Social Worker, Child Protection

The Child Protection division of Human Services Public Health in Health and Human Services is seeking to fill multiple Child Protection Social Worker (CPSW) vacancies. The primary functions of these positions are listed below. Each individual vacancy will have specialized duties and responsibilities depending on the area of assignment: Investigations, Case Management, Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Investigations, ICWA Case Management, Intake (Screening), Intake (Rapid Response Team), and Opioid Response Team.

The new Child Protection Social Workers will participate in the induction training on Hennepin County's policies, procedures, and practices as well as mandated Department of Human Services training. This will include in-person and virtual instructor-led training, court room training, job shadowing other Child Protection Social Workers on a rotational basis, and close supervision while receiving initial case assignments.

Hennepin County is an agency that strives towards an equitable, respectful, and diverse workplace. Individuals hired into these positions will support decreasing disparities in this work and will work towards supporting families, youth, and children in a trauma informed and culturally appropriate way.

Current Hennepin County employees who refer a candidate hired into an open competitive position may be eligible for a $500 referral bonus. For more information visit employee referral program. 

Location and hours:
These positions are hybrid and will be performed both on-site at various designated Child Protection satellite offices, in the community, and remote as job duties require. Work hours will typically be Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. but flexibility will be required to work outside of these hours and at times that will include evenings and weekends. Some positions may require working in a 24/7 environment including overnights, weekends, and holidays. Additionally, various Child Protection Social Worker positions will require being able to report/respond in person to an emergent situation within 30 to 60 minutes. While these positions are designated as hybrid, based on current requirements hires must reside in or relocate to Minnesota or Wisconsin. New Employee Orientation (NEO) for all new benefit-earning employees is in-person in downtown Minneapolis. Details about NEO will be provided upon hire.
 
About these position types:
All of these positions are full-time, benefit earning positions.
These positions are internally classified as a Social Worker, Child Protection.
Click here to view the job classification specification.

Candidates will be hired into one of these areas based on hiring need:          

• Investigation Child Protection Social Workers conduct investigations/assessments of alleged maltreatment by interviewing alleged victims, offenders, parents, and witnesses. These CPSWs work collaboratively with other professionals (school and daycare staff, law enforcement, medical care providers, etc.) to gather pertinent information regarding child safety and risk. They will assess for needs and strengths of each family, often making referrals for services internally and/or in the community. In collaboration with their supervisor, they determine if maltreatment occurred, who is responsible for the maltreatment, and what measures are needed to ensure the child(ren) are safe. These CPSWs do not respond to overnight or weekend calls.
• Case Management Child Protection Social Workers provide direct social work services to families in which abuse or neglect has been determined to have occurred in order to protect children from further harm, support and connect families in creating sustainable safety, and develop a plan for permanency when children are not able to safely return to their parent’s care. These CPSWs work in partnership with department and community resources to reduce risk to children, working alongside families to address issues such as parenting, domestic violence, mental illness, and chemical dependency. These CPSWs will also be represented in Juvenile Court by the County Attorney's office and will be responsible for reporting and carrying out the statutory mandates.
• ICWA Investigation or Case Management Child Protection Social Workers are part of the ICWA-specific Investigations or Case Management units to provide Investigation or Case Management services to Native American families as defined in, and governed by, the Federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA).
• Intake (Rapid Response Team) are child protection first responders who address immediate threats to the safety of children. Often, RRT staff respond to families in crisis where the crisis is presenting outside regular business hours. During times that RRT staff are not responding to families in the community, they provide additional coverage for Intake duties - receiving, documenting, and processing reports of child maltreatment. The schedules for these positions are set hours that often include non-traditional shift hours (such as four ten-hour shifts, three twelve-hour shifts, etc.) and require working in a 24/7 environment including overnights, weekends, and holidays. 
• Opioid Response Team Child Protection Social Workers are part of a unit that will address parental opioid use along with mental health issues, safe parenting, domestic violence, and other identified service needs in partnership with internal and external service providers. These CPSWs will provide intense, wrap around, in-home services to ensure the safety of newborns in the care of mothers, and support mothers with addressing opioid dependency.

In these positions, you will:          

• Attend on-line interactions, meetings, and court hearings remotely.
• Attend in-person interactions, meetings, trainings, and court hearings in designated Child Protection satellite offices or other community agencies.
• Conduct in-person visits in client homes and various other community locations.

 

Need to have:

• One of the following:
  • Master's degree or higher in social work or a closely related field with course work emphasis in areas such as social work methods, human growth and behavior, or principles of social welfare. (Those expecting to complete their master's degree in the areas listed within the next two months will also be considered.)
  • Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or human services, and 18 semester (27 quarter) credits or more of graduate work in the above areas, and three or more years of full-time equivalent experience as a social worker.
  • Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or human services, and 18 semester (27 quarter) credits or more of graduate work in the above areas, and one or more years of full-time equivalent experience in child welfare or completion of a Hennepin County internship in child welfare.
  • Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or human services, and two or more years of full-time equivalent experience in child welfare.
• A valid driver's license, the ability to obtain a Hennepin County driver's permit and daily access to reliable transportation sufficient to transport clients (including children) and to attend court hearings and various other meetings. Regular travel, sometimes daily, is required throughout Hennepin County, broader Minnesota, and the surrounding areas.
• The ability to work occasional evenings and weekends throughout Hennepin County.

 

Nice to have:    

• Knowledge of and experience working with child protection systems. 
• Internship and/or volunteer experience in a social services environment.
• Experience:
  • Providing comprehensive social worker case management services with children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds.
  • Developing care and case plans that meet the needs of and ensure safety and stability for clients and families.
  • Partnering with social workers, departmental staff, collateral resources, and others to develop work agreements and outcome-focused relationships to assist clients/families in achieving their goals.
• Effective communication skills, both verbally and in writing including phone skills to obtain accurate data from reports and writing skills to record the information clearly and concisely.
• Bilingual skills in English and another language(s).
• Advanced skill in a variety of computer applications including SSIS, ECF, and/or comparable programs.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple competing priorities in a timely manner.

Candidates with fluency in another language(s) in addition to English are encouraged to apply. Bilingual candidates who pass a language assessment may qualify for additional bilingual pay and duties. 

About the department:

Human Services delivers a variety of services to individuals or families that assist with basic needs or encourage client change around specific objectives. We work with individuals as well as systems and communities in order to develop policy and advocate for the people we serve. The people we serve and our communities are connected. By helping one, we help the other. 

About Hennepin County: Hennepin is the largest county government organization in Minnesota. Our employees work every day to improve the health, safety and quality of life for our residents and communities. All of our jobs align with our mission to serve residents through transformative services that reduce disparities, eliminate inequities, and create opportunity for all and our vision of a community where all people are healthy, all people are valued, and all people thrive. 

Our employees receive a combination of competitive benefits and positive workplace culture not found at other organizations. This includes meaningful work that impacts our community, competitive pay, work-life balance, a variety of benefits and opportunities to grow. Learn more at The Bridge (login as Guest). 

Hennepin County envisions an organization where our commitment to diversity and the reduction of disparities is fundamental in providing excellent service to our community.

 Your future. Made here.

 This posting may be used to fill current and future vacancies.

Watch this video for application best practices and tips. 
 
These positions may have access to systems or other documentation that contains HIPAA data.
 
Invitations to interview will be based upon an assessment of education and experience. Final candidates may be required to complete a driver's license check, drug test that may include testing for cannabis, and/or a criminal background check. 

If you have any questions, please contact:
Rebecca.Maddaus@hennepin.us

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Salary : $74,396 - $112,371