Child Welfare Services Case Manager 1

Family and Children Services, Division of•Americus, GA

About The Position

The Georgia Department of Human Services’ Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS), Child Welfare, is seeking a Child Welfare Services Case Manager 1 in Americus, Sumter County, Georgia. Under supervision, the Case Manager learns to provide investigative and comprehensive case management for a caseload involving child or adult abuse or neglect. The role reports to the Child Welfare Services Supervisor. The position involves responding to reports of alleged child maltreatment, assessing and addressing safety concerns, supporting children and families, coordinating services and community support, and working toward stable placements and timely permanency for children. The Case Manager uses a privately owned vehicle for work-related duties, including transporting children, and routinely serves on after-hours on-call duty. Employees may be called into the office as needed even when temporarily authorized to telework. Applicants must pass the agency’s standard testing protocol to maintain the position. The State of Georgia offers a benefits package that includes training opportunities, retirement plans, paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, insurance coverage, employee discounts, and telework opportunities depending on the position. The selected candidate may be subject to pre-employment screening and verification checks.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
Pass the agency’s standard testing protocol for the position to maintain employment in the role.
Have reliable transportation, proof of auto insurance, a valid state-issued driver’s license, and an acceptable driving history record.

Responsibilities

Initiate timely, face-to-face responses to screened-in reports of alleged child maltreatment and conduct assessments to identify and address safety concerns.
Immediately develop and implement safety plans to address identified safety concerns.
Conduct diligent search efforts to locate children and families when contact cannot be made.
Implement Solution Based Casework (SBC).
Partner with children and parents to develop and use the Family Functioning Agreement, Action Plan, and Family Plan to achieve individual and family-level outcomes.
Complete genograms to identify available family support networks.
Collaborate with community partners to create systems of support for children and families.
Ensure the frequency and quality of visits with children and families are adequate to support safety, permanency, and well-being.
Identify physical, educational, and mental or behavioral health needs of children, parents, and foster parents, and ensure identified needs are addressed.
Establish permanency goals for children.
Ensure foster care placements and living situations are stable, in the children’s best interests, and consistent with established permanency goals.
Make concerted efforts to achieve permanency for children in a timely manner and in accordance with the Adoptions and Safe Families Act.
Ensure siblings in foster care are placed together unless separation is necessary to meet a sibling’s needs.
Maintain children’s connections to their neighborhood, community, faith, extended family, tribe, school, and friends.
Promote and support positive, nurturing relationships between children in care and their biological parents or caretakers, including by encouraging and facilitating activities and interactions beyond visitation.
Document case management activities within policy time frames.
Celebrate positive outcomes with children and families.
Use a privately owned vehicle for work-related travel and duties, including transporting children.
Routinely serve on after-hours on-call duty.
Participate in ongoing learning and professional development opportunities.