Caregiver/ Foster Care

Wisconsin Community Services
Treatment Foster Care (TFC) Licensing Specialist
Full-time
Shifts: 8am-4pm or 9am-5pm
Job Summary The Treatment Foster Care (TFC) Licensing Specialist is responsible for licensing foster parents in accordance with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) statute 56. This role includes training, licensing, and recruitment of foster parents for WCS. In addition to the licensing component, the TFC Licensing Specialist can and may assist with aspects of foster care placements, including the coordination of care for children/youth, the families, and WCS treatment foster parents. WCS’ TFC program provides services in collaboration with the Division of Milwaukee Child Welfare. This includes utilization of person-centered, strength-based, trauma-informed, and culturally intelligent care to provide intensive and individualized care for children/youth and their families to achieve stability, safety, and permanency.

Support recruitment of new treatment foster homes by doing community outreach and attending recruitment events in the community.

• License and train Level 3 and Level 4 Treatment Foster Care homes in accordance with DCF 56. This includes completing all licensing paperwork by due dates, including but not limited to the background check process, the SAFE Home Study, gathering of SAFE references, Home Floor Plan, Disaster/Emergency Plan, Verification of Automobile/Home insurance, Pet Vaccinations, Medical Examination documentation, and/or other items required by the DCF 56 statute.
• Facilitate all state-required Nurturing Connections training modules for all foster parents prior to them taking a child/youth into their home for placement.
• Ensure foster parents are participating in all required training hours, and track these hours for each home. This includes providing and/or arranging individualized foster parent training to meet unique and child specific needs.
• Regularly review and maintain foster parent files (both electronic and hard paper files), ensuring that all DCF 56 requirements are met.
• Facilitate aspects of foster care placements when additional coverage is needed to meet the needs of youth placed in WCS foster homes. This includes but is not limited to regular (at least twice monthly) visits with the child(ren), assessing treatment needs and completing treatment plans, assisting in problem-solving efforts and treatment issues affecting the placement of the child(ren), participating in team meetings, and communicating with the foster parents.
• Assist with review and maintenance of child files when necessary.
• Provide coverage to youth placed in foster homes and foster parents when other TFC Specialists are out of the office.
• Provide crisis intervention support services to foster parents when needed, which includes being available by cell phone 24 hours per day.
• Keep referring agencies within Division of Milwaukee Child Welfare informed of all emergencies or critical incidents, which also includes the completion of DCF’s Critical Incident Form.
• Attend and participate in staff meetings and weekly supervision.
• Assists as needed with gathering information for monthly reports, data collection, and other agency/contract requirements.

Must possess a Bachelors degree in a relevant area of human services. A Masters degree in Social Work is preferred.

• Minimum of two years of experience providing services to children and families.
• o General knowledge of behavioral health resources for children in Milwaukee County.

o Upon hire, follow through with completion of TFC orientation training requirements (DCF 56 and DCF 54 trainings, SAFE Home Study training, Nurturing Connections training of the trainer, Prudent Parenting, and other appointed training courses).
o Ability to serve people during crisis situations.

Communication – ability to provide information effectively with a diverse population - the persons we serve, supervisor, colleagues, and program partners in writing and oral communications.

• Email (Microsoft Outlook), Internet, Microsoft Word, AWARDS.
• Managing Priorities/Deadlines – Ability to maintain schedules, meet deadlines and manage multiple projects.
• Multicultural Sensitivity – The role involves working in the community and interacting directly with diverse populations, including peers, partners, and service providers. Work is performed in an office and community environment. Travel is required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Work is performed in an office and community environment. Work is performed in the community including going into homes, Milwaukee County Children’s Court, schools, and other locations. Travel is required. A flexible work schedule is required to meet the needs of the people being served.
Wisconsin Community Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.