the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. It’s part of human nature, and the promise of our country, that everyone be given a fair chance to be and do their best. Yet, many in our community live with unresolved childhood and generational trauma. That’s where we come in. We believe we can create a world where children and families have a clearer path to their fullest potential. Wellpoint Care Network has championed the restoration of families for nearly 175 years. Job Purpose: The Treatment Foster Care Specialist contributes to the mission and vision of the Agency by licensing foster homes as well as placing and servicing youth foster parents, and staff in Level 2-5 foster homes.

Responsibilities

• Recruits and develops Level 3 -5 foster homes to plan for growth and meet the needs of purchasers and clients with a focus on Level 5 shift-staffed foster homes.
• Pursues opportunities for geographic growth in the southeast region of the state
• Understands the changing needs of children in out-of-home care to ensure the continuum of foster care services is available and sustainable.
• Seeks out new opportunities to increase partnerships and grow market share
• Develops and maintains extensive community contacts for the purpose of foster family recruitment and program public relations independently.
• Actively participates in regional recruitment and retention plan that is outcome driven and flexible to meet the needs of changing populations.
• Embraces innovation and departmental changes to match the growing needs of our children and families.
• Participate in a solution focused approach and embraces change management
• Completes initial assessment of potential foster families utilizing a structured home study tool and process.
• Works closely with support staff and supervisors to complete accurate and comprehensive licensing process
• Conducts a thorough first interview within 5 business days of assignment and maintains weekly contact with applicant during the assessment and licensing process.
• Performs all licensure monitoring and re-licensing functions for all assigned foster homes to ensure timely movement of applicants through training, as well as ongoing compliance with licensing standards.
• Develops a thorough knowledge of and conducts all licensing and placement activities in accordance with DCF 56, DCF 54, State Statutes 48, Federal Law (MEPA), COA Standards and Agency policies and accreditation standards.
• Monitors all training attendance to ensure completion for certification and licensure purposes
• Performs all licensure monitoring and re-licensing functions for all assigned foster homes to ensure timely movement of applicants through training, as well as ongoing compliance with licensing standards.
• Effectively manages all aspects of the foster care placement including, but not limited to:
• Maintaining current knowledge of foster parent availability through regular review of placement openings
• Communicating comprehensive and accurate referral information to foster parents
• Facilitating communication between referral source and foster parent
• Assessing and responding to purchaser expectations
• Coordinating pre-placement visits
• Assisting with/coordinating appropriate service needs, utilizing TBRI and The Seven Essential Ingredients
• Initiating birth parent involvement
• Ensuring compliance with expectations regarding medical, dental, or psychiatry follow-up and the requirement for documentation of these appointments to foster parents and purchasers
• Maintaining an accurate assessment of youth’s needs and represents those needs in all decision-making arena
• Providing additional supportive contact with foster parents for the first 30-120 days of placement, at times of threatened crisis, and at junctures of critical decision-making and transitions in order to ensure placement stability
• Establishing and maintaining therapeutic relationship with the child to appropriately assess and meet clinical and service needs
• Updating treatment plans, goals and diagnoses to reflect changes (strengths based, TIC infused, for example). Utilize assessment information (a current DSM V diagnosis, for example) to establish relevant, strengths orientated treatment goals
• Participates in placement staffing and, as needed, actively contributes to the matching and placement process of children into newly licensed homes
• Provides accurate, professional, timely documentation of foster home recruitment efforts, foster home licensing activities, client treatment goals and meetings in case notes, monthly summaries, treatment plans, discharge summaries, and other paperwork.
• Maintains client and foster home files in accordance with program policies consistently.
• Enters all documentation in CoBRIS in accordance with program expectations.
• Completes regular peer audits of foster parent and child files as assigned
• The Agency is committed to the philosophy and practice of trauma informed care including the participation of all employees in an active understanding and promotion of the Agency’s trauma informed care model, The Seven Essential Ingredients.
• These ingredients include Prevalence, Impact, Perspective Shift, Regulation, Relationship, Reason to Be, and Caregiver Capacity and form the framework for an environment that maximizes the achievement of positive client outcomes. The Agency strives to create and recognize trauma informed champions across all programs and departments.
• All employees will be evaluated on their demonstration of a consistent commitment to the Agency’s Seven Essential Ingredients, and engagement in the strategic initiatives of the organization. This will be measured by their active participation in committees and workgroups, and by their communication and practice within their daily work and in the community.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or equivalent human services degree and a minimum of two (2) years of post-degree experience in a social work related field required.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Knowledge of community resources.
• Demonstrates ability to achieve outcomes and work successfully with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrates stability and personal attributes necessary to work with other departments and staff.
• Proficient in the usage of computer software; demonstrate an understanding of computer file systems and computer software packages, e.g., Microsoft Office, Excel, Outlook, Teams, ADP, etc.
• Must be honest, dependable and able to meet deadlines; Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Physical exam, drug screen, motor vehicle report, and background checks are required for this position.
• A valid Wisconsin Driver’s License or occupational driver’s license, reliable transportation and insurance is required.
• Regular travel in personal vehicles is required with the ability to move intermittently throughout the workday.
• Willingness to work beyond normal working hours: evenings, nights and weekends.
• Involved with students, personnel, family members, visitors, volunteers, interns, government agencies, etc., under all conditions and circumstances.
• Subject to dysregulated clients, students, family members, etc.
• Hybrid on-site/remote work is available with reliable broadband connection

Nice-to-haves

• Master’s degree or higher in social work or related field preferred.
• Experience working with children and families in social services/foster care; preference given for treatment foster case management and licensing, family, group and individual therapy, or crisis intervention experience.