Program Assistant/Placement Worker - Family Resource Training Center

Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA Full-time Education

Posted on April 1, 2024

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Program Assistant/Placement Worker - Family Resource Training Center

About Eastern Washington University:
Eastern Washington University, a regional, comprehensive public university with an enrollment of over 10,000 students, is one of six state-funded four-year institutions of higher education in Washington, each governed by its own board of trustees. EWU’s 300-acre main campus is located in Cheney, a community of 12,000 residents 16 miles southwest of Washington’s second largest city, Spokane. Eastern also offers programs in downtown Spokane at the innovative, energy-efficient Catalyst building, the SIERR building which is a hub for research, development and advancement of health sciences, and at Riverpoint, a campus shared with Washington State University. In addition, EWU programs can be found at select locations throughout the state, aligned with the needs of the community. Eastern contributes to the vitality of the region and the state through its wide array of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in over 100 fields of study, as well as applied doctorates in physical therapy and educational leadership, offering accessible pathways to career success and personal development to students of all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

Eastern Washington University has been recognized for its commitment to helping undergraduate students learn, grow and succeed by Colleges of Distinction, a nationally trusted resource guide for college-bound students. The honor recognizes Eastern as a ’22-’23 College of Distinction (CoD). Money magazine recently named EWU as one of its Best Colleges in America 2023.
Tribal Land Acknowledgement
Eastern Washington University resides within the traditional homelands of the Spokane People and other tribes who are connected through their shared history of this region. This land holds their cultural DNA and it is their Ancestors who are here and bring forth the knowledge of this place—the knowledge that comes from the land.

Job Summary:
The College of Professional Programs and the Family Resource & Training Center at Eastern Washington University invites applications for a full-time position to serve as a Program Assistant/Placement Worker for the Family Resource and Training Center (IFRTC) located in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Under general supervision, this position will provide specialized placement and clerical support for the Idaho Foster Care System in Idaho; the specialized clerical tasks require knowledge and experience specific to Foster Care placement and foster parenting. Position will provide support to off-site personnel by assisting with daily calls to potential foster placements; provide general program information pertaining to policies, procedures and activities to foster parents, meeting with staff to identify issues and barriers regarding placement of foster children. Position reports directly to the Supervisor at FRTC and IDHW program supervisor. Position is remote and position is located throughout the State of Idaho; the hired candidate must reside in Idaho.

This position is 12-months per year, 100% full time, grant and contract funded salaried positions with full benefits. Eastern Washington University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

Position is open until further notice, screening will begin April 15, 2024.

In addition to salary, the university offers a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, life and disability insurance and retirement. In addition, EWU offers generous vacation and sick leave accruals, 13 paid holidays per year and fringe benefits, such as tuition waiver for employees and their eligible dependents, discounted EWU sports tickets, full access to our campus workout facilities at a minimum fee and free transportation through STA buses. For additional information regarding insurance benefits please see our Benefits page: https://inside.ewu.edu/hr/benefits/insurance/.

See Job Duties section for detailed description of the position's responsibilities.

Required Qualifications:

High school graduation or equivalent AND
Two years experiences full-time clerical experience.
Strong computer skills as described under required computer skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Strong organizational skills including the ability to support several individuals at once.
Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to serve as a program liaison with multiple internal and external entities.
Superior customer service ability including the ability to perceive needs and appropriately respond to highly diverse constituencies (social workers, foster families, potential foster families, state agencies, administrators, other programs such as Fostering Idaho, Trainers, etc.).
Ability to prioritize within a complex work environment including overlapping job requirements, multiple deadlines, projects of varying complexity and duration, and meeting the needs of multiple individuals.
Ability to stay focused and make progress on long term projects despite frequent interruptions by individuals and short-term program needs.
Experience using standard office equipment including computer, print, fax, copiers, scanners, multi-line telephone systems and messaging systems.
Demonstrated interest, ability and/or experience promoting cultural competency, universal accessibility, and/or diversity.

Note: each of the Position Specific Requirements (“PSR”) defined above requires two years’ work experience involving the functions/abilities described. This experience can come from one or more positions, as long as you offer at least one-year full time qualifying work experience in EACH AND ALL of the PSRs defined above.

Preferred Qualifications:

Knowledge of database maintenance
Understanding of SharePoint
Experience with social media such as Twitter or FaceBook
Experience with Microsoft office, excel, outlook, power point, and word
Experience with Google platform

Other Skills and Abilities:

Flexibility
Collaboration
Communication
Teamwork
Time Management
Attention to Detail

Job Duties:
% of Time: 75
Responsibility / Duty: Specialized Tasks (requires knowledge and experience specific to the Foster Care Program)

Assemble materials for prospective individuals, to aid in completion of home studies, meet needs to foster or support fostering youth which includes composing and mailing written communication.
Assist in maintaining and updating internal and external contact information for distributions lists.
Maintain regular communications with administrative personnel on status of assignments,
Assist with tracking individual’s progress throughout foster care placement and provide feedback to placement team on status.
Serves as primary contact for general placement discussions, forward other inquiries to relevant Supervisor or other relevant higher-level staff.
Utilizing information provided by others, inputs and maintains communication on SharePoint and DHW site.

Essential Function Indicator: Yes

% of Time: 10
Responsibility / Duty: Provide Program Related Information & Other Duties

Serve as primary contact to assist with placement of foster parents and answering questions regarding placement of foster children.
Receive and respond to placement inquires or forward to appropriate person
Assist with maintenance of ICWRTC webpages as directed.
Under direction of Supervisor, maintain social media presence and assist Recruitment Coordinators with Facebook pages regarding special requests for placement of children.
Attend meetings.

Essential Function Indicator: Yes

% of Time: 15
Responsibility / Duty: Computer / technology skills and related duties

MS word – perform complex word processing tasks such as merging and sorting, integrating text with graphics.
MS Excel – use spreadsheets to develop and maintain records.
Database Management – maintain complex databases, including sorting/importing/exporting files and creating reports.
Desktop Publishing – ability to modify or create files.
Email – Ability to send messages to multiple recipients, make contact lists, send attachments, monitor mailboxes.
Internet – Ability to search and retrieve information from the internet efficiently.
Overall knowledge – intermediate skills with the ability to troubleshoot own workstation.

Essential Function Indicator: Yes

Conditions of Employment:

This is a 100% classified position funded under a grant contract. Continuation of the position is contingent on availability of contract funding.
This position, during the course of university employment will be involved in the receipt of, or accountability for, university funds or other items of value; as well as the unsupervised access with the developmentally disabled, vulnerable adults or children under the age of 16. The offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion and passing of a background check prior to beginning employment.
All new employees must comply with EWU immunization Policy 602-02 and provide proof of immunity or vaccination to MMR before beginning work at EWU. Waivers for the immunization requirements are available for medical or sincerely held religious beliefs.
This position is covered by the Washington Federation of State Employees’ Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Candidates will work from a home office with equipment. Equipment will include a laptop computer (provided by IDHW), cell phone, and office supplies as needed. Selected candidate will be responsible for the inventory and proper care of all equipment and supplies. Position will require a high level of autonomy given the remote office location.
Upon hire employees will complete required DEI, Hazing, and Harassment, Title IX training, and any other federal, state, and university mandated trainings. You can access the online training at https://inside.ewu.edu/hr/training/orientation/ or complete the training in person or via Zoom. In person and Zoom training opportunities will be posted on InsideEWU and are listed on the Human Resources site at https://inside.ewu.edu/hr/training/.

Salary Information: The salary for this position is $38,508 (minimum) up to $44,304. Where the hired candidate will begin within this range is dependent on education, experience, and skills.

Posting Date: 03/29/2024
Open Until Further Notice: Yes
Closing Date:
Screening to Begin: 04/11/2024

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Submit your application materials through our online applications portal provided below. If you are unable to submit through the applicant portal, please contact Human Resources Services at (509) 359-2381.

To apply, visit https://jobs.hr.ewu.edu/postings/12019

EWU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, age, marital status, families with children, protected veteran or military status, HIV or hepatitis C, status as a mother breastfeeding her child, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability, as provided for and to the extent required by state and federal laws.

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