This position will act as the Foster Care Ombudsman, advocating for the rights of foster children and foster parents, under the general direction of the Office of Inspector General. This position will be responsible for directing, managing and carrying out professional and administrative duties relative to implementation, coordination, and development of the Foster Care Ombudsman unit.
The Ombudsman will participate in any procedure to investigate and resolve complaints filed on behalf of a foster child or foster parent, relating to action, inaction or decisions of providers of managed care services, or the representatives of such providers, of public agencies, which may adversely affect the health, safety, welfare and rights of the foster child or foster parents.
The Ombudsman will monitor the development and implementation of the federal, state and local legislation, regulations and policies with respect to foster care service. Will establish and maintain a statewide uniform reporting system to collect and analyze data relating to complaints for the purpose of identifying and resolving significant problems faced by foster children and foster parents as a class that will be shared with the Bureau of Children and Families within the Department of Health and the legislative oversight commission on health and human resources accountability on a quarterly basis. The Ombudsman shall participate in ongoing training programs related to his or her duties. This position requires excellent written and oral communication skills; will be a liaison to internal and external constituents and must have the ability to work independently and be comfortable with computers and learning new software.
Preference will be given to the candidate with experience in the areas of focus.
Per W.V. Code §9-5-27, The Foster Care Ombudsman must have “Experience as a former foster parent or experience in the area of child welfare”.
As a condition of employment, an inquiry into job-related information will be completed, which may include but is not limited to, criminal records, abuse registry records, driving records, employment history, education and training. Failing to cooperate with this process will result in denial of or dismissal from employment or denial of transfer irrespective of when discovered.
Minimum Qualifications
Training: Master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
AND
Experience: Five (5) years of full-time or equivalent part-time paid experience working in child welfare, law enforcement, victim advocacy, probation/parole, psychology, social work, and/or journalism. To satisfy West Virginia Code § 16B-16-1, the Child & Family Ombudsman shall have experience as a current or former foster parent or experience in the area of child welfare. Preference will be given to candidates who have experience as a current or former foster parent.
