Lead Social Caseworker – Children, Youth, & Family Services

El Paso County•El Paso, CO

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join El Paso County Children, Youth, & Family Services as a Lead Social Caseworker, where you’ll play a critical role in supporting children and families while also mentoring and guiding team members. This position blends leadership with hands-on casework, requiring strong organization, documentation, and time management skills. You’ll manage your own caseload while providing coaching, training, and support to staff, all within a collaborative child welfare environment. The work is dynamic and meaningful, involving in-office collaboration, home visits, court appearances, and occasional travel. If you're driven to make a lasting impact and thrive in a role that balances leadership with direct service, this is an opportunity to do both. Adolescent Intake Team: Specializes in assessing safety and support needs for adolescents and families through intake case management, including conducting interviews and home assessments, coordinating with community partners and service providers, attending court hearings and professional staffings, documenting case findings, and connecting youth and families with critical resources and support services. Ongoing Generalist Team: Provides comprehensive, generalist casework services across a diverse caseload, supporting children and families through ongoing services, court involvement, and regular home visits. Collaborates closely with community partners, service providers, caregivers, and multidisciplinary teams to promote child safety, family stability and permanency. Ongoing Sexual Abuse Intervention and Family Engagement Team: Provides specialized ongoing casework services for children and families involved in complex cases, including sexual abuse, substance abuse, domestic violence, and sibling victimization concerns, through court involvement, safety planning, family engagement, and collaboration with service providers, caregivers, and multidisciplinary teams to support child safety and family stability.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher from a higher education institution with course work related to the job responsibilities of child welfare social caseworker as stated in Volume 7. Course work examples can include and are not limited to, the development of human behavior, child development, family intervention techniques, diagnostic measures, or therapeutic techniques.
Two years of professional, internship, or volunteer work experience in a human service-related agency.
Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license and proof of automobile insurance as stated within El Paso County’s Personnel Policies Manual.
Must obtain and maintain necessary certifications as applicable to position.
Colorado State Child Welfare Caseworker Certification or the ability to successfully complete and pass initial examination within ninety days of enrollment.
Must pass conditional post offer background investigation to include fingerprinting, motor vehicle record check, and drug screen.
College transcripts required prior to the date of hire.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated leadership skills preferred.
Successful completion of a Bachelor’s Degree of Social Work (BSW) or Master's Degree of Social Work (MSW) internship in a human services-related agency may substitute for one year of the required experience.

Responsibilities

Provides lead work for a team, including assisting with training, technical support, orienting new employees, providing guidance and mentoring, and resolving complex problems and issues to meet the needs of clients.
Provides input and support to the leadership regarding applicable performance evaluations.
Fosters a team atmosphere that is inclusive and supportive.
Provides casework and assessment services for teams as directed.
Reviews and ensures incorporation of treatment and work plans from the court, caseworkers, providers, and community partners.
Interviews clients and develops appropriate treatment plans as needed.
Initiates and/or coordinates home studies and provides intensive casework services to families and children related to assigned functional area.
As assigned, reports and/or investigates allegations of child abuse and assesses imminent danger for children; makes referrals to community resources and collateral contacts.
Monitors clients' progress and ensures that needed services are being provided, that treatment plans are being followed through in a timely manner, and determines the appropriateness of the placement and services provided.
Ensures services are being provided effectively and in a timely manner for the safety and wellbeing of the child.
Provides crisis management and coordinates support services for clients to resolve problems, barriers, and conflicts.
Acts as a liaison for the DHS and consults with other caseworkers and community professionals on case situations, treatment/case plans, issues, and problems.
Attends and testifies in court hearings and mediations; completes appropriate paperwork, documentation, petitions, reports, reviews, etc., for court hearings; monitors clients' compliance with court orders; serves temporary custody notices and petitions the court for verbal orders.
Prepares for and participates in meetings and staffings.
Mediates any disagreements during meetings and staffings; builds consensus to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the child.
Addresses child safety issues in the home to mitigate safety concerns as assigned; ensures that children in the department's custody or supervision receive necessary interventions.
Documents all contacts and ensures that all paperwork and documentation are accurately completed and filed; completes necessary case information reports, inputs updates into database.
Arranges and provides transportation for clients to appointments, therapy, school, court hearings, pre-placement visits, etc.
Ensures compliance with Federal, State, and County laws, outcome measures, rules, and regulations; reviews cases to ensure case plans are developed and implemented.
Provides support to Practice and Support and Services teams within the CYFS Division as needed.
Assists with collecting, monitoring, and reporting team statistics, data, and outcomes.
Facilitates meetings as needed.
Performs other duties as required.