CPS Conservatorship Worker

Texas Health & Human Services Commission • SAN ANGELO, TX

2d • $3,817 - $5,372 • Onsite

About The Position

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) hires CPS Conservatorship Workers to serve as legal conservators for children removed from their homes and placed in CPS care. Workers monitor children’s care and work with children, parents, relatives, caregivers, legal parties, and community resources to help each child reach a safe, permanent living arrangement. The role may be filled at the Specialist I through IV level, with starting salary potentially based on education and experience. Newly hired employees with a Master’s degree in Social Work may qualify for a higher starting salary.

The position is based in San Angelo and is not eligible for telework. It is a mobile role in which most work is conducted away from the office using mobile technology such as a tablet. Frequent travel to homes and offices is required, including travel within and outside the assigned region; the posting estimates travel at about 60% of the time in one section and up to 85% in the position details. Some overnight travel is required, particularly for initial training and as cases demand. The schedule is listed as day shift, but workers may need to attend visits and appointments after 5 p.m., work irregular hours, and participate in a rotating on-call schedule.

The role requires use of the employee’s personal motor vehicle, a current valid Texas driver’s license, reliable transportation, an acceptable five-year driving record, and proof of license, insurance, and driving record. Applicants considered for hire must pass applicable drug, background, fingerprint, and driver-record checks. The role may transition to a private nonprofit Single Source Continuum Contractor as Community-Based Care is implemented; office location may change within the same county before 2029.

DFPS offers a certification program intended to support professional development and career advancement, including the opportunity to earn additional compensation. Newly hired employees in eligible positions will be assigned a DFPS cellular phone. The posting describes state employee benefits, including paid health insurance for the employee and partial coverage for eligible family members, retirement plans, paid leave, optional insurance, flexible spending accounts, employee discounts, and possible eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Requirements

• For Worker I, an accredited bachelor’s degree, or an accredited associate’s degree plus two years of relevant work experience, or 60 accredited college credit hours plus two years of relevant work experience, or 90 accredited college credit hours plus one year of relevant work experience.
• Relevant experience may include paid or volunteer work in social, human, or protective services, such as services to families or other at-risk populations.
• For Worker II, meet the stated education and experience threshold and also have qualifying DFPS Specialist II status, or have been employed as a CPS Specialist I for nine months and received CPS Specialist Certification.
• For Worker III, meet the stated education and experience threshold and also have qualifying DFPS Specialist III status, or have been employed as a CPS Specialist II for nine months and received Advanced CPS Specialist Certification.
• For Worker IV, meet the stated education and experience threshold and also have qualifying DFPS Specialist IV status, or have been employed as a CPS Specialist III for 24 months and received Senior Advanced CPS Specialist Certification.
• Knowledge of child development and family dynamics.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships and in problem solving.
• Ability to operate a personal computer.
• Ability to travel and attend child and family visits and other work appointments and meetings after 5 p.m.
• Ability to participate in a rotating on-call schedule and work irregular hours.
• Ability to work in an emotionally intense environment, including conducting home visits in isolated or high-crime areas and potentially encountering substandard or unsanitary living conditions.
• Use a personal motor vehicle for job functions; have reliable transportation, a current valid Texas driver’s license appropriate for the vehicle and passenger or cargo load, and an acceptable driving record for the previous five years; provide proof of driving record, insurance, and license.
• Pass applicable drug screening, background checks, FBI fingerprint check, and driver-record check.
• Meet the physical and visual requirements described in the posting, with reasonable accommodations possible.

Nice To Haves

• Degree in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Human Development and Family Studies, Education, or Public Health.
• Professional or volunteer experience in a government agency, nonprofit, child protection, foster care, juvenile justice, mental health, or substance abuse services.
• Familiarity with trauma-informed care or experience conducting interviews or assessments with children and families.
• A Master’s degree in Social Work may qualify a newly hired employee for an increase at hire.

Responsibilities

• Receive cases from investigators after children are removed from their homes and placed in CPS conservatorship and out-of-home care.
• Assess each child’s needs and ensure appropriate referrals for testing, evaluations, records, or further assessments; focus services on positive permanency.
• Work with children, families, and communities to plan for a child’s permanency.
• Identify potential permanency resources through ongoing contact with parents, relatives, and other people important to the child and family.
• Search for potential kinship providers and complete home studies of relatives or family friends who may care for the child.
• Meet with parents to assess risk and safety, identify behavioral changes needed to achieve child safety, refer parents to services, and discuss progress toward change.
• Meet with children, parents, family friends, and foster homes in public locations and in their homes.
• Collaborate with the Placement Team, including Kinship staff, regarding placements as needed.
• Participate in meetings and conferences at times and locations convenient for family members and others involved in the case.
• Visit children monthly to assess their sense of safety, plan for permanency, and discuss their needs, wishes, and progress in care.
• Attend and participate in court hearings; contact case parties before hearings, prepare court reports, and testify about the child’s needs, family progress, and the department’s efforts to achieve permanency.
• Keep the child, parents, caregivers, court-appointed attorney, and guardian ad litem informed about the child’s circumstances and significant events.
• Work with the department’s attorney to prepare for contested hearings and trials.
• Support kinship caregivers and foster parents by providing needed information and responding to calls; in some areas, be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at designated times.
• Support family reunification transitions and continue providing services until the legal case closes.
• Supervise adoptive placements until adoption is finalized or the case transfers to an adoption caseworker.
• Use effective time-management skills to complete key tasks.
• Document case records by completing forms, narratives, and reports.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with CPS staff, law enforcement, judicial officials, legal resources, medical professionals, and other community resources.
• Perform other duties as assigned and required to maintain unit operations.
• Promote and demonstrate respect for cultural diversity among coworkers, clients, and work-related contacts.
• Attend work regularly in accordance with agency leave policy.

Benefits

• 100% paid health insurance for the employee and 50% paid coverage for eligible family members.
• Retirement plans with lifetime monthly payments after five years of state service, plus options to save through 401(k) and 457 plans.
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave.
• Optional dental, vision, and life insurance at rates described as lower than most private plans.
• Flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care.
• Employee discounts on gym memberships, electronics, and entertainment.
• Possible eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
• DFPS Certification Program offering professional development and an opportunity to earn additional compensation.
• DFPS cellular phone for newly hired employees in eligible positions.

What This Job Offers

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