CPS Family Based Safety Services Worker

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS•Bryan, TX

19h•Onsite

About The Position

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) aims to strengthen families and communities to ensure the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable adults through investigations, services, and referrals. This specific role, a CPS Family Based Safety Services Worker (also known as a Conservatorship Specialist), is legally responsible for a child's welfare when they are removed from their home and placed in CPS conservatorship. These specialists monitor children's care and work closely with parents, extended family, and legal parties to help children find a permanent, safe place to live. The position involves receiving cases after children are removed, determining their needs, ensuring appropriate referrals, and planning for permanency. DFPS is committed to professional development, offering a Certification Program to enhance skills and advance careers, with opportunities for additional compensation. The role may transition to a Community-Based Care (CBC) model by 2029, shifting from a state position to a private, non-profit agency, with potential changes in office location within the same county. This position can be filled at various levels (I to IV) depending on education and experience, and requires a drug screening and FBI fingerprint check. It is a mobile unit position, meaning most work is conducted using mobile technology outside the office, requiring independent work while remaining responsive to supervision.

Requirements

Knowledge of child development
Knowledge of family dynamics
Skill in effective verbal and written communication.
Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships.
Skill in problem solving techniques
Ability to operate a personal computer.
Ability to travel and attend child and family visits as well as other work related appointments and meetings after 5pm.
Ability to be on call on a rotating basis and work irregular hours.
Ability to work in an emotion-filled environment and which may require conducting home visits in isolated or high crime areas and may involve exposure to substandard and unsanitary living conditions.
Reliable motor vehicle
Acceptable driving record for the past five years
Current, valid Texas driver's license appropriate for the vehicle and passenger or cargo load
Proof of driving record, insurance, and license
Child Protective Services Conservatorship Worker I: An accredited Bachelor's degree OR accredited Associate's degree plus two (2) years of relevant work experience OR 60 accredited college credit hours plus two (2) years relevant work experience OR 90 accredited college credit hours plus one (1) year of relevant work experience. Examples of relevant work experience in social, human, or protective services include paid or volunteer work within social service agencies or communities providing services to families or other at-risk populations.
Child Protective Services Conservatorship Worker II: Employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist I for 9 months AND have received Child Protective Services Specialist Certification OR currently employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist II or Child Protective Investigations Specialist II in Texas Department of Family and Protective Services OR previously employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist II or Child Protective Investigations Specialist II in Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
Child Protective Services Conservatorship Worker III: Employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist II for 9 months AND have received Advanced Child Protective Services Specialist Certification OR currently employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist III or Child Protective Investigations Specialist III in Texas Department of Family and Protective Services OR previously employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist III or Child Protective Investigations Specialist III in Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
Child Protective Services Conservatorship Worker IV: Employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist III for 24 months AND have received Senior Advanced Child Protective Services Specialist Certification OR currently employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist IV or Child Protective Investigations Specialist IV in Texas Department of Family and Protective Services OR previously employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist IV or Child Protective Investigations Specialist IV in Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

Nice To Haves

Degree in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Human Development and Family Studies, Education, or Public Health.
Previous 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.

Responsibilities

Receives cases from investigators after children are removed from their homes, placed in CPS conservatorship, and placed in care outside their homes.
Determines each child’s needs and ensuring that appropriate referrals for testing, evaluations, records, or further assessments are made. Ensures all services are focused on achieving positive permanency.
Working with children, families, and communities to plan for a child's permanency.
Identifying potential permanency resources for the child through ongoing contact with parents, family members, and other individuals the child and family identify as important to them.
Searching for potential kinship providers throughout the case. Completing home studies of a child's family members or family friends (kinship providers) who might care for the child.
Meets with the parents to assess risk and safety issues, identify behavior changes necessary to achieve child safety, referring parents to appropriate services to address the identified needs to move towards positive permanency. Discusses with parents their progress towards making changes to behaviors that pose dangers to their child(ren).
Meets with children, parents, family friends, or foster homes in public as well as in their own homes.
Collaborates with a Placement Team, including Kinship staff, for placements, as needed.
Participates in meetings and conferences at times and places convenient for the family members as well as everyone involved in the case.
Visits children monthly to assess the child’s feeling of safety in their current home, to plan for permanency, and to discuss their needs, wishes, and progress while in care.
Attends and participates in court hearings about the child and family. This includes contacting the parties in the case before hearings, preparing court reports, and testifying in court on the child’s needs, the family’s progress, and the department’s efforts to achieve permanency for the child.
Keeps the child’s, parents, caregivers, court-appointed attorney and guardian ad litem(s) informed about the child’s circumstances and significant events.
Works with the department's attorney to prepare for contested-court hearings and trials.
Works with kinship caregivers and foster parents to ensure that they have what they need to care for the child or youth placed with them i.e., keeping them informed about developments in the case, returning phone calls, and in some areas of the state being available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week at certain times.
Transitions children home during reunification services and provides support to the family until the legal case is closed.
Supervises adoptive placements until the adoption is final or until the case is transferred to an adoption caseworker.
Using effective time-management skills to make sure all key tasks are done.
Documents case records by completing forms, narratives, and reports to form a written record for each client.
Develops and maintains effective working relationships between Child Protective Services staff and law enforcement officials, judicial officials, legal resources, medical professionals, and other community resources.
Performs other duties as assigned and required to maintain unit operations.
Promotes and demonstrates appropriate respect for cultural diversity among coworkers, clients, and all work-related contacts.
Attends work regularly in accordance with agency leave policy.

Benefits

100% paid health insurance for you, and 50% paid for eligible family members
Retirement plans with lifetime monthly payments after five years of state service
Options to save even more with 401(k) and 457 plans
Paid vacation
Paid holidays
Paid sick leave
Optional dental insurance
Optional vision insurance
Optional life insurance
Flexible spending accounts for added tax savings on health and dependent care
Employee discounts on things like gym memberships, electronics, and entertainment
Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility