Child Protection Specialist (Region 4 - Helena)

State of Montana • Helena, MT

11h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), Child and Family Services Division, is hiring a Child Protection Specialist to work directly with families facing a wide range of challenges. The role investigates child abuse and provides support, advocacy, and connections to resources. It involves complex and sometimes hostile situations requiring empathy, resiliency, and an understanding of social systems. The position requires frequent travel, home visits, and interviews, and may include out-of-state travel; employees must be willing to obtain appropriate travel documents. Although the role has a standard schedule, critical business needs may require evening, weekend, or holiday work, and the specialist participates in a rotating on-call schedule.

The position may be eligible for partial telework within Montana, subject to conditions set by the supervisor and state policy. Applicants must submit a state application, cover letter, resume, and references through the Montana State Careers website. Successful applicants are subject to relevant background checks and reference checks.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, psychology, or a related field.
• Two years of social services or directly related work experience with children and families in difficult and sometimes volatile situations.
• Ability to make critical decisions by integrating potentially discrepant information from multiple sources in high-stress situations.
• Ability to engage children and families under difficult circumstances to gather sufficient information for accurate decisions.
• Ability to remain calm when confronted and build constructive, cooperative working relationships, including with people who may be angry or violent or hold different viewpoints.
• Ability to operate a personal computer and general office equipment, including spreadsheet, word processing, database, email, internet, and other computer programs.
• Willingness to travel frequently, conduct home visits and interviews, and, if needed, travel out of state with appropriate travel documents.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, or holidays when critical business needs require and participate in a rotating on-call schedule.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with tribal government entities and/or other organizations of Native peoples.
• Knowledge of child development, child maltreatment prevention and treatment, and family-centered social work practice.
• Stress tolerance, including handling deadlines, hostile individuals, and emergencies calmly and effectively.
• Self-management, initiative, commitment to timely completion of assignments, ability to work with minimal supervision, and responsible behavior.
• Sound, well-informed, objective decision-making, including understanding the impact of decisions and acting in uncertain situations.
• Advocacy for clients’, youths’, and/or customers’ interests.
• Teamwork skills, including fostering cooperation, trust, and commitment to shared goals.

Responsibilities

• Conduct timely assessments of child maltreatment reports in accordance with state and federal statutes and agency policy, using standardized safety assessment tools and decision-making guides.
• Carry a caseload and keep case-file documentation current.
• Collaborate with law enforcement, welfare professionals, and other agencies.
• Prepare for and testify in court, preliminary hearings, multidisciplinary team meetings, family partnership meetings, and court hearings.
• Place children in out-of-home care when necessary, ensuring placements are safe, comply with statutory and policy preferences, and serve the children's best interests.
• Identify available resources and connect families and children to them.
• Ensure children are evaluated and assessed to determine medical and psychological needs throughout the case.
• Prepare assessments and case plans, evaluate participant progress, and make and monitor appropriate placements.
• Conduct home visits and interviews and travel as required.
• Participate in a rotating on-call schedule and, when critical business needs require, work evenings, weekends, or holidays.

Benefits

• Healthcare coverage
• Retirement plans
• Paid vacation
• Sick leave
• Paid holidays
• Work/life balance
• Eligibility to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program
• Advancement opportunities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level