Prevention & Diversion Support Specialist – Missing Children/Human Trafficking

This position is responsible for ensuring case management organizations, contracted providers and the Department of Children and Families report youth missing and human trafficking from care to document efforts to locate children that will aid in the youth’s recovery and placement stabilization.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

· Establish and maintain a positive working relationship with all HFC customers

· Serve as a liaison between child welfare case managers, child protective investigations, law enforcement, prosecutors, providers, the youth, victim advocates, legal services, and other stakeholders for missing youth and human trafficking

· Collect, track, report and coordinate missing youth and human trafficking incidents timely

· Participate in, and/or coordinate multidisciplinary meetings as needed, for missing and/or human trafficking children

· Seek and obtain information from the youth and other parties to provide alternative, more stable living arrangements to reduce the possibility of additional runaway episodes for stable placement

· Attend performance quality improvement data meeting to provide updates on missing and human trafficking children

· Remain up to date to evaluate of the outcomes of the Human Trafficking Screening Tool (HTST), relevant Florida statues, administrative code and best practice that is used to screen children in child welfare to determine if there are indicators of human trafficking

· Assist caseworkers/investigators in recognizing red flags (behavioral, environmental, relational) for human trafficking

· Respond to reports/investigations from the Florida Abuse Hotline concerning human trafficking allegations

· Maintain tracking and the most up to date information on all at risk and verified youth

· Collaborate with the data and placement team to ensure diligent efforts to secure staff homes and services for verified youth are being followed

· Review safety assessments for children who are identified/victims of trafficking to determine whether they can remain safely in their current placement or require alternate placement

· Advocate and assess needs and risk factors for human trafficking survivors (medical, mental health, legal, housing, education) for their initial and ongoing wellbeing to ensure interventions are complying

· Attend human trafficking meetings as needed to discuss individualized service plans/treatment plans for trafficking‐affected youth

· Monitor service delivery, follow up on referrals, track progress of child in services to ensure continuity of services

· Provide and/or facilitate specialized training to case managers, investigators, community providers, foster parents and group homes

· Contribute to or help develop internal policies or protocols for responding to trafficking, including working with Safe Harbor homes, provider licensure, teaming with law enforcement in recovery efforts and legal partners for victims support services

· Build and maintain partnerships with community‐based organizations, shelters, service providers, law enforcement, schools, coalitions, courts, and advocacy groups to ensure victims’ access to services.

· Participate in outreach or public awareness campaigns to increase awareness of missing and human trafficking children

· Perform additional duties as assigned

Bachelor’s degree in Social Services, Health Care, Business or related field required. Master’s degree preferred. Extensive experience in child welfare and/or child abuse prevention preferred. Must have excellent organization and follow up skills, be process oriented, be able to multi-task, have good analytical ability, have good oral and written communication skills, customer service skills and proven leadership skills.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $51,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• 403(b) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid jury duty
• Paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Bartow, FL 33830