Native American Tribal Liaison

Siouxland Human Investment Partnership•Sioux City, IA

About The Position

The Native American Tribal Liaison serves as a Family/Tribal Liaison for cases involving Native American families and works with families through the life of each case. The role builds team knowledge of Tribal, Native, and community resources; maintains Tribal contacts and case-related tracking; and helps families mobilize resources and develop informal support systems. Liaisons work with Tribes, families, placement providers, social workers, and community groups to support culturally appropriate services and compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). During CPS assessment, the Liaison contacts the assigned Child Protection Worker (CPW) by the next business day after notification of a new Native American case. The Liaison communicates with Tribes, helps clarify Tribal eligibility and enrollment, supports information exchange and Tribal involvement, gathers family ancestry and background information, assists with relative placement options, and participates in visits, meetings, and court hearings. For ongoing cases, the Liaison supports families in pursuing Family Case Plan outcomes, coordinates cultural planning for children placed outside the home, and connects families with community and cultural resources. The role also includes documenting case activity, maintaining case and resource records, participating in supervisory conferences and staff meetings as needed, and contributing to approved community activities such as trainings, cultural events, Tribal meetings, and foster-home recruitment efforts. A high school diploma or equivalent is required.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Ability to maintain contact with each assigned family at least monthly.
Ability to document case activity within five days and update case tracking weekly.

Responsibilities

Work with Native American families through the life of the case and help mobilize resources as needs are identified.
Develop team knowledge of Tribal, Native, and community resources that can support families and informal support systems.
Maintain an up-to-date Tribal contact list, Outlook calendar, and tracking of flexible or emergency family resources.
Complete activity reports as requested and contribute to Project Reports.
Review case files as needed and maintain knowledge of assigned cases.
Upon notification of a new Native American CPS case, contact the assigned CPW no later than the next business day.
Communicate with Tribes verbally and in writing as early as possible in a case; facilitate information exchange with DHS and explain DHS and State court structures to Tribes and vice versa.
Assist in determining Tribal eligibility and enrollment status, including obtaining paternity affidavits, and support Tribal enrollment when needed.
Promote Tribal involvement in services, court proceedings, and family team meetings; request home studies and follow up with relatives on reservations.
Complete an Ancestry Chart with the family within 20 working days of intake and update it as new information is obtained.
Contact each family at least monthly, gather family background information, and help clarify Native American heritage, enrollment status, and ICWA applicability.
Identify potential relative placement options, assist with letters to relatives after a removal, and complete the relative log.
Conduct home visits; attend court hearings, family-focused meetings, family interaction meetings, and other assigned meetings as appropriate.
Make referrals, obtain releases for culturally appropriate services, and connect families with Native, community, and cultural resources.
Work with birth and placement families to develop cultural plans, in coordination with the CPW and family, and help link families to community resources.
Support ICWA-compliant service delivery, including helping locate expert witnesses and supporting active efforts.
Document all case activity within five days, including attempted contacts, phone calls, and in-person contacts; during ongoing services, email the narrative form to the social worker.
Educate non-Native placement providers about Native culture and support foster homes as requested by the CPW.
Attend transfer or handoff meetings for cases moving to ongoing services and provide the completed packet to the SW2 for the case file; if a case is not transferred, phase out involvement and place the packet in the Liaison's file cabinet.
Attend the five-day meeting with FSRP and the DHS social worker for ongoing cases; advocate for and support families in obtaining Family Case Plan outcomes.
Attend and participate in assigned-case meetings and court hearings as needed; meet with families independently of the social worker when needed to perform Liaison duties.
Provide transportation in some last-resort instances.
For children placed out of home, explore cultural practices and values with parents or caregivers, document conversations, and share information with the social worker to support a cultural connectivity plan, prioritizing children in non-Indian homes.
Contact the Tribe before each court hearing to encourage participation, arrange telephonic appearances when needed, and make reminder calls.
Update the data tracking sheet weekly.
Participate in approved committee and community work, speak at trainings with supervisor approval, arrange cultural events and DHS/Tribal meetings and tours, and help plan and implement cultural activities for Native children involved with DHS.
Attend CPS staff meetings as needed and participate in a monthly supervisory conference, reporting case and community activity.