Local Permanency Specialist I-IV

Department of Public Safety • Conroe, TX

36d • Remote

About The Position

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) works to build on strengths of families and communities to keep children and vulnerable adults safe, so they thrive. We do this through investigations, services, and referrals. This role involves providing direct support services to children placed outside of their home regions, ensuring their well-being and facilitating permanency. The Local Permanency Specialist will be responsible for visiting children and caregivers, documenting contacts, participating in various child-related meetings, and coordinating with primary caseworkers. This position requires extensive travel and flexibility to accommodate client needs.

Requirements

• Current or former DFPS employees with at least one full year of full-time experience in Child Protective Services or child placement services in a public social services agency.
• 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.
• Staff must maintain CPS Certification status required by agency.
• Skills in effective verbal and written communication.
• Skills in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships.
• Good organizational skills/time management.
• Ability to operate a personal computer and use of IMPACT.
• Ability to travel as well travel long distances by vehicle & airplane as needed.
• Flexibility in schedule to accommodate for late evening contacts.
• Appreciates team efforts and support to complete tasks as a group when necessary.
• Working toward maintaining and adjusting to embody values of agency: Commitment, Compassion, Inclusiveness, Integrity and Respect.

Nice To Haves

• Conservatorship experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Visit/make contact with the child and caregiver at the placement within 15 days of assignment.
• Enter a face-to-face contact in child’s IMPACT SUB stage within 24 hours or within seven days of contact, no later than the last day of the month or in some situations before the 5 day of the new month to ensure state office counts the monthly face to face contact.
• Participate in and document Treatment Plan Reviews, Transition Plans, ARD meetings, Circle of Support, Permanency Roundtables, medical appointments, and any other child meetings whenever possible.
• Notify the primary caseworker of any changes affecting the child or the child’s placement.
• Attend court hearings to include regional court hearings, juvenile detention hearings, child support cases, citizenship hearings.
• Act as the designated medical consenter as needed for medical or other surgical procedures.
• Participate in psychiatric medication reviews when children & youth are placed in Residential Treatment & GRO facilities, document in Impact as well as send related documentation to the primary worker.
• Assist with coordination of parent child or sibling visitation.
• Assist with child placement transitions/placements.
• Assist with the referral process for Child Safe requests.
• Assist with the referral process for Developmental Intellectual Disability assessments.
• Complete abuse hotline referrals when a child makes an outcry regarding treatment or care in their placements.
• Collect and prepare children’s belongings for return to the child or their caseworker.
• Assist other regions with last minute emergency needs.
• Assist State Office with Child Safety Checks and other related tasks as requested.
• Ensure that Kinship families have been referred to the Kinship program for support services when they have not been referred by the region of placement.
• Referring and transporting, aging out youth to the local PAL youth center for intake services.
• Assist with temporary supervision of children medically hospitalized until hospital sitting services are coordinated.
• Transport youth on outings such as shopping or lunch for birthdays and goal achievements.
• Attend child and youth school or extra-curricular activities to support child’s interests.
• Assist with child without placement supervision and tasks as needed.
• Provide direct support services to meet the specific needs of the child; monthly contact with child, attend case staffing, educational meetings, medical appointments, therapeutic appointments.
• Assess placement to ensure for appropriateness regarding to the child's health and well-being.
• Documents monthly narratives, communicates with primary worker to assist in the completion of child's plan of service, common application, and court report.
• Develops and maintains effective working relationships between CPS staff, community providers, kinship/relative caregivers, law enforcement officials, judicial officials.
• Perform other duties as assigned and required to maintain unit operations.

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
• 401(k) and 457 plans
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave
• Optional dental, vision, and 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

What This Job Offers

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