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Essential Job Functions:
• Responds quickly in crisis situations involving children who may be in an abusive or neglectful situation. Sometimes these situations can be dangerous.
• Conducts forensic investigations of reports of abuse/neglect to children to determine if abuse or neglect occurred and conducts assessments to determine the current or future risk of harm to children.
• Observes children for signs of any harm and assess the signs to determine if they are the result of abuse or neglect. This could involve children with serious injuries and child fatalities.
• Interviews people in the case such as the parents, caregivers, person who reports the concern, family members, and others familiar with the family situation. This may include medical staff, teachers, law enforcement, etc.
• Assesses child safety and takes the necessary actions to protect the child as appropriate. This could include removing a child from their family.
• Talks frankly and objectively with families about matters they may consider personal and private, such as parenting decisions and actions, sexual abuse, income, money management, and personal relationships.
• Determines action to be taken to remove or to reduce an immediate threat to the safety of a child to include working with families to identify family members who can assist with keeping the child safe, testifying in court to seek emergency protective services, placing children in substitute care, referring family for immediate crisis intervention therapy or other community resources.
• Documents all relevant and appropriate information gathered during the investigation and completes all required forms accurately and in a timely manner.
• Gathers family and kinship information to support the child in a placement, should the child be placed in DFPS custody.
• Participates in a regular on-call rotation that requires response to situations of abuse/neglect after normal business hours including overnight and weekend.
• Develops and maintains effective working relationships with law enforcement officials, judicial officials, legal resources, medical professionals, and the community.
• Works under constant deadlines that require prioritizing tasks and the ability to work flexible hours.
• Maintains a balance of objectivity and empathy for families living in stressful and crisis situations.
• Attends and participates in training/meetings/staffings.
• Performs other duties as assigned and required to maintain unit operations.
• Promotes and demonstrates appropriate respect for cultural diversity and competency among coworkers and all work-related contacts.
• Attends work regularly in accordance with agency leave policy.
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Additional Information:
Applicants selected for this position are also eligible to receive a $416.66 monthly increase in addition to the base salary. Applicants hired into an investigative position will receive this increase the first of the month following 120 days of tenure. Once employed, the incumbent must remain in an investigative position to continue to receive the additional pay.
This position will be in a mobile unit which means the majority of the work will be conducted using mobile technology, such as a tablet, while away from the office. Being mobile requires working independently yet still being responsive to supervision and your assigned unit.
Newly hired DFPS employees in eligible positions will be assigned a DFPS cellular phone.
COMPETENCIES REQUIRED/ACQUIRED DURING THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF EMPLOYMENT:
PROCESS COMPETENCIES
A process competency refers to a general approach to practice that can be observed in a newly hired CPS Specialists' interactions with children, families, and safety networks.
Engaging
• Understands and is able to articulate how family engagement is critical to achieving safety, permanency, and well-being.
• Can identify basic strategies for engaging children and families.
• Understands and appreciates the different views, expertise and experience of others; takes into account the perspectives of other individuals
Teaming
• Understands the need to expand the child's safety network beyond caregivers and to other adults who care about the child and can participate in day to day safety of the child.
• Interviews caregivers to identify individuals who may be supportive of the caregiver and/or child.
• Interviews children to identify individuals who may be supportive of the child and/or caregiver.
Assessing
• Understands and is able to articulate the concept of child safety.
• Is able to identify one's own biases and is willing to challenge one's own thinking.
• Regularly seeks information from a variety of sources to make and revise assessments.
• Understands the importance of and is able to make judgments based on factual information vs. assumptions.
Planning
• Considers ways to ensure personal safety in addition to safety of children and families during interviews and other meetings
Intervening
• Understands and is able to articulate what an intervention is and the variety of interventions CPS might use under which circumstances.
Evaluating
• Understands and is able to articulate personal responsibility for outcomes in a case.
CONTENT COMPETENCY
A content competency refers to a specialized domain of knowledge that should be integrated into process competencies.
Domestic Violence
• Understands and is able to identify power and control.
• Distinguishes domestic violence from other types of violence
• Is able to identify and refer both victims and perpetrators of domestic violence to appropriate services.
Mental Health
• Can articulate symptoms of broad mental health diagnostic categories.
• Is able to make appropriate referrals for crisis intervention, psychological and psychiatric evaluations.
• Can articulate mental health resilience factors and recovery process.
Substance Abuse
• Distinguishes between substance use, abuse, and chemical dependency.
• Can articulate physical and behavioral warning signs of substance use and abuse.
• Administers and/or makes referrals for drug testing as appropriate.
• Makes referrals to community and contracted services available to treat substance abuse.
• Can articulate substance abuse resiliency factors and recovery process.
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES
Demonstrates a basic understanding of the following
• Federal and state law, regulations and rules for the operation of child protection programs.
• The statutory responsibility for reporting suspected abuse and neglect
• Roles and responsibilities of participants in the global child welfare system, including children, families, child protection, various courts, and other child/family serving agencies
• Legal definitions and concepts, including ethics, and is able to apply them within the law to casework and judicial process
Establishes Effective Relationships with Colleagues
• Is willing to accept and provide support and assistance from/to co-workers, supervisors and other child protective services employees
• Is able to build and maintain effective working relationships with external stakeholders
Follows policy and procedures
• Is able to learn and understand the specific policies and procedures for child protective services
• Understands the policy requirements of ethical practice and the ramifications to staff and clients when this does not occur.
• Demonstrates adherence to policy and best practice
Documenting
• Records observations accurately as part of case documentation, using specific quotes and precise behavioral descriptions of the danger and its impact on the child
• Prepares clear, accurate, and appropriate written communications or documents
• Prepares court documents such as petitions, affidavits and court reports
Managing Time
• Acts quickly to solve problems and to get things done
• Uses technology, "to-do" lists or other tools to manage time, keep track of what needs to be done, and manage multiple, pressing job demands
• Regularly re-assesses and re-prioritizes in order to focus attention on the most important tasks
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
These requirements are not exhaustive, and additional job related physical requirements may be added to these by individual agencies on an as needed basis. Corrective devices may be used to meet physical requirements. These are typical requirements; however, reasonable accommodations are possible.
Physical Activities: He/she is frequently asked to stand, hear and talk; he/she is occasionally asked to climb.
Physical Demands: The incumbent typically performs work that requires him/her to exert up to 20 pounds occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.
Visual Requirements: The incumbent must be able to see objects clearly at 20 inches or less, and at 20 or more feet. In addition, he/she must be able to adjust his/her eyes to bring objects into focus, distinguish colors, see objects in his/her peripheral vision, and see objects in three dimensions.
Working Conditions: He/she typically works in a mobile environment (the majority of work is performed outside of the office environment) and is exposed occasionally to adverse environmental conditions including, but not necessarily limited to, extreme heat, wetness and humidity, chemicals, close quarters, gases and heights.
Interview Requirements:
Any candidate who is called to an agency for an interview must notify the interviewing agency in writing of any reasonable accommodation needed prior to the date of the interview.
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