Job Summary

The Recruiter/Home Developer is responsible for coordinating Pathways’ home verification process including, but not limited to, the recruiting, initial screening, training, assessing, and recommendation of families for verification.

Essential Duties:

Training:

• Facilitates initial orientation and ongoing training to prospective and licensed families/support providers and staff via in person, in home, online, and Audio/Visual applications.
• Provides recommendations as to the abilities, skill-level, and appropriateness of families that have completed applications, cleared background checks, and attended training.

Home Development:

Recruitment:

• Arranges and/or participates in various recruitment activities for foster-adopt-kinship parents/support providers on a monthly basis.
• Participates in joint recruitment area events and activities with other supporting agencies.
• Facilitates initial orientations and informational meetings as needed.

Inquiries/Applicants:

• Responds to inquiries within 48 hours, maintain list, and discharge inquires after three months of no activity.
• Provides application materials and assistance to prospective foster parents (via phone, email, and Family Website, or in-person).
• Screens applications within two business days of receipt.
• Complete initial walkthrough of the home.
• Tracks onboarding progress to ensure efficiency, productivity, and compliance, to include due dates, training compliance, background checks, inspections, etc. prior to verification.
• Ensures that all initial background checks are processed within two business days of release receipt.
• Ensures all inquiry/applicant lists are maintained and accurate.
• Participate in staffing, court, and other meetings regarding onboarding homes.
• Uploads/completes all documentation within three business days of receipt.
• Conduct final walk-through of the home, and assess readiness for home study process.
• Ensure all pre-verification documentation and requirements are upload/completed.
• Coordinate with Program Director/Coordinator to review home study for verification.

Home Study and Verification:

• Coordinates initial home visits and home studies with contracted Home Study Writers.
• Ensures the Home Study process is conducted in a timely manner (within seven days).
• Ensures that all pre-verification documentation is completed and uploaded prior to verifying home.
• Attends staff meetings to provide updates on applicants/verifications.
• Recommends families for verification and documents this process through CLASS and in Extended Reach.
• Provides assistance and support to potential foster families so that they remain in compliance with DFPS.
• Minimum Standards and Pathways’ policies and procedures.
• Prompts applicants and licensed foster/adopt parents to attend/receive all required trainings.

Supervisor:                            Program Director or Director of Family Development.

Supervises:                           Home Development tasks of other staff members with Program Manager.

Work Environment:              Primarily community based position with a portion of office-based activities.

Work Hours:                          Flexible.

Classification:                       Non-exempt.

Education & Experience

Educational Qualifications – A High School Diploma or at least three years full time experience in child placing agency. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and nine credit hours in undergraduate level courses that focus on family and individual function and interaction preferred. Professional Qualifications – At least two years of documented full-time experience in a child-placing agency.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Thorough working knowledge of needs of children placed in substitute care.
• Ability to support the agency's culture, growth, and success through communication, accountability, and positivity.
• Ability to be clear headed and decisive based on the scope of the position.
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively both individually and as part of a team.
• Ability to appropriately accept feedback through the supervision process - thus displaying the willingness to learn, grow, and improve.
• Ability to effectively communicate with Pathways’ staff, foster-adopt parents, caregivers, support providers, external agencies, and professional service providers via phone, in person, and through written correspondence.
• Competent in using Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Go To Meeting, the Internet, and other software applications.
• Organizational skills.
• Effective Supervisory Skills.
• Ability to effectively present information and training to others.

Additional Requirements

• Proof of valid Texas Driver's License (Type C) and at least three years of driving experience.
• Access to reliable transportation.
• Proof of valid/current auto insurance.
• Cleared motor vehicle driving record.
• Three employment references.
• Cleared criminal background check and signed statement regarding felony indictments/convictions.
• Cleared TB test results (current within 12 months prior to employment).
• Cleared pre-employment drug test.
• Working cellular telephone.

Physical Demands

With or without reasonable accommodation, the physical and mental requirements of this job may include the following: seeing, hearing, speaking, and writing clearly. Occasional reaching with hands and arms, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, frequent sitting, standing and walking, may be required for long periods of time and may involve climbing stairs, walking up inclines, and on uneven terrain. Additional physical requirements may include, frequent lifting and or moving up to 25 pounds. Ability to remain calm in stressful situations.