Permanency Recruiter

Who is Youth Villages?

Youth Villages is a nonprofit organization striving to help troubled youth and families live successfully. We are a team of 4500 individuals who’ve come together across 27 states to change the landscape of child welfare and juvenile justice across the country. Our work involves providing an array of counseling and treatment services to 43000 youth annually with severe emotional and behavioral problems.

Eighty-four percent of those who go through treatment are succeeding two years after leaving our program. These youth are living at home, remaining in school, and are not experiencing trouble with the law.

*This position accepts candidates in any of our East TN locations*

Position Summary

The Permanency Recruiter connects youth in foster care and residential treatment settings who have no identified permanency options with adoptive families through intensive, child-focused recruitment efforts. Using evidence-based practices, the recruiter identifies, engages, and supports permanent connections for children who may have special needs, behavioral and mental health concerns, older youth, sibling groups, or those at risk of aging out of care without legal permanency. The caseload consists of approximately 15 youths in active recruitment status.

How will I make a difference?

• Work in partnership with agency staff to identify and accept appropriate referrals of youth in states custody who have no known adoptive resources and meet eligibility criteria.
• Conduct in-depth file reviews and interviews with youth, caseworkers, family members, and other significant individuals in the youth's life.
• Develop and implement individualized, child-specific recruitment plans informed by case history, youth preferences, and professional recommendations.
• Conduct monthly face-to-face visits with each youth to assess and support adoption readiness and permanency planning.
• Utilize tools including internet searches, genograms, and historical documentation to identify past and potential connections.
• Create written assessments of adoption readiness and progress.
• Collaborate with caseworkers and other professionals to coordinate recruitment and permanency activities monthly.
• Communicate with the caseworker monthly to review the progress of the recruitment plan.
• Effectively provide case management and customer relations. Will need to coordinate and organize their own work schedule and vary appointments to fit the needs and schedules of involved parties (including meeting times after normal ‘business hours’) Once matched, assist with pre-placement planning and support, including coordination of visits and safety planning.
• Assist with developing and implementing a transition plan. Includes but not limited to following up/connecting the family to mental health treatment, community resources, education support, providing psychoeducation on the youth’s specific needs, developing support network, safety planning etc.
• Advocate for the youth’s best interest, including overcoming resistance to permanency within systems or support networks.
• Participate in and facilitate team meetings, case conferences, and permanency planning reviews.
• Work in conjunction with the caseworker and other involved professionals to ensure that the adoptive family is working towards adoption finalization.
• Maintain accurate documentation of recruitment activities, youth engagement, and family matching in accordance with agency and program standards.
• Submit required data and documentation to relevant systems according to set quality and timely standards.
• Attend all required trainings and conferences, including Wendy’s Wonderful Kids and agency professional development sessions.

Additional Information

Schedule is flexible and non-traditional; based around the availability of youth and families served.
Applicants must have a valid driver’s license, a personal vehicle to use for work purposes and auto insurance.
Community Based staff will be reimbursed for applicable mileage.

As needed travel to Knoxville for trainings is required.

*Contract pending designation*

How can I be considered for the position?

You can be considered for this position if you meet the following qualifications:

• Master's degree in Social Work, Drug and Alcohol Education or Counseling, Counseling, Psychology, Criminal Justice, Guidance Counseling, Human Services, Marriage and Family Therapy; or a Bachelor’s degree in a behavioral science that includes 30 semester or 45 quarter hours in human development, human behavior, child development, family intervention technique, diagnostic measures or therapeutic techniques will be considered. 
• Minimum of two years post-degree experience in child welfare or adoption services is preferred
• Minimum of 6 months experience at Youth Villages
• Experience with youth in state’s custody and knowledge of permanency planning process preferred
• Computer proficiency with case management software and Microsoft Office Suite
• Willingness/desire to maintain an untraditional schedule
• Strong writing skills and experience with electronic documentation
• Acceptable driving record - Three or fewer moving violations within the past 36 months

How will you invest in me?

One of our core values is that we are committed to our staff. We will help you take your career with us wherever you want it to go.

Benefits

Affordable access to medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance plans

Tuition Reimbursement and Licensure Supervision
Priority consideration for leadership openings throughout the organization
Mileage and cell phone reimbursement
401(k) and
Paid time off: Two weeks for vacation

11 paid holidays

12 sick days annually

Paid Parental Leave
Supportive leadership and coworkers

Youth Villages is an equal opportunity employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Youth Villages is committed to not only advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace but also in our work with children and young adults. We know that children, families and young people of color can face inequity in child welfare and justice systems, and we train our employees to build the skills they need to work with the communities that we serve, as well as, other employees from different cultures and backgrounds. Youth Villages is opposed to racism in any of its forms and is committed to inclusion, equity, and diversity. We believe that respect for each other is crucial in the work that we do each day.