SENIOR CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATOR - 60074003

State of Florida•Naples, FL

About The Position

This is work performing in all community, public health and social service specialist occupations not listed separately. Some positions in this occupation may be responsible for coordinating work and supervising employees. Senior Child Protective Investigator duties and responsibilities are as follows. Conducts investigations regarding allegations of abuse, neglect, abandonment and/or special conditions for children; Works closely with law enforcement; Collects information through observation and interviews with the children, parents, relatives, neighbors, and other parties associated with the case, as well as analysis of criminal, past service history and other records; Engages families to understand the family’s perspectives about family dynamics, challenges and solutions, identifies needs and determines the level of intervention needed to include voluntary services or court ordered dependency services; Assesses danger threats, child vulnerabilities and caregiver protective capacities in order to determine whether a child is safe or not safe; Develops with family and other persons as necessary any required present and/or impending danger plans based on analysis of danger threats in operation; Manages and modifies safety plans as necessary during the course of the investigation; Arranges emergency placement for any child that cannot safely remain in the home; Notifies state attorney, law enforcement, child protection team and other required individuals as appropriate; Provides written present and impending danger assessments; Completes Risk Assessment on families investigated and explains risk score to family; Conduct staffing’s required for families with risk scores that are High and Very High Risk; Presents safety plan and impending danger assessment at case management case transfer staffing and participates in discussion as to recommended follow-up actions; Provides families with services linkages to agency and community resources based on needs assessment and provides recommendations for development of case plan to Case Manager; Conducts initial/ongoing child present and impending danger assessments; Develops with the family a signed Present Danger Plan and a signed safety plan for any identified threats and interventions; Schedules and gathers information for and participates in case staffings; Prepares appropriate reports/documentation in coordination with Children’s Legal Services and provides testimony in court; Maintains thorough documentation in the client records/appropriate information system(s) and maintains organized client files; Reports indication of abuse, neglect and/or abandonment to the Florida Abuse Hotline; Establishes and maintains cooperative and professional working relationships with organizations and other agencies involved with child protective investigations such as community based providers, Children’s Legal Services, law enforcement, medical personnel, schools, and other community/agency resources;

Requirements

Knowledge of information and techniques needed to rehabilitate physical and mental ailments and to provide career guidance including alternative treatments, rehabilitation equipment and its proper use, and methods to evaluate treatment effects
Knowledge of methods of compiling, organizing and analyzing data for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating
Knowledge of human behavior and performance, mental processes, psychological research methods, and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services including needs assessment techniques, quality service standards, alternative delivery systems, and customer satisfaction evaluation techniques
Knowledge of instructional methods and training techniques including curriculum design principles, learning theory, group and individual teaching techniques, design of individual development plans, and test design principles
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar

Responsibilities

Conducts investigations regarding allegations of abuse, neglect, abandonment and/or special conditions for children
Works closely with law enforcement
Collects information through observation and interviews with the children, parents, relatives, neighbors, and other parties associated with the case, as well as analysis of criminal, past service history and other records
Engages families to understand the family’s perspectives about family dynamics, challenges and solutions, identifies needs and determines the level of intervention needed to include voluntary services or court ordered dependency services
Assesses danger threats, child vulnerabilities and caregiver protective capacities in order to determine whether a child is safe or not safe
Develops with family and other persons as necessary any required present and/or impending danger plans based on analysis of danger threats in operation
Manages and modifies safety plans as necessary during the course of the investigation
Arranges emergency placement for any child that cannot safely remain in the home
Notifies state attorney, law enforcement, child protection team and other required individuals as appropriate
Provides written present and impending danger assessments
Completes Risk Assessment on families investigated and explains risk score to family
Conduct staffing’s required for families with risk scores that are High and Very High Risk
Presents safety plan and impending danger assessment at case management case transfer staffing and participates in discussion as to recommended follow-up actions
Provides families with services linkages to agency and community resources based on needs assessment and provides recommendations for development of case plan to Case Manager
Conducts initial/ongoing child present and impending danger assessments
Develops with the family a signed Present Danger Plan and a signed safety plan for any identified threats and interventions
Schedules and gathers information for and participates in case staffings
Prepares appropriate reports/documentation in coordination with Children’s Legal Services and provides testimony in court
Maintains thorough documentation in the client records/appropriate information system(s) and maintains organized client files
Reports indication of abuse, neglect and/or abandonment to the Florida Abuse Hotline
Establishes and maintains cooperative and professional working relationships with organizations and other agencies involved with child protective investigations such as community based providers, Children’s Legal Services, law enforcement, medical personnel, schools, and other community/agency resources