Child Welfare Caseworker

Jefferson County

3d • $61,914 - $99,062 • Hybrid

About The Position

A child welfare caseworker is responsible for assessing and ensuring the safety and well-being of children at risk of abuse or neglect. They assess reports of maltreatment, provide support services to families, and coordinate with legal, medical, and community resources to protect children and promote family stability and permanency. The role often involves making difficult decisions regarding out of home placement for children and youth and ongoing case management. The Division of Children, Youth, Families and Adult Protection (CYFAP) has a vision of "Workers Thrive in JeffCo; Children Thrive in Families and Adults Thrive in Communities; and Everyone Thrives Through Equity and Inclusion." The Division is a consensus-based organization. This role offers an inclusive environment and culture of dignity and respect.

Requirements

• Any bachelor’s degree from a college or university with some course work such as development of human behavior, child development, family intervention techniques, diagnostic measures, or therapeutic techniques.
• Professional, internship, or volunteer work experience in a human-services related agency. Examples of relevant experience could include: clinical experience, residential childcare experience, milieu experience, domestic violence case manager, victim's advocate, paralegal or legal clerk, probation officer, law enforcement, corrections work, shelter experience, arbitration, forensic interviewing, para-professional work, educational work, and/or other case management experience.
• Offer of employment contingent on criminal history and child welfare background check, motor vehicle records checks and education verification.
• Must not have a child abuse, crime of violence or unlawful sexual behavior conviction.
• Must not have a felony conviction for domestic violence.
• Must not have a felony conviction involving physical assault, battery, or drug-related offense within the past five years.
• Must not have a pattern of misdemeanor convictions within the past 10 years.
• Must have valid driver's license without any major violations, including driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated (DWI) and/or driving while ability impaired (DWAI) conviction(s) in the past three years.
• If you are from out of state, you must obtain a valid Colorado driver's license within 30 days of hire date.

Nice To Haves

• Applicable second language skills are eligible for additional compensation based on tested language proficiency upon hire.

Responsibilities

• Extensive case documentation, including preparing court reports and social histories within specific state-mandated timeframes.
• Utilize family engagement skills to mitigate risk and enhance safety while working in the office, client homes, and in the community.
• Assessing safety of a child/youth and making decisions based on available information, including removing a child from their home.
• Advocating for families and children, testifying in court, and de-escalating potentially volatile situations.
• Potential for late evening hours to address crisis situations and participation in emergency coverage schedule.
• Daily travel around the Denver Metro area and periodic travel throughout Colorado. A caseworker may travel occasionally outside of Colorado.
• Discuss in detail and work with families experiencing substance use disorder, mental health concerns, domestic violence, multi-generational poverty, child abuse, child neglect and sexual abuse.
• Collaboration with outside agencies to assess and maintain safety of children including but not limited to law enforcement, courts, schools, treatment providers and medical professionals.
• Participation in committee work related to practice and work culture recommendations after one year of employment.
• Assessing allegations of abuse/neglect through announced and unannounced home visits and referring clients to appropriate services (Intake Caseworker).
• Determining if safety of the child/youth can be maintained through an assessment or if a court case needs to be opened (Intake Caseworker).
• Coordinating resources for child protection, family and adolescent crisis response, delinquency and parent/child conflict, emancipation planning, and facilitating adoptions (Permanency Caseworker).
• Monthly face-to-face contact with children, youth, parents, kin providers and out-of-home providers (Permanency Caseworker).
• Ensuring permanency for children and youth with parents, kin or adoptive parents (Permanency Caseworker).
• Participate in court hearings at minimum a couple times a month (Permanency Caseworker).
• Working with parents with substance-use disorder who are high risk and high needs (Family Integrated Treatment (FIT) Court Permanency Caseworker).
• Working under the FIT Court model with weekly court hearings (Family Integrated Treatment (FIT) Court Permanency Caseworker).
• Managing cases in which sex abuse by either a parent, sibling or کننده is a primary issue (Sex Abuse Permanency Caseworker).
• Working under the Sex Offense Management Board guidelines (Sex Abuse Permanency Caseworker).

Benefits

• Dental insurance
• Medical insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid time off and holidays
• Retirement matching
• Wellness programs
• Tuition reimbursement
• Flexible schedules
• Remote work options
• Shift differential of $2,000.00 over base starting salary for Swing Shift Caseworker.

What This Job Offers

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