Adoption Director

DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Holt International carries out child welfare, family preservation, and family strengthening programs and domestic and intercountry adoption in over 15 countries throughout the world. The Programs and Services Department serves more than 1,000,000 children, family members, and other individuals with family strengthening services, orphan care, and adoption services. There are approximately 110 children placed with international adoptive families each year. Managed by U.S. and in-country staff, these programs and services are carried out in close cooperation with partner agencies, orphanages, and other child service providers, government child welfare agencies, local and regional officials, funding agencies, and others. The program continuously evaluates opportunities to expand or deepen program services in these countries while maintaining high standards of quality and transparency for sustainable development and child welfare impact.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Adoption Director works to ensure successful home finding and provides clinical support for adoptive families throughout the adoption process. This includes assessing children (both in person and through child material that has been submitted from overseas), reviewing this information to assess for successful adoptive placement, and coordinating with various staff at Holt. Conducts clinical assessment of prospective adoptive families, provides parent preparation, and assists families with adjustment issues. This support will primarily be via phone, video conference, and email. The Adoption Director will continually assess Holt’s parent preparation program and develop and implement changes in coordination with the team and Supervisor.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

1. Identifies qualified and prepared adoptive families for waiting children by reviewing the child’s medical and social history to determine the profile of the type of family needed to ensure successful placement. Conducts assessments of families considering adoption of a waiting child and provides ongoing education and support as needed via Child Specific Questionnaire, Child Rating Tool, and Child Specific Preparation Tool to families to help prepare them for a successful adoptive placement. Attend team meetings to provide a clinical perspective and consultation on potential child referral matches.

2. Completes home study reviews by utilizing the state and country program home study checklist. Coordinates with Home Study Coordinator, branch staff, program staff, and cooperating agencies. Ensures psychological evaluations meet country-specific requirements and home study reflects consistent information.

3. Completes child specific preparation and education. Meet with families on a consistent basis to plan and review the family’s identified local resources and professional providers to meet the child’s unique needs. Continue ongoing education and preparation on topics specific to the family and their adoption. Proactively supports assigned families pre-and post-placement.

4. Participates in collaborative conference calls with overseas partners when asked to ensure continuity of care for children post placement. Support families and overseas partners while the family is in the country for the placement of their child.

5. Assists in coordinating, planning, and facilitating ongoing support groups for families matched with a child and preparing for travel.

6. Assists with assessing and monitoring parent education curriculum, program, and processes by ensuring adequate preparation of families to meet the child’s needs. Continuously reviews education and preparation to ensure families are prepared to meet the needs of the current child profile. Promotes ongoing education and preparation pre-adoption and encourages participation in continuing education through Holt’s Post Adoption Services program options.

7. Provides clinical support to families in cooperation with the supervisor. Able to respond to the family within 24 hours of receiving the referral. The clinical support will include suggesting interventions, connecting families with resources both local and online, including “mentor families,” and if the need warrants it, referral to adoption competent therapists in their area.

8. Offers availability for crisis situations where families need additional support, including travel in country and post placement.

9. Identifies and ensures adoption eligibility of waiting children by coordinating with overseas partners to assess waiting children living in institutions, reviewing child information, and approving the release of older children.

10. Ensures quality social work practice and adherence to social work principles by ensuring Holt coaching and education services adhere to best practice principles and utilize the most current research and educational tools to guide and support families.

11. Maintains knowledge on issues relating to adoption, including trauma, attachment, grief and loss, identity, behavior challenges, neurodevelopmental problems, sensory integration, eating and sleeping challenges, sibling adjustment, parenting, and other issues as needed. Knowledge may be enhanced by attending relevant training and conferences and developing a familiarity with online resources relevant to pre- and post-adoption coaching and education services.

12. Maintains knowledge and understanding of each country’s and international partner organization’s adoption policies/processes by maintaining regular contact through email, letters, reading materials, meetings, and consulting regularly with the country program team in Eugene, and traveling to the country to visit partner organization and children referred for adoption as may be relevant.

13. Contributes to team effort by working cooperatively with the Adoption team members and other Departments at Holt. Responds positively to challenges, assignments, inter- and intra-departmental requests; sees beyond own tasks to help fulfill the organizational goals.

15. Demonstrates adaptability in a changing environment by taking on new projects as assigned.

SUCCESS FACTORS: The successful Adoption Director is self-directed and has the ability to build rapport with adoptive families and a variety of staff and professionals. Is a critical thinker who possesses strong assessment skills and a depth of experience in providing interventions and treatment to children with severe behavior challenges and their families. She/he demonstrates flexibility and excellent time management by responding to families in crisis within 24 hours and submitting electronic process notes by the following day. Enjoys learning and is open to continuing specialized training and staying current with pertinent research.

KNOWLEDGE: Master’s level Clinician, LCSW or equivalent preferred, plus minimum five years of post-graduate clinical experience providing services to children and their families. Thorough understanding and application of ethical clinical service to parents on behalf of their children. Adoption experience and/or training in TBRI are advantageous. This position requires 15 continuing education hours per year on adoption issues. Note: Required to complete and record with HR a minimum of 30 hours of training every two years on emerging adoption practices.

INFORMATION PROCESSING: Ability to understand the issues presented by families, assess their level of stress, and determine what interventions would be most effective with their learning style, willingness, and ability to learn and retain working knowledge of new models. She/he leverages current technology to support performance and efficiency in accomplishing assigned responsibilities.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY: Ability to work independently, respond to families within one business day, know when to seek supervision, and keep apprised of new interventions in attachment and trauma.

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: Ability to work with a wide variety of individuals, families, Holt staff, and outside agency staff. Ability to support other clinicians by providing constructive feedback.

IMPACT OF RESULTS: Maximizes the success of older child placements by providing necessary clinical support to Holt families.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: None

DESCRIBE CONTROLS: Reports to Senior Director of Social Service