About This Role
The Caseworker plays a crucial role within the Indian Child Welfare Department of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, focusing on recruiting and approving foster and adoptive Tribal homes for children in need of out-of-home placement. This position requires a dedicated individual who can work under pressure and maintain composure while supporting families and ensuring the safety of children.
Responsibilities
- Visit interested homes and complete home studies on prospective foster and adoptive Tribal homes.
- Work independently with and counsel families in the formation and implementation of service plans to reduce child abuse or neglect within the family.
- Participate in planning and evaluating child abuse and neglect programs, foster care, and adoption.
- Provide written reports and make recommendations regarding removal, visitations, reunification, etc. to the court.
- Supervise visits as ordered by the Tribal Nation District Court.
- Complete DHS paperwork to show change of custody when cases are transferred to Tribal court.
- Maintain confidential records and stay compliant with IVE regulations to receive foster care subsidy payments.
- Visit children in tribal custody on at least a monthly basis and document each visit, as required by IV-E regulations.
- Be on call 24/7 and provide some services after hours and/or on weekends.
- Transport children to foster care placements, medical appointments, visitations, etc.
- Undertake a variety of miscellaneous duties as assigned by the supervisor or team leader.
- Provide case management to youth who have been placed in foster care.
- Facilitate treatment team meetings and participate in Assessment Team meetings and Family Partnership Meetings.
- Build trusting relationships with the children in their care, many of whom have been victims of abuse.
- Serve as a liaison between the child, their family, and their foster families.
- Outline the child’s foster care goals and monitor the child’s academic performance.
- Place children in permanent foster care homes or find permanent placement with an adoptive family.
- Assist in securing birth, death, marriage certificates and other required documentation to facilitate filing of the adoption.
- Intervene with the courts, pre-adoptive parents, adoption attorneys, ACS subsidy unit, or any other entity that would unnecessarily delay or impede the finalization of an adoption.
- Conduct home studies for initially approved families according to agency expectations and procedures.
- Conduct home visits as part of helping the child’s birth parents achieve the requirements for reunification.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s or master’s Degree preferred in social work, psychology, sociology, or education.
