Foster Care Licensing Specialist- Benton Harbor Area

D.A. Blodgett - St. John’s provides a continuum of care with comprehensive services, including counseling, foster care, adoption, mentoring, and residential care. These programs are built on the core belief, backed by research, that as long as children can be safe, they do best when they are with their families. The agency primarily serves children, youth, and families in the greater Grand Rapids area, with some programming throughout the State of Michigan.

About the role

The Adoption Program focuses on placing children with special needs—such as older children, large sibling groups, and children with emotional, physical, and mental impairments—into adoptive homes. The Adoption Specialist recruits adoptive families, assesses both children and families, carefully screens applicants, matches children with families, prepares them for placement, facilitates training, and provides ongoing support to ensure success.

Responsibilities

• Assess, prepare, and place children from foster care into adoptive homes.
• Recruit, screen, assess, educate/train, and support adoptive families.
• Supervise children in their adoptive placement to ensure they are adjusting; make referrals as needed.
• Organize, facilitate, and monitor services to meet annual adoption objectives (e.g., placements and finalizations in a timely manner).
• Coordinate community resources (e.g., counseling, special education, DHHS) for adoptive children and families.
• Complete all necessary agency, DHHS, Adoption Assistance, and legal paperwork on time.
• Develop and implement adoption plans to help children achieve permanency promptly.
• Assist with support group activities.
• Participate in required case-related activities such as court hearings and meetings.
• Attend general staff and departmental meetings; cooperate with other departments and complete paperwork (e.g., mileage, PTO requests, calendar updates) in a timely manner.
• Accommodate personal schedule to clients’ availability and agency needs, including court hearings, home visits, group meetings, special events, and after-hours appointments.
• After training, manage a caseload of 15 children and families.
• Complete a minimum number of annual training hours.
• Work cooperatively with agency staff and community partners (e.g., law firms, courts).
• Maintain accurate and current case records.
• Ensure services meet the highest standard of professional child welfare practice.
• May be assigned additional duties, such as public relations, recruitment, or special committees.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in social work or a related human services field.
• Comprehensive understanding of child development, especially as it relates to adoptive children from foster care.
• Knowledge of community resources.
• Strong conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to work in a team and coordinate case planning across departments.
• Valid driver’s license, good driving record, and reliable vehicle with adequate insurance.
• Sensitivity to clients’ socioeconomic backgrounds; ability to build meaningful relationships across cultures.
• Competence in computer use and keyboarding.
• Good moral character with no criminal record.
• Commitment to the agency’s mission, philosophy, and values; familiarity with and adherence to the code of ethics.

Skills

• Working Under Pressure: Maintain composure in stressful situations.
• Planning and Organizing: Set priorities and allocate resources effectively.
• Detail Orientation: Focus on accuracy and completeness.
• Customer Service: Serve others by listening, responding to questions, and evaluating satisfaction.
• Motivation: Inspire and encourage others to reach goals; maintain high productivity and self-direction.
• Integrity: Adhere to policies, act fairly, and maintain confidentiality.
• Reliability: Be dependable, trustworthy, and committed to timely, high-quality work.
• Communication: Effectively express and receive ideas in writing and verbally; communicate with diverse groups.
• Adaptability: Adjust to changing work environments, priorities, or organizational needs.
• Problem Solving: Identify courses of action, gather information, and apply contingency plans.
• Decision Making: Select and commit to effective solutions by understanding issues and comparing options.
• Technical Skills: Use technical knowledge to execute work and deliver high-quality results.
• Accountability: Accept responsibility for one’s actions.
• Teamwork: Share and receive information to support team goals.

Physical/Environmental Requirements

Average daily time spent on activities:

• 5+ hours: Work in a stationary position, communicate with various parties, visual acuity, read and understand written word, operate computer and office machines.
• 2 to 5 hours: Move about work area, use hands/fingers to handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, ascend/descend (stairs/ladder), bend/stooop/kneel/crouch, drive/travel.
• Less than 2 hours: Move containers up to 20 pounds.
• None: Detect flavors or smells, operate machines or material handling equipment.

Average daily environmental conditions:

• 5+ hours: Office environment (no exposure to extreme heat, cold, noise, chemicals, or hazardous equipment).
• Less than 2 hours: Manufacturing environment (exposure to dust, oil, chemicals, solvents, or fumes), medical environment (exposure to body fluids, radiation, medical equipment, solvents, or chemicals).
• None: Noise (constant or intermittent extreme sounds), temperature (extreme heat or cold indoors/outdoors).

Pay

Beginning full-time salary range: $40,000–$41,733, negotiable with experience. Positions available as full-time, part-time, hourly, salaried, or exempt.