Child Protective Services Family Based Safety Services Specialist - Jacksonville

After a family has been investigated, a Family Based Safety Services (FBSS) worker helps them make changes to protect their children from abuse and neglect and keep them safe at home. This involves providing services offered by the agency, the family's community, and their extended families.

Newly hired employees holding a Master's Degree in Social Worker may qualify for an increase at the point of hire.

DFPS is committed to its employees' professional development and ongoing success and offers the DFPS Certification Program to enhance skills and advance careers within our organization. The program is tailored specifically for DFPS employees, provides the opportunity to earn additional compensation through a supportive learning environment that fosters growth and innovation, and equips participants with the knowledge and skills needed to deepen their expertise in their respective role.

Essential Job Functions (EJFs):

· Responds quickly in crisis situations.

· Provides time limited in-home services to meet the specific needs of families by identifying insufficient protective capacities, developing treatment plans, and using appropriate and necessary resources to minimize risk and provide for safety of the child; and maintains contact with parents and children to achieve treatment goals.

· Assesses child safety and takes the necessary actions to protect the child as appropriate. This could include removing a child from their family.

· Interacts objectively with “caretakers” who have abused and/or neglected children in their care.

· Discusses issues with families related, but not limited to income, money management, and personal relationships that they will probably consider personal and private.

· Encounters family members who are angry and/or scared.

· Helps identify resources and community support available to the family.

· Assists parents to recognize behaviors that lead to child abuse and/or neglect and empower parents to identify ways to make the necessary behavioral changes.

· Determines action to be taken to remove or to reduce an immediate threat to the safety of a child to include working with families to identify family members who can assist with keeping the child safe, testifying in court to seek emergency protective services, placing children in substitute care, referring family for immediate crisis intervention therapy or other community resources.

· Gather family and kinship information to support the child in a placement, should the child be placed in DFPS custody.

· Documents all relevant and appropriate information gathered during the investigation and completing all required forms accurately and in a timely manner.

· Works flexible work hours beyond 8a.m.-5p.m., Monday - Friday.

· Maintains a balance of objectivity and empathic understanding when engaging families living in stressful and crisis situations.

· Develops and maintains effective working relationships with law enforcement officials, judicial officials, legal resources, medical professionals, and other community resources.

· Attends and participates in trainings, meetings and staffings.

· Performs other duties as assigned and required to maintain unit operations.

· Promotes and demonstrates appropriate respect for cultural diversity and competency among coworkers and all work-related contacts.

· Attends work regularly in accordance with agency leave policy.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):

· Knowledge of child development.

· Knowledge of family dynamics.

· Skill in effective verbal and written communication.

· Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships.

· Skill in problem solving techniques.

· Ability to operate a personal computer.

· Ability to travel and attend child and family visits as well as other work-related appointments and meetings after 5pm.

· Ability to be on call on a rotating basis and work irregular hours.

· Ability to work in an emotion-filled environment and which may require conducting home visits in isolated or high crime areas and may involve exposure to substandard and unsanitary living conditions.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $3,816.65 - $4,337.08 per month

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Evening shift
• Holidays
• Monday to Friday
• Night shift
• On call
• Overtime
• Weekends as needed

Education:

• Associate (Required)

Experience:

• Social work: 2 years (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Jacksonville, TX 75766: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Willingness to travel:

• 75% (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $3,817 - $4,337