ADOPTION SOCIAL WORKER

The ASW works under the general direction of the Director of Adoptions.

MISSION OUTCOMES RELATED TO THIS POSITION

All Idaho Youth Ranch positions are established to accomplish its mission, “providing troubled children and families a bridge to a valued, responsible and productive future.” The work performed and directed by the Adoption Social Worker is carried out to achieve the following goals:

• The agency’s adoptions and foster care services are utilized to the maximum potential;
• Adoptions and foster care services are delivered in a manner consistent with agency Mission and Values

FUNDAMENTAL QUALITIES (The Essence of the Job)

1. Underlying Principles. This area relates to and identifies the key personal internal characteristics, qualities, and traits the ASW must have and fully utilize to help youth achieve their service plan goals.
   1. Ability to Relate. The ASW possesses a caring and accepting attitude. He has patience. He enjoys being around and relating to youth and families, even when they are experiencing conflict. The RS shows genuine interest in youth and families, their lives, views and ideas, while maintaining his professional boundaries. He can view their short comings in its appropriate context and see their potential. He can teach families to respond to a youth’s misbehavior with calmness and constructive action. The RS understands that the care and concern he gives to youth and their families may not always be appreciated, but is given nonetheless.
   2. Personal Qualities. The ASW is optimistic in outlook and resourceful in meeting challenges. Her personal values are aligned with the IYR agency values. She willingly abides by the agency ethics policy and the Code of Ethics for IYR Programs Employees. She possesses good insight into the motivational needs of others.
   3. Organizational Orientation. The ASW abides by and actively supports the IYR mission, policies and practices. He understands that his work is part of a larger helping system that includes other IYR programs and placing entities. He understands that the IYR wants youth and families to experience long term success rather than just short time progress while in services and he approaches his work in that way.
2. Exercise Judgment. This domain relates to the way the ASW uses their mental abilities to carry out their duties and responsibilities. ASW’s work in a dynamic environment that requires critical thinking, sound judgment and strategic planning.
   1. Know and Understand. The ASW continually increases her knowledge of the agency, larger system of care and the community through training and study. She develops her knowledge of the program’s treatment practices and interventions and understands how they are applied to help youth achieve their service plan goals.
   2. Observe. The ASW is constantly aware of what is happening in their work environment His awareness and observation skills give him the ability to be proactive
   3. Learn. The ASW aspires to learn and grow both personally and professionally. She seeks out learning experiences. She effectively applies what she has learned through study and on the job experience.
   4. Organize. The ASW works with other involved parties to ensure coordination and a high level of accurate communication. He approaches each task after first thinking about how it should be organized to best achieve the desired result.
3. Purposeful Action. This domain relates to how ASW’s act in carrying out their work duties and responsibilities.
   1. Team. The ASW is an effective treatment team member and strives to help others understand the importance of team unity. She understands the importance of team members feeling safe in sharing their views and questions. She holds herself and other treatment team members accountable for their individual and team assignments. She supports treatment team decisions and activities in ways that reinforce effective program practices.
   2. Accountability. The ASW takes responsibility for his own actions, and when necessary, addresses issues of accountability with team members, other employees, youth and families. He provides constructive feedback to treatment team members, program and agency leaders. He uses mistakes as way to promote learning and behavioral change.
4. Engage. This job domain relates to the level of active involvement the ASW must maintain to be an effective resource. The ASW stays engaged with youth, families and treatment team members throughout their work day. She participates rather than watching from the sidelines. She helps youth and families stay on task, provides direction, and support as needed and appropriate.
5. Model. The ASW “walks the talk,” by living and working in a manner consistent with agency values, policies and program practices. He demonstrates a positive outlook, appropriate use of humor, patience, energy, perseverance, adaptability, punctuality, attention to detail, creativity, and the value of a healthy lifestyle. He keeps his emotions under control (or at least appears to) at all times. He demonstrates effective conflict resolution, problem solving, and strength-based methods that are consistent with the agency’s treatment approach. He demonstrates authority figures can be objective, helpful and trusted.
6. Communicate. The ASW strives for clear, objective, constructive communications in all interactions. Her written work products are accurate, complete, and timely. She progressively improves her verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills. She is an active listener. She is able and willing to confront individuals and situations constructively, with care and an eye on the larger purpose (the end in mind). She keeps other treatment team members informed and in the loop.
7. Teach. The ASW shares his knowledge and experience with youth and families in appropriate ways. He uses the “teachable moment” to address patterns of negative behavior and offer positive behaviors to replace them. He imparts to youth and families social, problem solving, and conflict resolution, skills. He creates opportunities to learn empathy. He expects youth and families to do their best and enthusiastically acknowledges their accomplishments.
8. Manage. The ASW helps youth with the management of their daily tasks and assignments. She helps her Treatment team members manage their duties and responsibilities.
9. “Whatever It Takes”. The ASW does not recognize the words, “That’s not my job.” He is committed to the success of the agency, their program, and the youth and families in their charge. He willingly applies his skills and energy to any task that needs to be done.

STANDARDS FOR ADOPTION SOCIAL WORKER TASKS

TASK I. Provides services to infants/children available for adoptive placement.

1. Follow-up in hospital when the child is born.
2. Take the infant from the hospital to the pre-adoptive home or foster home.
3. Follow-up weekly on child as to progress.
4. Official placement of child with adoptive family.
5. Refer to state agency if the child presents special needs (such as severe physical problems, premature requiring lengthy hospitalization, obvious mental problems such as Down's Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, etc.).
6. Accept responsibility and pursue agency guardianship of each child accepted to program.

TASK II.Provides services to teenagers/women.

1. Provide information about adoption and about resources available if teenagers/women wants to keep her child.
2. Counsel on a weekly or twice weekly basis regarding pregnancy, releasing the baby, the adoption process and referral to psychiatric/psychological counseling if indicated.
3. Present opportunity for the pregnant teenagers/women to meet some adoptive parents, not interested in future adoption of more children and discuss with them what adoption is like for them and what adoptive children are told about their birthparents. Present opportunity for pregnant clients to talk with some adults who were adopted as children, and with other birthparents.
4. Discuss the natural father with the client and make contact with him. Explain and discuss his plans regarding the pregnancy.
5. Discuss with biological parents the type of home they desire for their child. Offer letters written by approved prospective adoptive parents to the biological parents from which they can select a home for their child.
6. When client goes to hospital to deliver, visit client and baby in hospital. Determine if plans are still to release infant.
7. If client plans to release infant, counsel with her through seeing baby, saying goodbye to baby, and grieving period.
8. Check on child’s progress in nursery.
9. Arrange financial circumstances with hospital.
10. Infant released from hospital to licensed agency and placed either directly with pre-adopt family or a temporary foster home if the birth mother needs more time to make decision.
11. Arrange with attorney for legal terminations of both parents rights. Prepare court documents.
12. Take birth parents through termination process including court appearance and signing consent.
13. Infant officially pre-adoptively placed with adoptive family.
14. Follow-up contact with birth parents, including evaluation of services provided, and suggestions for improvement.
15. Supervise adoptive placement for 6 months.
16. Report to court advisability and consent of authorized agency of finalization of adoption.
17. Store records in locked file.

TASK III.Provides services to prospective adoptive parents.

1. Take inquiry, give information, and answer questions about the program and fees.
2. Initially screen applicants according to agency requirements.
3. Present an adoption orientation session for all applicants to attend, reading materials provided.
4. Perform series of 4 interviews (more if necessary) with husband, wife, and family to determine qualifications for adoption per agency requirements, motivation for adoption, education about adoption and birthparents, and type of child the family is looking for.
5. Prepare a written home evaluation.
6. Maintain contact and provide pre-adoption training (optional).
7. Placement of child with a family.
8. Supervise period to ease family adjustment, minimum of 6 months.
9. Prepare court report and consent for family to finalize adoption.
10. Follow up services if family needs some counseling related to adoption or needs referral to appropriate community resource.

TASK IV.Provides services to families wanting to adopt from other agencies or direct adoptions from foreign countries.

1. Cooperate with other agency regarding requirements, adoption process, and fees.
2. Prepare home study after interviewing process—same as agency home evaluation process.
3. Prepare written home evaluation.
4. Mail evaluation to agency requested.
5. Present child information to family and assist in getting Visa approved for child to enter country (if foreign adoption).
6. Supervise placement if requested by placing agency.
7. Court report when adoption is finalized.

TASK V. Services to the Dept. of Health & Welfare and Court.

1. Health & Welfare and court refers court-required investigations to authorized agency in independent and stepparent adoptions.
2. Referral received and contact with petitioner’s attorney made regarding particulars of the cases, agency requirements and fees.
3. Set appointment with petitioners; collection of fee prior to home visit.
4. Investigate petitioners and defendants.
5. Write report and recommendation of agency to court.

1. Personal contact with local physicians and attorneys regarding the program.
2. Public awareness through newspaper notices, speeches to civic groups, schools, and special interest groups.
3. Representative of agency to local adoption support groups "Forever Families" and local infertility support group "Resolve", and "Parents & Children Together (PACT).
4. Prepare a leaflet defining services offered for distribution to doctors, lawyers, public offices, schools, family planning organizations, Birthright, etc.

OPERATIONS TASKS

1. Human Resources. The ASW abides by all agency personnel policies and procedures. She takes responsibility to ensure her own personnel record contains the information required by licensing, contracting and accreditation standards. She confronts all discrimination and harassment in the work place by reporting all incidents in accordance with agency policy. She completes and maintains required training, certifications and skills courses.
2. Financial Management. The ASW abides by all agency and program fiscal policies and procedures. She optimizes reintegration resources.
3. Employee/client safety. The ASW conducts all of his duties and responsibilities in a safe manner. He actively promotes a safe work environment by confronting any unsafe behavior he observes. He reports unsafe work conditions/equipment to his supervisor. He abides by all agency safety policies and practices. He reports all accidents and injuries to his supervisor in accordance with agency policy.
4. Risk Management. The ASW is continually aware of risks in her work environment, especially as they relate to youth behavior. She remains constantly aware of youth who are experiencing psychological crisis, have suicidal ideation, or are psychologically fragile. She takes the appropriate steps to reduce or eliminate those risks through careful assessment, planning for appropriate levels of treatment, supervision and structure, and seeks direction from program clinicians as necessary.
5. Quality Assurance & Improvement. The ASW views quality assurance and improvement as an every day opportunity. She constantly looks for ways to improve her own performance and her team’s performance. She actively participates in the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) meetings. She carries out CQI strategies, tasks, and assignments directed by her team, program and the agency.

GENERAL INFORMATON

Work Schedule. The P/T ASW work schedules are primarily built around the time of day when youth and families are available. The ASW may work flexible hours, including weekend and holidays. He is available to respond to individual and family crisis situations. The ASW may have on-call responsibilities. The Director will do her best to maintain the work schedule she gives the ASW when he is hired, but the she cannot guarantee an employee’s schedule won’t change.

The ASW may be required to attend an occasional organizational meeting or training sessions that requires overnight travel and that may last for several days.

MINIMUM POSITION QUALIFICATIONS- P/T ADOPTION SOCIAL WORKER

1. Education & Knowledge B. A. in social work or related field and licensure by the State of Idaho as a Social Worker required.
2. Experience and Skills. A minimum of one year in a similar or related position.
3. Driver’s License. Must have a valid Idaho’s driver’s license or obtain one within 15 days of hire, as a condition of continued employment.
4. Physical Condition. Must be in good health as certified by a physician within 30 days of hire. Must have the physical ability to perform essential job duties and responsibilities.
5. Other. Must be at least 25 years of age. Does not have a criminal record, or obtains a criminal history clearance via Idaho Department of Health and Welfare licensing rules and IYR criminal history policies and procedures.

INSTRUCTIONS

Fax letter of interest, resume, salary requirements and three professional references to Donna Euler, at 208-664-6251, or e-mail deuler@youthranch.org. The Idaho Youth Ranch is an Equal Opportunity Employer.