Family Finding Specialist

Job Location: Family Support Services of Suncoast Admin Office - Largo, FL 33771 | Position Type: Full Time | Education Level: 4 Year Degree/BA or BS Family Finding Specialist Benefits Tuition Reimbursement Health Insurance Dental Insurance Vision Insurance Life Insurance Well‑Being Program Paid Time Off (PTO) Bereavement Leave 12 Paid Holidays Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Short & Long‑Term Disability Coverage Employee Discounts 401k Plan with 3% Employer Contribution Job Summary This position will be responsible for supporting Case Managers (CM) by working collaboratively with staff to locate, engage and recommend safe placement for children in Out of Home Care (OHC) with relatives and non‑relatives (kinship). The candidate must have a strong value and belief system that children do best when placed with kin and fictive kin (relative/non‑relative), which minimizes trauma for the child(ren) and enhances child well‑being. This position is part of our direct service personnel. Essential Duties Research current and incoming children placed in licensed homes by, but not limited to, conducting case reviews, internet searches and interviews with relatives, non‑relatives, and children to identify potential connections. Complete follow‑up of all individuals that have expressed interest in the child, and/or have had a positive relationship with the child. Conduct Home Studies and background screens on all potential placements and follow up with Case Manager on results. Participate in a variety of staffings to include permanency roundtables, rapid permanency reviews, and other MDTs. Pass along or gather known information to assigned Case Manager and supervisor and conduct follow‑up activities as needed. Maintain accurate and complete documentation for each assigned case. Conduct supportive efforts, to include home visit engagement, to promote placement stabilization. Document all family finding efforts for each case and track success. Attend agency events, trainings, conferences as needed after hours or on the weekends. Perform other duties as assigned. Qualifications Minimum Qualifications Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Experience: Two years of responsible experience working with relative and non‑relative caregivers and/or working with high risk children and families, preferably within the dependency or economic self‑sufficiency programs. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The qualifications listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Demonstrated competence and skills in positive family and youth engagement and communication. Ability to think critically, and creatively to identify links between discovered information. Ability to use computers, Microsoft Office Suite, and internet with ease and exhibit proficiency. Ability to conduct effective phone interviews / home assessments with prospective caregivers and providers to include foster parents, biological and adoptive parents. Ability to speak and conduct meetings with volunteers, caseworkers and community groups. Ability to maintain an effective working relationship with others. Ability to write well and perform accurate assessments. Ability to demonstrate diligence, persistence, and positive attitude to succeed on behalf of children. Ability to schedule meetings in a timely manner and inform numerous individuals in a required time frame. Ability to keep calendars and schedule meetings accordingly. Ability to demonstrate use of time management and organization skills. Ability to write summaries of meetings that accurately reflect the details of the meeting. Ability to create spreadsheets in Excel. Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables with minimum direction. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written or oral form. Ability and desire to perform aggressive and exhaustive family finding efforts focusing on accuracy and complete information. Ability to read and interpret Florida statutes and policies for compliance. Employee must be able to coordinate work hours around availability of the families requiring non‑traditional work hours. Employee must be able to complete paperwork, computer tasks, and drive to locations within Pasco / Pinellas and beyond, depending on caseload dynamics. Other Requirements Clear a Level II background screening (Live Scan) in which your fingerprints will be used to conduct the screening. Please see the link with further details: Clear a reference check. Clear a local background check from the County in which you reside. Clear a substance abuse screen. Provide a copy of all degrees prior to your first day of employment. Clear a Motor Vehicles Records check and must be insurable under the company’s automobile policy. Provide copy of automobile insurance. Provide proof of and maintain a minimum personal auto liability insurance level $100,000/$300,000 if deemed to be a driving risk. Clear an E‑Verify check to substantiate that the candidate meets the Department of Homeland Security authorization requirements to work in the United States (visit for more information). Licensure, Certification, and/or Registration Valid driver’s license. Child Welfare certified or certification eligible. FSS is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status or genetic information. FSS is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. If you require a reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre‑employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to Human Resources at View email address on click.appcast.io #J-18808-Ljbffr FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES OF SUNCOAST LLC