CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATOR - 60071440

State of Florida • DeFuniak Springs, FL

16d • Onsite

About The Position

The Child Protective Investigator conducts investigations involving child abuse, neglect, abandonment, and special conditions to help ensure children’s safety. The position requires detailed observation, interviews, assessment of danger threats and caregiver protective capacities, and timely decisions in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment. Investigators may arrange emergency placements, coordinate with state attorneys, law enforcement, and child protection teams, and connect families with agency and community resources. The role is designated essential, involves field work and possible hazardous conditions, and requires work during emergencies or natural disasters, including outside normal hours. Investigators must maintain Florida Child Protective Investigator Certification and use an operational private vehicle for daily work activities; the Department provides a vehicle insurance allowance.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED and four years of law enforcement experience or active military service, with honorable discharge or current service reflecting honorable service; OR an associate degree or at least 60 college credit hours and two years of professional work experience, law enforcement experience, or active military service; OR a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Provide an official registrar letter or unofficial transcripts showing anticipated graduation dates and credits earned for diploma or degree requirements.
• Provide proof of a conferred degree, such as official transcripts or a diploma, within 30 days of hire as a condition of employment.
• Obtain Florida Child Protective Investigator Certification from the Florida Certification Board within 12 months after obtaining provisional certification and maintain certification as a condition of employment.
• Valid driver license.
• Operational private vehicle for daily work activities; provide proof of vehicle registration and appropriate insurance coverage within 30 days of hire.
• Ability to attend a mandatory 8–12-week training course, which may be scheduled during daytime, weekend, or evening hours.
• Ability to work nights, weekends, and holidays; work up to 16-hour shifts on occasion; and remain alert while on duty.
• Ability to perform specified physical agility tasks, including walking varied terrain and extended distances, using stairs, assisting with evacuations and clients, repetitive movements, bending, twisting, kneeling, squatting, pushing, pulling, lifting and carrying up to 30 pounds, and sitting or standing for periods without a break.
• Ability to drive a car or passenger van to transport clients during daytime and nighttime hours.
• Complete the application profile in its entirety and provide verifiable employment, education, training, skills, and abilities information.
• Successfully complete required state and national criminal history/background screening and drug testing as conditions of employment.
• Be a U.S. citizen or lawfully authorized alien worker.
• Male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, must meet the stated Selective Service registration or exemption requirement.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work or a related field preferred.
• Language proficiency may be considered based on agency needs.
• Successful completion of a pre-interview assessment or work sample may be required for interview eligibility.

Responsibilities

• Investigate child abuse, neglect, abandonment, and special conditions.
• Collect information through observation and interviews with children, parents, relatives, and neighbors.
• Assess danger threats, child vulnerabilities, and caregiver protective capacities to determine whether a child is safe.
• Arrange emergency placement for children who cannot safely remain in their homes.
• Notify the state attorney, law enforcement, and child protection teams.
• Connect families with agency and community resources.
• Conduct initial and ongoing child-present and impending-danger assessments.
• Report indications of abuse, neglect, or abandonment to the Florida Abuse Hotline.
• Work during emergency situations or natural disasters, including before, during, or beyond normal work hours or days when required.
• Complete job tasks in accordance with applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, and requirements.

Benefits

• Vehicle insurance allowance to assist with insurance costs resulting from use of a private vehicle for work.
• State of Florida employee benefits; the posting refers applicants to the state benefits site for the complete list.
• Opportunities and training for advancement and professional development.

What This Job Offers

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