Child & Family Services Supervisor

Salary : Depends on Qualifications

Location : 500 Fir Avenue West Fergus Falls, MN

Job Type : Full-Time

Job Number : 64 : 01 / 25

Department : Human Services

Opening Date : 01 / 30 / 2025

Closing Date : 2 / 14 / 2025 4 : 30 PM Central

Description

Otter Tail County is accepting applications for a full-time Child & Family Services Supervisor. The purpose of this position is to supervise Child and Family Services programs including, but not limited to, child protection investigations, assessments and case management, Child and Family Services intake, permanency and / or licensing functions and all related guidelines, rules, and regulations.

In general, Social Services Supervisors perform highly responsible professional work in the administration and supervision of social services programs involving the interpretation and assessment of policies and the supervision of professional, paraprofessional and office support personnel assigned to the social services division / unit. Specific program areas include : child protective services, adult protective services, mental health case management, developmental disabilities case management, long term care services, chemical dependency services, foster care, day care, family-based services, or school-based social services. Management functions include : plan, organize, assign, schedule, monitor, coordinate and evaluate the work of unit members; to provide training and guidance; to provide diagnostic and consultative services within the specialty area, to develop programs, policies and procedures, to allocate resources in program areas by developing budgets, and to monitor financial transactions and negotiate contracts with providers.

Examples of Duties

• Work collaboratively with the management team to define vision for the agency; establish goals, objectives and priorities to meet service needs.
• Participate in long term strategic planning. Collect and analyze data to monitor trends and developments relating to client and program needs. Monitor changing conditions.
• Develop and maintain a provider network to ensure adequate service delivery. Negotiate new contracts with providers and maintain ongoing contracts as needed. Monitor service delivery.
• Maintain liaison with representatives of public and private social service agencies, represent SS agency in committee assignments, in interactions with community groups and in public speaking engagements.
• Analyze and evaluate existing policies and procedures, formulate, and implement new or revised policies and procedures as warranted.
• Participate as a member of department management team. Attend and participate in management meetings to represent assigned programs. Submit agenda items for consideration. Meet with director and other unit managers to exchange information, for planning and to coordinate activities.
• Administration and supervision of programs including chemical dependency, child protection and child welfare, adult and children's mental health, family services collaborative, adult services and programs, childcare and foster care licensing, long-term care coordination, IV-E program management, agency data analysis services, developmental disabilities, and disability waivers.
• Develop, plan, and administer assigned programs.
• Assess program performance, analyze changing conditions affecting service delivery (legislation, rules, regulations service demands, budget) and develop and implement plans, polices or procedures to modify or expand service to meet these changing demands for direct and purchased services.
• Assist in planning and development of the social service budget.
• Monitor budget and keep staff apprised of budget deviations.
• Manage and administer all unit and program budgets.
• Approve unusual or discretionary expenditures when necessary.
• Supervise the work of social workers and case aides in a unit by hiring staff, assigning cases, evaluating work performance, and providing guidance for development, ensuring staff compliance with federal, state, and local developmental laws, policies, procedures, and regulations; conducting case consultations and unit meetings with social workers to monitor service delivery and resolve problems; recommending and administering disciplinary action; other supervision activities.
• Provide 24 / 7 coverage for social service situations.
• Receives and responds to complaints or informational requests from clients, officials and the public.
• Recommends legal action to the county attorney regarding client cases.
• Plans, develops, and presents informational training sessions to unit staff.
• Assists in interpreting laws, policies, rules, and regulations.
• Develop and negotiate service agreements, develop requests for proposals, conduct grant writing activities and submit required reports.
• May assist with duties and responsibilities as outlined in the County Emergency Operations Plan and Continuity of Operations Plan.

Minimum Qualifications

Supplemental Information

This position is regularly scheduled to work 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday, 8 : 00-4 : 30, with the potential for evening or weekend hours. The 2025 starting salary for this position is $83,221 annually, depending on qualifications, with advancement to $124,758 annually.

The selection process will include an online employment application and supplemental questionnaire. Semi-finalists will be invited to interview. Prior to hire, finalist will be required to pass a background investigation and reference check. A standard one year probationary period applies.

Please note : This position is considered a safety-sensitive position due to the essential job duties in accordance with Minn. Stat. §181.950, Subd. 13. Safety-sensitive employees are subject to pre-employment drug testing and random drug and alcohol testing. In addition, all employees are subject to drug and alcohol testing upon reasonable suspicion / cause, return-to-duty, follow-up, and post-accident.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, click on desired job title, then the "Apply" link. On-line applications are stored on a secure site. Only you and authorized employees of Otter Tail County have access to the information submitted.

When filling out any employment application materials for Otter Tail County, you must include your entire employment and education history. Failure to do so may render your application incomplete.

Veterans Preference

Eligible veterans as defined by Minnesota Statute 197.447 may claim Veterans Preference during the hiring process. A DD214 and required supporting documentation must be included with the employment application to receive preference.

Background Investigation

All employment offers are contingent upon the applicant passing a background investigation which may include, but are not limited to, gathering information from the following sources : Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, other law enforcement agencies, court documents, educational institutions, previous employers, Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services, military records, Immigration and Naturalization Services, and known associates of the applicant.

Criminal convictions are not an automatic bar to employment. Each case is considered on its individual merits and the type of work sought. Making false statements or withholding information during the hiring process will cause you to be barred from employment or removed from employment.

Otter Tail County is a tobacco-free workplace.

Otter Tail County does not discriminate on the basis of political affiliation, race, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, sex (pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation), marital status, familial status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local commission, disability, or genetic information.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Otter Tail County provides an attractive benefit package for regular full-time employees, including health, dental, life, long-term disability, and retirement benefits through the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA). Regular full-time employees can expect to accrue holiday, sick, and vacation leave benefits. In addition, employees receive professional development opportunities.

The following questionnaire will be used as a scored evaluation of your knowledge, skills, and experience and is used to determine advancement in the hiring process. Be sure that your responses are thorough and complete. If a question asks for education and experience that you have already stated in the employment application, it is still important to answer the question thoroughly on the questionnaire. All responses should be examples of your own writing and will be evaluated for potential AI. If we determine that the responses were created using AI, your application may be deemed ineligible.

Describe your relevant work history, leadership experience, and how it has prepared you for this leadership position.a. What core competencies will be important for successfully managing the work of the Child and Family Services Unit : Child Protection Investigations and Assessments, Case Management, Minor Parents, Child and Family Intake, Licensing both Child Care and Child Foster Care and Case Aid support staff?b. What core competencies are your strengths and how do / would you use these in a supervisory leadership role?

Managers and supervisors are responsible for a wide variety of tasks, supervising people and programs, etc. Describe your management and / or supervision style and how you would utilize it in the following situations.a. Resolve a communication issue / concern with an employee. Provide an example.b. Collaborate with other department supervisors to establish a procedure that impacts multiple units across departments. Provide an example.

In this position, you may come in contact with individuals that are not happy with the decisions you have made regarding a case. It may be a client, a family member, a provider, or some other involved party. Describe your experience handling agitated or upset customers.

The Child & Family Services team utilizes a dyad supervision structure, meaning two individuals in equal positions share the overall supervision of the team (staff are assigned to one or the other supervisor based on their work role; the supervisors work seamlessly to direct work, programming, projects as a joint unit). What do you see as potential benefits to this structure? What do you see as potential challenges to this structure? If selected for this job, what strategies and skills would you use to navigate potential challenges?

Are you bilingual? If you are bilingual, indicate the language(s) you speak and your skill level. Also tell us whether you can speak fluently, read / or write the language(s).

Have you included your entire work history on this employment application? Do not mark your application "see resume". Not including your entire work history will render your application incomplete.

How did you hear about this job opportunity? Check all that apply.

Required Question

Salary : $83,221 - $124,758