Child Welfare Specialist

WHO WE ARE:Annually serving over 1,400 youth and families, Lawrence Hall is a community-based organization committed to helping Chicago's youth, families, and communities heal from the adverse effects of childhood trauma. For more than 150 years, Lawrence Hall has been delivering high-quality care throughout the Chicago metropolitan area and is a statewide leader in highly effective, evidence-based, and innovative therapeutic treatment. Their core programs-Child and Family Treatment Center, Therapeutic Day School, Creative Therapies, Foster Care, TransitionalIndependent Living Program, Workforce Development, and Community Wellness-have met the changing and complex needs of youth and families by not only becoming more community based, but also by developing more preventative programs that help curb violence in Chicago's communities.ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:Reports to the assigned Foster Care Supervisor. Provides comprehensive case management services in Relative and Traditional Foster Care, Specialized Foster Care or mixed caseload. Must be able to do extensive field work, frequently transport young people in agency or personal vehicle, and provide all required documentation and reports to Juvenile Court and the Department of Children and Family Services. Lawrence Hall fosters a culture built upon four core values: Respect, Empowerment, Safety, and Teamwork. These values are deeply embedded within our organization's philosophy of trauma-informed care and directly influence every position. Child Welfare Specialist must have flexibility as this position is required to be on-call on a rotating basis.JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:Provide comprehensive case management services to children in placement, their families, and foster parents, including placement, visitation, monitoring, service and permanency planning, and coordination of services according to Client Service PlanFace-to-face in-home contact with foster caretakers as required by contractto monitor the home environment and to offer supportive services as neededIn cooperation with the family and supervisor, write a comprehensive Client Service Plan and present at Administrative Case ReviewsAttend all Court Hearings and report about status and progress of each case on caseloadMaintain regular contact with young people's educational, medical and other service providers, follow up with recommendations, and integrate all information to come to well founded conclusions and recommendations regarding each caseConduct regular diligent searches if the whereabouts of one or both parents are unknown, try to engage parents if they are locatedDocument all case work activity and case information in up-to-date case entry notes. Write and submit timely reports for juvenile court and for administrative case reviews, including making unusual incident and hot-line reportsRequires knowledge of typical child and adolescent development and an understanding of trauma exposure and traumatic stress signs and symptoms. Practice will include using strategies that support healing, recovery, and that resist re-traumatizationEngage caregivers, parents, family members and others by sharing strengths and challenges experienced by young peopleProvide support to foster parents; comply with all provisions of the Foster Parent Law Implementation PlanComply with provisions of Mandated Reporter StatusBe on-call in rotation with other employeesAttend supervision regularly, keep supervisor informed of all case developments, and involve supervisor in any critical decision regarding a caseKeep abreast of changes in D.C.F.S. and Lawrence Hall Policies, Rules and Procedures by attending training and reading written information provided by the AgencyProvide all services to young people according to DCFS and Lawrence Hall Policies, Rules, and ProceduresCompletes permanency paperworkdocumentation for submission and approval to move young people to permanencyUses active and reflective listening skills and affirmations to demonstrate respect and empathy, avoiding negative and derogatory labels that foster disrespectUnderstand that behaviors, responses, attitudes, and emotions are a collection of survival skills often developed in response to traumatic experiencesMaintain confidentiality of employees, volunteers, and program participants to provide a safe environment Attend at least two trainings related to being trauma informed in a twelve month periodAbility to work effectively with program participants and family members, employees and vendors in a culturally diverse environment to support healing and recoveryParticipates in the development and implementation of continuous quality improvement activities as assignedOther duties as assignedQUALIFICATIONS:Bachelor's Degree in the human services field, preferably in social work Must have the Child Welfare Employee Licensure at hire or attend the next scheduled Foundations Training Program for licensure, meet the requirements for attendance and conduct, and pass the Licensure Exam including CERAP Must pass the Foster Care Licensing standards (Rule 402) within three (3) months of employmentKnowledge of childhood trauma and prior experience working in settings with youth and families that have been exposed to trauma or experiencing traumatic stress preferredKnowledge of youth development, adolescent issues, positive youth developmentstrength-based approach preferredPersonal vehicle or access to vehicle and proof of insurance Valid Illinois Driver's license No history of child abuse or neglect Highlighted BenefitsPaid Time Off (PTO): All employees start with an average of 17-25 days of PTO, plus 9 paid holidays.Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.FitnessWellness Reimbursement: Gym membership reimbursement of up to $20 per month to promote overall health and wellness.Retirement Savings: 401(k) with a 100% match on contributions up to 3% after one year of service.Supplemental Insurance: Includes AD&D, critical illness, accident insurance, and short-term and long-term disability coverage.Life Insurance: Full-time employees receive term life insurance coverage equal to twice their salary at no additional cost.Employee Referral Program: Earn up to $1,500 for referring successful candidates.Parking & Transit Commuter Benefits: Use pre-tax dollars to cover transit costs.Frequently cited statistics show that women and underrepresented groups apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the necessary skills and abilities. Lawrence Hall encourages you to apply even if you do not have experience in all areas of essential functions. We look forward to your application.This position meets the FLSA requirements for ExemptJob descriptions are not intended, and should not be construed to be all-inclusive lists of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with a job. While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the job requirements, management reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties from particular jobs and to assign other duties as necessary.Equal Opportunity Employer MFDV

Created: 2025-02-11