CPS Family Based Safety Services Worker

Texas Health & Human Services Commission • Flower Mound, TX

1d • $3,817 - $5,372 • Onsite

About The Position

The CPS Family Based Safety Services Worker helps families make changes after an investigation to protect children from abuse and neglect and keep them safe at home. The worker provides time-limited in-home services using agency, community, and extended-family resources. The position may be filled at a level from Specialist I through Specialist IV, with starting salary potentially determined by education and experience. Newly hired employees with a Master’s Degree in Social Work may qualify for an increase at the point of hire.

The position operates in a mobile unit, with most work conducted away from the office using mobile technology such as a tablet. The worker is expected to work independently while remaining responsive to supervision and the assigned unit. The role requires frequent travel to homes and offices, including outside the assigned region, and occasional overnight travel. The posting estimates travel at up to 75%, and elsewhere states approximately 60% of time on the road. Telework is not available. The worker must work flexible hours beyond the standard Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. schedule, may be on call on a rotating basis, and may need to respond to situations with little notice.

The position requires a personal motor vehicle, reliable transportation, an acceptable driving record for the previous five years, and a current, valid Texas driver's license appropriate for the vehicle and its passenger or cargo load. Applicants must provide proof of driving record, insurance, and license. Applicants selected for hire must pass a background check and, if applicable, a driver’s record check.

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 work experience may include paid or volunteer work in social, human, or protective services, including work with social service agencies or communities serving families or other at-risk populations.
• For Worker II, meet the applicable education and experience criteria and have the specified prior DFPS specialist experience or certification: Specialist I employment for nine months with Child Protective Services Specialist Certification, or current or previous employment as a Specialist II in CPS or Child Protective Investigations.
• For Worker III, meet the applicable education and experience criteria and have the specified prior DFPS specialist experience or certification: Specialist II employment for nine months with Advanced Child Protective Services Specialist Certification, or current or previous employment as a Specialist III in CPS or Child Protective Investigations.
• For Worker IV, meet the applicable education and experience criteria and have the specified prior DFPS specialist experience or certification: Specialist III employment for 24 months with Senior Advanced Child Protective Services Specialist Certification, or current or previous employment as a Specialist IV in CPS or Child Protective Investigations.
• 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 techniques.
• Ability to operate a personal computer.
• Ability to travel and attend child and family visits and other work-related appointments and meetings after 5 p.m.
• Ability to work irregular hours and be on call on a rotating basis.
• Ability to work in an emotion-filled environment, including conducting home visits in isolated or high-crime areas and potentially encountering substandard or unsanitary living conditions.
• Reliable personal motor vehicle and 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 must be provided.
• Applicants selected for hire must pass a background check and, if applicable, a driver’s record check.

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 newly hired employees for an increase at the point of hire.

Responsibilities

• Respond quickly in crisis situations.
• Provide time-limited in-home services by identifying insufficient protective capacities, developing treatment plans, and using appropriate resources to reduce risk and protect children.
• Maintain contact with parents and children to achieve treatment goals.
• Assess child safety and take appropriate steps to protect the child, which may include removing the child from the family.
• Interact objectively with caretakers who have abused or neglected children in their care.
• Discuss private family matters, including income, money management, and personal relationships.
• Help identify resources and community support for families.
• Help parents recognize behaviors that lead to abuse or neglect and identify necessary behavioral changes.
• Determine actions to remove or reduce immediate threats to child safety, including identifying family members who can help keep a child safe, testifying in court to seek emergency protective services, placing children in substitute care, and referring families to crisis intervention therapy or other community resources.
• Gather family and kinship information to support a child in a placement if the child enters DFPS custody.
• Document relevant information gathered during the investigation and complete required forms accurately and on time.
• Maintain objectivity and empathic understanding when engaging families in stressful or crisis situations.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with law enforcement, judicial officials, legal resources, medical professionals, and other community resources.
• Attend and participate in trainings, meetings, and staffings.
• Perform other duties as assigned and required to maintain unit operations.
• Promote and demonstrate respect for cultural diversity and competency among coworkers and work-related contacts.
• Attend work regularly in accordance with agency leave policy.

Benefits

• 100% paid health insurance for the employee and 50% paid 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.
• Flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care.
• Employee discounts on gym memberships, electronics, and entertainment.
• Potential eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
• DFPS Certification Program offering professional development and the opportunity to earn additional compensation.
• DFPS cellular phone for employees in eligible positions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree