Description
Starting Salary: $52,000/year
Position Summary: The Diversion Specialist works collaboratively with the Department of Children and Families as a liaison and resource to Child Protective Investigators (CPI's) to ensure services are provided in a timely manner in accordance with agency operating procedures. This position receives Family Support referrals for safe but high and very high-risk families, assists with family engagement and initiates contact with the family. Family support services are short in duration and involve frequent interaction with a family. This position also provides community referrals, service authorizations and crisis intervention linkages to ensure family stabilization when indicated. This position develops and maintains strong working relationships with community agencies to successfully divert families from entering the child welfare system in a solution focused manner. The Diversion Specialist enters case activity into FSFN, has good working knowledge of community resources, offers consultation to CPI's, attends staffing's, and ensures all families referred are engaged and that additional action steps are taken on unengaged families to "close the loop". This position produces necessary reports in a culturally competent, flexible, and responsive service delivery system.
Technical/Functional Expectations:

1. Outreach, Family Engagement, and Intervention: This position provides outreach and family engagement of families referred for Family Support determined to be safe but at risk or very high risk that includes review and discussion of family situation and risk level, barriers, appropriate interventions, and options that would effectively lower the current risk.
2. Knowledge of Safety Decision Making Methodology: This position must possess strong knowledge of Safety Decision Making Methodology. This position receives Family Support referrals, assists with family engagement, and provides case consultation. This position engages in joint home visits with Child Protective Investigators when indicated.
3. Coordination of "Close the Loop" Staffing: For all families referred to Family Support determined to be safe but at high or very high risk who are unwilling to engage and participate, the Diversion Specialist will request and hold a "close the loop" staffing no later than 2 business days with all parties to discuss next steps.
4. Intake Management and Timely Service Referrals: The Diversion Specialist is responsible for managing the intake of referrals and coordination of staffing with Child Protective Investigators. This position tracks the status of referrals and initiates a secondary review and staffing when indicated for families determined to be at risk.
5. FSFN Documentation Case Activity: Maintains a case record for each family served and documents all case activity into FSFN. This position ensures that case documentation complies with all legal requirements and contains information necessary to provide services, complies with case record guidelines and best practice standards related to documentation of case elements.
6. Other duties as required: Performs other tasks to contribute to the team effort.

Behavioral Competencies:

1. Responsiveness: Able to take action to meet the needs of others; respond to solve problems; minimize delays or problems with little or no supervision.
2. Attention to Detail: Able to be thorough and complete when working with assembling, processing, or providing detailed information; track details even when under pressure.
3. Develop Relationships: Able to relate with others while building credibility and rapport; give personal support and reassurance; put others at ease; build cooperative relationships.
4. Deal with Ambiguity: Able to maintain composure and manage frequent job changes or unexpected disruptions; work with conflicting, delayed, or unclear information; remain effective when faced with change and uncertainty.
5. Adaptability: Able to adjust approach when dealing with arrogant or inflexible people; adapt to changes in situation, direction, or people; adjust to needs of others without losing self-esteem.
6. Customer Service: Able to anticipate and respond to customer's needs, concerns, or questions to meet or exceed their expectations; help evaluate needs and options; show care and concern to demonstrate customer importance and value.
7. Sensitivity: Work effectively with and show sensitivity to cultural differences and various socio-economic backgrounds of others.
8. Ethics: Adhere to and model principles and values of Agency and System of Care by being strength-based,solution-focused, maintains the highest level of integrity and ethical standards and collaborates with employees, partners, stakeholders, and clients in all interactions.

Business Experience:

1. 2 years of Child Welfare Experience: This position will function as a coordinator of services pending family needs as well as provide community linkages. Extensive knowledge of community resources is essential.
2. Child Protection Certified state of Florida: This position will be co located and work in conjunction with the Child Protective Investigators for children and families who are at risk for abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
3. Florida Statute Chapter 39 and Florida Administrative Code: This position requires extensive knowledge of Florida Statute Chapter 39 and Florida Administrative Code.
4. Superior verbal and written communication skills: Effective communication skills are essential to collaborate with multiple parties, drive to consensus and support the needs of children and families.
5. Valid Driver's License-Essential: This position requires a valid Driver's License to travel within the County and for external meetings.

Educational and Experience Requirements:
1. BA/BS - bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
2. MA/MS - Psychology, Social Work or Human Services preferred.
3. Minimum 2 years' related experience required.
4. 5 years' related experience preferred.
Physical Requirements:
1. Lifting 20 pounds
2. Carrying 20 pounds
3. 10 % Grasping
4. 25 % Reaching
5. 50 % Sitting
6. 25 % Standing
7. 10 % Stooping / Crouching
8. 5 % Bending
9. 30 % Reading
10. 10 % Speaking
11. 25 % Listening
12. 10 % Typing
13. 25 % Writing
Brevard Family Partnership and Brevard C.A.R.E.S. are Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. These employers also maintain Drug-Free Workplaces. Requests for Auxiliary Aids for Hearing Impaired or Limited English Proficiency Candidates may be made with a minimum of five (5) days notice to C Hernandez at (321) 752-4650.