Job: Child Welfare & Adult Protection Manager

Job Description

Job Type: Full time, Salaried

Wage: $65,000-$75,000/yr. 

Location: Leadville, CO.

Job Description

This position functions within a state-supervised, county-administered human services structure.

Position provides a full range of intake and ongoing child welfare services and supervision for a variety of title program areas such as child abuse and neglect cases, youth in conflict cases, foster care, adoption, and adults unable to protect their own interests. Positions at this level typically are assigned continuous supervisory responsibilities over other social caseworkers and may assist with specialized caseloads in which the incumbent is responsible for ensuring the provision of intensive treatment on a regular basis.

The assignment of these duties may not in and of itself warrant the classification of a position to this level. The county appointing authority may determine the functioning level of the employee based on the Essential and Marginal Functions section of this profile and “underfill” the position at a lower level.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTION STATEMENTS - Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Essential Functions:

A. Duties

• Provides continuous supervisory responsibilities over four lower level social casework positions. Reviews case plans and case reports for technical judgment and appropriateness to assigned cases. Assists the Social Caseworkers in the unit with difficult and unusually complex cases; reviews progress and evaluates goals to help them develop, maintain and modify family service plans. Assists in training of new Social Caseworkers and acts as liaison between Director and the Caseworkers. Provides administrative supervision and evaluates Social Caseworker performance.
• Assesses and diagnoses child’s disability, daily living skills, need or protection and evaluates problems to develop appropriate treatment plan. May assist with identifying specialized foster care in order to accommodate special needs placements
• Provides oversight on cases involving special problems such as relinquishment, counseling and resultant work with attorneys and court; performs adoptive home studies, including court ordered studies and predispositional reports.
• Provides oversight on investigations of alleged physical abuse, neglect and parent-conflicts; determines if situation warrants placing children outside the home; supervises placement of children in foster care and ensures parent/child visits are taking place; and determines when and if to recommend that children return to the home.
• Provides oversight on case plans and oversees counseling services to families regarding parenting skills, family problems, parent-child relationships and problems with the community.
• Supervises the RED Team process—the assessment of any new child abuse or re-abuse complaints. Supervises the intake assessment and evaluation process, referrals for ongoing counseling services, and case planning to a variety of other cases including adults unable to protect their own interests and family conflict and youth in conflict cases.
• Determines the need for recommending placement of clients into foster care. Supervises the client’s progress in placement.
• Ensures that staff are making home visits with clients, organizing services such as day care, financial assistance, health (physical and mental), and legal.
• Testifies in court on a variety of ongoing cases, makes recommendations to the courts on abuse and neglect cases, placement of children, guardianship of adults, and on custody investigations.
• Authorizes written reports of appropriate documentation of case plans, recommendations, contacts, assessments, etc.
• On call duty rotation required.

B. This manager is also responsible for the role of Program Administrator. In this role the incumbent will:

• Create a CORE services plan for each fiscal year.
• Ensure proper expenditure of CORE funds and Child Welfare Block in accordance to rules of Volume VII.
• In collaboration with the Finance Manager, create and manage contracts with providers on paper and in TRAILS.
• In collaboration with the Finance Manager, establish and update direct payment accounts with providers. In collaboration with the Finance Manager, ensure accuracy of invoices into TRAILS and ensure proper payment to providers.
• Search for providers to satisfy treatment plan needs and coordinate services. Collaborate with community agencies to create services if none exist which meet client needs.
• Coordinate and supervise Continuum Quality Improvement (CQI) teams to mitigate lack of resources and accessibility of services. This is a process required by the State.
• Drive Program Area 3 (PA3) prevention services. Responsible for creating a PA3 Plan, receiving referrals, determining appropriateness, finding services, tracking families in Trails and reporting to the State.
• Increase community’s use of the PA3 program to ensure more access to prevention services by families who qualify.
• Coordinate with the local Mental Health Agency, Sol Vista, through a regional contract which includes ongoing monitoring and evaluation of efficacy.
• Prepare reports, such as the Commission Report, and participate in frequent state-wide surveys for the purpose of accessing case load, recruitment and retention practices and community needs.
• Participate in the CORE services quarterly meeting.
• Participate in bi-monthly Senate Bill 94 (services provided to youth through Probation) meetings.
• Act as an ICPC (Interstate Compact for Placement of Children) coordinator. SAFE home study certified in order to conduct home studies for foster placement or adoptive homes as a receiving state for an ICPC.

C. Difficulty of Work

Work is performed on a variety of cases which will have similar and dissimilar problems. Each case is substantially different and often involves complex family relationships. The incumbent independently evaluates the case and develops extensive ongoing case plans. The incumbent is expected to deal with unusual and/or difficult cases when they arise and provide appropriate supervisory assistance.

There are numerous guidelines and regulations available covering the work, such as the Children’s Code, Title XX, Senate Bill 26, Volume VII of the Department of Social Services Rules and Regulations, which regulate procedures to be followed but do not provide the worker with instruction about how to treat or assess clients. There are a wide variety of recognized social casework techniques and the incumbent must use judgment, critical thinking skills and situational evaluation to determine which are appropriate for each of the cases assigned.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Knowledge and Ability Requirements:

Knowledge of:

• Has a high level of proficiency in the following areas:
• Theories, principles, and concepts of social casework practice (assessment and treatment oriented) related to all of the assigned program areas.
• Social work principles and methods.
• Medical symptoms related to injuries or failure to thrive in children.
• Effects of domestic violence on children and the laws dealing with child abuse, neglect and other dependency conditions.
• The needs of senior citizens, persons with physical disabilities, persons who are LGBTQIA, persons with developmental delays, persons with a mental illness diagnosis, persons affected by addiction and persons who are deemed to be incompetent.
• Skills in interviewing techniques, crisis intervention methods and relevant treatment modalities.
• Community resources, agency rules, regulations and procedures related to assigned program areas.

Ability to:

• Establish rapport with clients. Independently analyze complex situations, formulate plans and make quick decisions as needed.
• Clearly and concisely express oneself both verbally and in written format.
• Establish and maintain harmonious professional relationships with other employees, peer supervisors, outside agencies and the public.
• Testify effectively in court hearings.
• Travel by car in order to make home visits and to visit foster parents and children in placement when necessary.

Experience and Training Guidelines

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in one of the human behavioral science fields and three years of full-time professional social casework experience in child welfare acquired after the degree in a public or private social services agency in a service delivery assignment appropriate to the position.

In order to meet the minimum educational requirements of a human behavioral science degree, the applicant must have a degree with major course work (equivalent to 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours) in either development of human behavior, child development, family intervention techniques, diagnostic measures or therapeutic techniques such as social work, psychology, sociology, counseling or child development.

Training:

All training required by the Colorado Department of Human Services for certification and ongoing training requirements (State and County)

Equipment Utilized:

Standard office equipment and vehicle for considerable travel.

Contact with Others:

Work requires contact with legal, medical, mental health, substance abuse, and psychiatric professionals; members of the judicial system, clients; community organizations and resources; foster parents and other members of the agency for the purpose of developing effective treatment plans for clients and to help clients solve problems; and to educate the community about protection of clients and services available.

Supervisory Requirements:

Instructions may be received from the Director when cases are assigned and during the progress of a case. The Director is available to provide instructions and to act as a consultant at the request of the incumbent. Work is reviewed for compliance to policy and general conclusions through spot checks, staffings, supervisory conferences, and judicial involvement.

The work impacts a large portion of the County by providing a service in the community interest to a complex case load involving a variety of program areas, improving family functioning, and potentially avoiding the need for intervention of other community agencies. Errors in judgment such as assessing the need for protection may result in the injury or death of a client.

Hazards:

In client interactions and home visits incumbent may encounter angry, hostile clients, verbal abuse and unsafe conditions in homes. This can include confrontation with clients who own weapons or who may be involved in the manufacturing, trafficking or use of drugs. It is essential that personal safety be assessed at all times and appropriate action taken. This may require support from agency staff or other area resources, such as law enforcement.

As a part of the Lake County Department of Human Services, this position is required to serve Lake County in Emergency Service Function 6 (Mass Care and Mass Shelter) as needed.

About Lake County Colorado

Situated at 10,200 feet, Lake County is home to Colorado’s highest peak, highly-accessible mountain trails and a perfectly balanced work/life combo. In this historical mining town one can find quaint shops, local restaurants, and peace of mind that only comes with living in beautiful surroundings and high altitude. Summers are bustling with opportunities for hiking, fishing, biking, climbing, river rafting, off roading, zip lining, golfing, camping and star gazing. Winters are just as busy with cross country skiing (100 miles of groomed trails), downhill skiing and snowboarding at local and internationally renowned resorts, snow shoeing, fat biking, back country skiing, ice skating, and snow mobiling. Though there is never a dull moment, the peace, quite, and breathtaking views are enough to rejuvenate the most tired soul. The county is comprised of Leadville and Twin Lakes. For more information visit: Leadville.com and explore this opportunity to live where you play!

Lake County Benefits - Full-Time Employees

As a reflection of the value we place on the contributions of our employees, the County offers a competitive benefits package for full-time employees. Please review the 2023 Benefits Guide for full details. The Guide provides information on Lake County Government's benefit offerings, including:

• Employer-Sponsored Medical and Dental Insurance Plans
• 100% Employer Paid Vision Plan
• Flexible Spending Account
• Health Reimbursement Account
• Employer-Sponsored Short-Term Disability Insurance
• 100% Employer Paid Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 100% Employer Paid Term Life Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance Plans
• 401(a) and 457(b) Employer Matched Retirement Plans
• Paid Vacation, Sick Leave, Personal Days and Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Public Health Emergency Leave
• Discounts on concerts, major sporting events, electronics, travel, cars and more!

Lake County Benefits - Part-Time Employees

Lake County is also proud to offer paid sick time off, Public Health Emergency Leave, and flexible work schedules for our part-time employees.

EOE Statement

Lake County is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. Assistance or accommodation during the application process due to a disability is available upon request.

Notice of Emergency/Disaster Responsibilities

All Lake County Employees may be required to work as a Disaster Service Worker when a local declaration of emergency or disaster is declared by the Board of County Commissioners.

Other Duties

Please note that this job description does not intend to cover or contain a full comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

**Disclaimer: The duties and responsibilities described above are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee, time to time; the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands. Click “View Application” below for more detail on this specific job.