Under general supervision, Protective Service Workers perform professional investigation, case management, and casework services at the Family & Children鈥檚 Services program. This includes activities related to: engagement of children, youth and families; assessment of safety and risk; case planning and service delivery; and transitioning children and families to appropriate permanent and stable living situations.
ESSENTIAL TASK AND DUTIES
According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.
- Partnering with families, communities, and service providers to build a supportive team that addresses the safety, health, and well-being needs of the child, youth, and family.
- Exploring safety, well-being, family relationships and natural supports through interviewing, field visits, and gathering collateral information in a timely manner.
- Conducting comprehensive assessments of safety, risk and protective capacity utilizing designated assessment tools. Taking appropriate action to ensure child safety, including promoting family strengths, mitigating safety threats and/or removal of children from the home.
- Maintaining case information on applicable computerized case management system(s).Collaborating with families and stakeholders to develop behavioral case plans based on the assessment that addresses the family's needs and complies with relevant laws, rules and regulations.
- Helping connect families to a broad array of services and supports and empowering them to utilize strengths in order to implement the provisions of a case plan.
- Counseling and educating youth, families, care providers and community partners on the Child Welfare process, legal requirements and departmental policies and procedures by communicating verbally and in writing in order to provide necessary and appropriate information to families.
- Building community partnerships through relationship building and educating community organizations about Family and Children鈥檚 Services.
- Staying abreast of latest polices, initiatives, and best practices by attending trainings, reading literature reviews, accessing various online child welfare resources and participating in work groups and site teams to contribute to the development of policies.
- Ensuring all assigned cases meet compliance standards and scheduling work accordingly.
- Testifying in Court and adhering to Court protocol in compliance with legal requirements.
- Ensuring the well-being of children placed in homes by identifying homes to meet children鈥檚 needs and closely monitoring their placement and providing assistance to out of home care providers so that children go to mandatory parental visits, medical and dental appointments in order to comply with mandatory county and state procedures, rules and regulations.
- Preparing written correspondence, electronic records and court reports by maintaining well documented records in a clear and timely manner according to agency procedures.