Job Description

Title:  Social Worker, Adoptive Parent Services & Outreach 

Reports to: Senior Director, Adoption Services & Chief Program Officer

Department:  Adoption 

Primary Purpose

The Social Work role in the Adoption department requires the application of both clinical as well as administrative skills and holds responsibilities focused on the clinical assessment of a prospective adoptive parents' eligibility and suitability to adopt, post-adoption/post placement visits and reporting.  The ideal candidate has experience in child development, adoption and/or child welfare.  This role requires strong engagement and assessment skills and the ability to educate a diverse population of pre-adoptive parents.  The individual must be comfortable visiting families in their homes, driving and using mass transit within the area, and have flexibility when scheduling evening appointments.  This is a full-time position with an annual salary range of $55,000-65000 commensurate with experience.

Spence-Chapin is a non-profit organization based in New York City that has been providing adoption services and adoption support for more than 110 years.  Spence-Chapin is newly licensed in Arizona.  At Spence-Chapin, we believe that every child deserves a family, and we work tirelessly to advocate for children in need of a permanent, loving home.  Over our history, Spence-Chapin has served more than 25,000 children, women, and families through our main program areas: Comprehensive Domestic and International Adoption Programs; Birth Parent Services; Well-being Services; and International Humanitarian Aid through programs like our Granny Program to support children living in orphanages overseas.

Our work is made possible by the dedicated individuals on our staff.  At Spence-Chapin we find joy in celebrating each other, our co-workers, and our clients.  Everyone is treated with respect and dignity to strengthen the vibrancy of our community.  We celebrate a culture of excellence, inclusivity, compassion, flexibility, and support.  Spence-Chapin offers a competitive benefits package that includes full health benefits, generous PTO and holiday schedule, HRA & FSA plans, life insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, paid maternity/paternity/adoption leave, commuter benefits, and more.  Being part of the Spence-Chapin team is being part of a legacy, which for more than 110 years has provided critical services to children, women, and families around the world.

Key Performance Indicators

• Conduct home study assessments and write home study reports for families pursuing adoption.  This requires the application of clinical skills and judgment
• Conduct post-placement/post-adoption visits and reporting.  Ability to identify normative vs. atypical post-placement adjustment of child and family, and ability to teach families tools to promote optimal child development and attachment
• Document all client communication in database
• Perform any other department or agency-related duties or special projects as directed by supervisor, including but not limited to, outreach, client recruitment, conference attendance, presentations, workshops, support group facilitation, and trainings

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Social Work, with licensing in Arizona
• Relevant experience preferred (child welfare, adoption)
• Evening and weekend hours may be required, including travel and home visits
• Spanish speaking strongly preferred

Technical Skills

• MS Office - Proficiency in Word, Excel, Outlook and Adobe
• Comfort with other technology including social media, webinars and video chat

Key Competencies

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Comfortable in an external facing role, with experience in public speaking
• A self-starter with a go-getter attitude
• Highly organized with ability to prioritize multiple and simultaneous projects and tasks and set and meet deadlines
• High attention to detail
• Keen analytical skills
• Eagerness to learn about adoption and the adoption community
• Passion for Spence-Chapin's mission and eagerness to become well-versed in our work

This job description is not intended to detail every aspect of your job or list every task you may perform.  It is provided as a general overview of the responsibilities and skills required to do this job successfully.

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