Child Protection Specialist (22202)

To be considered for any DPHHS Agency position, applicants must complete and submit their application online, as well as upload any required application materials. Successful applicant(s) are required to successfully pass all DPHHS specific background check(s) relevant to each position.

Materials Required of Applicants:

(To be considered in this pool, please submit the following)

• 
  Cover Letter
  
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  Resume
  
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  References: Please provide contact information for three (3) professional references
  
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  Supplemental question(s):
  
  • 
    How has your education and/or experience prepared you to be successful at this job?
    
    
    

(Please type responses in a Word document and attach to application. HELPFUL HINT: When attaching a document you much check the “relevant document” box to ensure your attachments are uploading correctly to the specific application. Please do not attach more than requested. If you have more than 25 attachments in the system you will need to email these to: hhshumanresources@mt.gov . Failure to attach the required material will conclude in an incomplete application. You must also keep those relevant boxes checked once you submit your application; if you uncheck the box with an active application it will delete the attachment.)

Montana state government is an equal opportunity employer. The State shall, upon request, provide reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities.



Job Overview



This position provides family-centered services within a trauma-informed system to assure safety, permanency, and well-being for children who are at risk of or have been subjected to child maltreatment. Responsibilities include:

• Assessing child safety;
• Determining appropriate interventions to control for safety threats;
• Developing treatment plans for parents to build protective capacities and strengthen families;
• Implementing timely permanency plans for children that ensure placement stability and meet requirements of established laws; and
• Assuring positive outcomes with regards to children’s and families’ well-being; including physical and mental health issues.

Major Duties or Responsibilities

• Conducts timely assessments of reports of child maltreatment, in accordance with requirements of state and federal statutes and agency policy, using standardized safety assessment tools and decision-making guides.
• Documents and communicates safety threats to all involved, including preparation of affidavits for District Court when necessary. Provides appropriate level of intervention to assure safety of all families in need of Child Protective Services (CPS); continuously reviews progress made by families to eliminate safety threats.
• Places child(ren) in out-of-home care, when necessary, and ensures that the placement is safe and complies with statutory and policy preferences and is in the best interests of the child(ren). Identifies available resources and connects families and children to these resources.
• Engages families and the child(ren) to ensure the safety of the child through a variety of methods; such as, personal contact, court ordered treatment plan service provision, and family group decision-making meetings to name a few.

Permanency Plan for Children

• Engages families in the establishment of a permanency plan when needed and required, and assures plan follows order of placement preference as set forth in statute and policy.
• Provides ongoing reasonable efforts to implement the permanency plan in a timely manner consistent with the best interests of the child(ren).
• Prepares timely, clear, factually specific, and accurate affidavits for the District Court to allow the District Court to take steps necessary to timely implement permanency plans; including annual permanency plan reviews for every child.
• Stays current and informed about the child’s placement activities and issues and works to ensure stability of placement by providing services and interventions for the child(ren) and placement when necessary. Attends regular meetings with placement resources.
• Documents contacts and records services to assure prompt payment for services. Updates records as needed.

Child Well-being

• Assures child(ren) is evaluated and assessed to determine medical and psychological needs throughout the case.
• Shares outcomes of evaluations with parent(s) and/or placement and determines if additional services are needed to achieve timely reunification and/or maintain placement stability for child(ren).
• Makes recommendations for medical, psychological, and other services.
• Establishes frequent contact between parent, child(ren), and siblings if the child is not placed with siblings when in the best interests of the child(ren).
• Attends educational meetings or discusses the educational progress with the parent(s)
• And/or placement to assure child’s educational needs are being met.

Physical and Environmental Demands

The work of a Child Protection Specialist is extremely difficult and involves extensive field work in the homes of families. The ability to engage and work with angry and violent individuals, make critical decisions, assess and place children, travel when needed, and remain flexible while working under demanding timelines with strict documentation requirements is required. Office time is limited due to the field work demands of this position.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Behaviors):

Required for the first day of work

• Ability to make critical decisions, based on integration of information from multiple sources that may be discrepant, in high-stress situations.
• Ability to engage children and families, under difficult circumstances, to gather sufficient information to make accurate and precise decisions.
• Ability to identify problems, develop and implement solutions.
• Ability to communicate information both orally and in writing so others will understand.
• Ability to remain calm when being confronted and to develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, even those who do not share the same point of view and may be violent or angry, and maintain them over time.
• Ability to operate a personal computer and general office equipment as necessary to complete the essential functions, including using spreadsheet, word processing, database, email, internet and other computer programs.

Preferred

• Knowledge of child development, child maltreatment prevention and treatment, and family centered social work practice.
• Knowledge of the methods and procedures for Child Protection Specialists.
• Knowledge of the laws and rules pertaining to child protection services such as child safety, permanency and well-being; Indian Child Welfare Act.

Qualifications:


Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, human services or psychology, or directly-related degree.
• Two years of social services work experience, or directly-related work experience, working with children and families in difficult and sometimes volatile situations.
• Other combinations of directly related education and experience maybe considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Child protection work experience and professional certification preferred.
• Experience working with tribal government entities and/or other organizations of native peoples is highly preferred.

Eligible Training Assignment:

34,694.40