Jobs: Montezuma County Department of Social Services Child Welfare Family Engagement Coordinator

Department of Social Services

Montezuma County Department of Social Services has an opening for one Child Welfare Family Engagement Coordinator

SUMMARY:

The Family Engagement Coordinator works to preserve families in their home while protecting children’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being through child protection, adolescent services, placements, and/or permanency plans. Coordinates services and is responsible for primary-decision making of child protection practices including, but not limited to safety, permanency, and well-being. Coordinates team meetings, structures meetings and helps implement the goals according to a family engagement model and agreed upon outcomes for each family meeting.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:   Other duties may be assigned. 

• Coordinates, schedules and facilitates family engagement meetings.
• Completes detailed meeting notes, next steps, and sends updates to all team members.
• Ensures family and youth choices are valued during family engagement meetings.
• Facilitation of team meetings that focus on safety, permanency and well-being of the child/ren.
• Develops and writes reports for case plans, recommendations, contacts and assessments.
• Makes home visits and monitors clients’ progress and ensures that needed services are being provided, that treatment plans are being followed through in a timely manner, and determines the appropriateness of the services provided.
• Provides crisis management and coordinates support services for clients to resolve problems and conflicts.
• Acts as a liaison for the DHS and consults with other caseworkers and community professionals on case situations, treatment/case plans, issues, and problems.
• Attends and testifies in court hearings and mediations; completes appropriate paperwork, documentation, petitions, reports, reviews, etc. for court hearings; monitors clients’ compliance with court orders; serves temporary custody notices and petitions the court for verbal orders.
• Prepares for and participates in relevant child Welfare meetings that include: Community Engagement Team, Red team, Dependency and Neglect Court and others.
• Addresses child safety issues in the home to mitigate safety concerns; ensures that children in the department’s custody or supervision receive necessary interventions.
• Documents all contacts and ensures that all paperwork and documentation are accurately completed and filed; completes necessary case information reports, inputs updates into database.
• Arranges and provides transportation for clients to appointments, therapy, school, court hearings, pre-placement visits, etc.
• Ensures compliance with Federal, State and County laws, outcome measures, rules and regulations; reviews cases to ensure case plans are developed and implemented.
• Provides on call emergency services.
• Performs other casework duties as required.

Education:

Preferred: Bachelor’s degree in one of the human behavioral science fields; will accept bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 3 credit hours in one of human behavioral sciences.  Human behavioral sciences degree is defined as: Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Guidance and Counseling and/or Child Development

Experience:

Preferred: 2 years of post-degree experience in casework or case management.  Willing to consider applicants with limited experience. 

Special Requirements:

Valid Driver’s License and satisfactory driving record.   Must pass background check, drug screen and motor vehicle record check.   Must complete and pass the Colorado Child Welfare Training Academy program.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• General office procedures, policies and practices, as well as basic knowledge of standard office equipment to include computer, fax machine, copier, and telephone.
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary.
• Record keeping, filing and preparing clear and concise reports, correspondence and other written materials.
• Applicable state, federal and local ordinances, laws, rules, and regulations.
• Using tact, discretion, initiative and independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Organizing work, setting priorities, meeting critical deadlines and following up assignments with a minimum of direction.
• Must be able to communicate orally and in writing with internal staff, citizens, and other departmental staff in order to give and receive information in a courteous manner.
• Researching, compiling, and summarizing a variety of informational and statistical data and materials.
• Applying logical thinking to solve problems or accomplish tasks, understanding, interpreting and communicating complicated policies, procedures and protocols.
• Ability to act with discretion, maintain confidentiality and be professional.
• Ability to make decisions in stressful situations, ability to exercise sound judgment
• Ability to cooperate and problem solve with hostile parents, law enforcement professionals and other community organizations
• Ability to research statues, Volume VII, and cooperatively work with attorneys

Office Technology/Computer Skills:                                                                                                                Must be able to effectively use modern office technology and equipment, including computers, calculators, telephones, copiers with scanning and faxing capabilities.  Must have extensive experience in work processing, database manipulation, and email with a high degree of accuracy.  Must be able to learn the software and programs related to the position and the County.                                           

SALARY:    $23.63/hour – plus Health, Dental, Vision, Life, EAP, HSA Insurance, 10 paid Holidays, Annual and Sick Leave and a 401K match

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.  The employee frequently is required to sit and stand for long periods of time; use hands and fingers to handle or feel; and reach with hands or arms.  The employee is required to stand, walk, climb or balance; twist; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  Must be able to respond to the customers’ needs and perform tasks requiring extensive hand and eye coordination.  Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other devices and objects.   The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.  Ability to work extended shifts and attend training when asked and the ability to work in stressful situations.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  This job operates in a variety of environments that include office, client homes, and community agencies and may involve potential exposure to hazardous and/or violent environments.  This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.  Ability to tolerate and be productive in a quiet to high noise level in the workplace.  Employees will have periodic exposure to hazards in the field such as driving and inclement weather and potentially hostile clientele.  Exposure to computer screens. May visit client homes and encounter a variety of housekeeping standards and household pets.  May be exposed to potential communicable health conditions and angry, hostile, frustrated individuals and those with behavioral and/or cognitive challenges.  May travel to rural areas.   

Applications are available online at www.montezumacounty.org or from Montezuma County Department of Social Services.  Please return applications to MCDSS, 109 W Main Room 170, Cortez, CO or by dropping them in the MCDSS Drop Box. Open until filled.   Questions please call 970-564-4138.   AA/EOE