Permanency Specialist

Permanency Specialist

The Permanency Specialist serves as the primary case leader responsible for guiding each child and family through the permanency journey. They coordinate, oversee, and deliver all services and supports necessary to ensure safety, stability, and timely progress toward permanency (reunification, adoption, relative, etc). As the central point of accountability on the case, the Permanency Specialist drives the planning, decision-making, and collaborative efforts required to move the case forward—removing barriers, engaging all stakeholders, and ensuring the child's permanency plan is achieved in the most effective and timely manner possible.

Responsibilities include:

• Serving as the primary case manager responsible for assessment, case planning, service coordination, and permanency outcomes for assigned children and families.
• Completing initial and ongoing assessments of children, families, and collateral contacts to identify strengths, needs, risks, and service requirements.
• Developing, implementing, and monitoring case plans and permanency goals, recommending reunification, adoption, termination of parental rights, or other permanency options as appropriate.
• Preparing children and families for placement changes, reunification, adoption, or other permanency outcomes.
• Researching, evaluating, and recommending relative or kinship placements and supporting foster and kinship caregivers to maintain stable placements.
• Completing adoption-related documentation and activities when adoption is the approved permanency goal.
• Conducting timely contact with children and families and facilitating family meetings to support engagement and case progress.
• Identifying, coordinating, and monitoring services and supports for children and families, including behavioral health, substance use treatment, respite care, visitation, and community resources.
• Assisting families in developing and strengthening family, kinship, and community support networks.
• Providing crisis intervention and support to children and families as needed.
• Collaborating with and providing case guidance to assigned Family Support Workers.
• Preparing court reports, participating in court proceedings, including testimony, and ensuring compliance with court orders and legal requirements.
• Working effectively with the court system and other stakeholders to support permanency and child safety outcomes.
• Maintaining accurate, complete, and timely case documentation in accordance with agency, contractual, licensing, and regulatory requirements.
• Participating in supervision, team meetings, and interdisciplinary staffing to communicate case progress, barriers, and recommendations.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Supervising and transporting children and families as needed.
• Participating in an on-call rotation, remaining available outside regular work hours to respond to urgent situations.
• Responding promptly to calls and notifications, assessing issues, and resolving or escalating concerns as appropriate.
• Traveling as needed to address emergent situations and documenting all on-call activities, actions taken, and outcomes.
• Reporting critical incidents to DFPS according to policy.
• Implementing Saint Francis Ministries policies and following directives as required. Following and adhering to all pertinent Saint Francis Ministries Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's), rules, employee policies and procedures; related accreditation and licensure standards; and federal, state, and local rules, statutes, regulations, and contractual terms.
• Being knowledgeable of and following all safety procedures.
• Reporting unusual incidents through appropriate risk management, clinical, and safety channels.
• Ensuring clients' rights are protected.

Qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work or a Human Service field from an accredited college or university.
• Prefer two years' experience working with children and families.
• Must be 21 years of age.
• Must pass a drug screen, MVR, KBI, Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry Clearance check and an Adult Registry Check.
• FBI fingerprint check.
• Lifting Requirements of 50 lbs.
• Must have valid driver's license, acceptable driving record, and reliable transportation.