Child Welfare Support Specialist

Department MISSION DCFS is working to keep children safe, helping individuals and families become self-sufficient, and providing safe refuge during disasters.
Department VISION We care for the well-being and safety of Louisiana's people. 
Department VALUES Treating all people with dignity, compassion and respect, while providing services with integrity.
This position is located in East Baton Rouge Parish,Child Welfare-Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) . The incumbent is responsible for assessing and facilitating placements of children and youth within Louisiana and other states while following the State and Federal rules and regulations of the Interstate Compact. The incumbent will manage and monitor placements, assist with the development of policy related to ICPC, assist with training of local office staff on ICPC, and collaborate with other programs to ensure best practice and safety measure to reduce risk of children placed through the Interstate Compact. The incumbent will use the NEICE system to complete ICPC case management duties.  Foster Care experience preferred.
Three year of experiences in Child Welfare and/or Services to Youth preferred. Preference will be given to Registered Social Workers (RSW), Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW) and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW).
This position may be filled as a probational appointment or a job appointment that may last up to 48 months. Job appointments may convert to probational appointments. Also, it may be filled as a detail and promoted within 12 months.
 
You  must include all relevant education and experience on your official State application.
 
The duties that you describe in the Work Experience section of your application will be reviewed by State Civil Service as part of the process in determining if you meet the minimum qualifications for this job.
 
Your experience  WILL NOT be evaluated based on the job title alone.  You must describe your actual duties . If you are a current employee of the State of Louisiana it is important that you indicate in the "Duties" section for each job  the specific programs that you worked in to receive credit for that experience.
 
List all prior employment. Work experience left off of your electronic application or only included in an attached resume will not be credited. Resumes WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
 
Applicants qualifying based on college training or receipt of a baccalaureate degree will be required to submit an official college transcript to verify credentials claimed prior to appointment. Please make every effort to attach a copy of your transcript to your application. The transcripts can be added as an attachment to your online application. The selected candidate will be required to submit original documentation upon hire . No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy. Learn more about the benefits to working for DCFS by visiting our  careers page.
 
To apply for this vacancy, click on the "Apply" link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.
 
  DCFS is an "Equal Opportunity Employer" and Louisiana is a "State as a Model Employer for People with Disabilities"
 
For additional information about this vacancy, please contact Tomeka Tate via email at:
     MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any of the following will qualify:
1. A baccalaureate degree plus three years of professional level experience in administrative services, social services, or health services.
2. A baccalaureate degree plus three years of law enforcement or investigatory experience.
SUBSTITUTIONS: 
Six years of full-time work experience in any field may be substituted for the required baccalaureate degree.
Candidates without a baccalaureate degree may combine work experience and college credit to substitute for the baccalaureate degree as follows:
A maximum of 120 semester hours may be combined with experience to substitute for the baccalaureate degree.
30 to 59 semester hours credit will substitute for one year of experience towards the baccalaureate degree. 
60 to 89 semester hours credit will substitute for two years of experience towards the baccalaureate degree. 
90 to 119 semester hours credit will substitute for three years of experience towards the baccalaureate degree. 
120 or more semester hours credit will substitute for four years of experience towards the baccalaureate degree.
College credit earned without obtaining a baccalaureate degree may be substituted for a maximum of four years full-time work experience towards the baccalaureate degree. Candidates with 120 or more semester hours of credit, but without a degree, must also have at least two years of full-time work experience to substitute for the baccalaureate degree.
A baccalaureate degree in social work; psychology; psychiatric nursing; psychiatry; mental health counseling; rehabilitation counseling; psychological counseling; criminal justice; sociology; applied sociology; human services counseling; education with a concentration in special education; family and consumer sciences with a concentration in child, family and social services; guidance and counseling; human development counseling; social services counseling; vocational rehabilitation; or human services from an accredited institution will substitute for one year of experience.
Graduate training in one or any combination of the above fields will substitute for a maximum of one year of the experience on the basis of thirty semester hours for one year of experience. 
A master's degree in the above fields will substitute for one year of the required experience.
A Juris Doctorate will substitute for one year of the required experience.
Graduate training with less than a Ph.D. will substitute for a maximum of one year of the required experience.
A Ph.D. in the above fields will substitute for two years of the required experience.
Specialized college course work will substitute for a maximum of two years of the required experience.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:
Possession of a high school diploma or equivalent.
A valid driver's license and access to a personal vehicle.
NOTE:
The incumbent of this position must not have been convicted or pled nolo contendere to a crime listed in R.S. 15.587.1 (c).
NOTE: 
Any college hours or degree must be from an accredited college or university.
FUNCTION OF WORK:
To provide professional support services for Child Welfare activities.
LEVEL OF WORK:
Advanced.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED:
Broad from a Child Welfare Supervisor or other higher level personnel.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED:
None.
LOCATION OF WORK:
Department of Children and Family Services.
JOB DISTINCTIONS:
Differs from Child Welfare Specialist 3 by the presence of responsibility for a support program area on a statewide basis.
Differs from Child Welfare Supervisor by the absence of direct supervisory responsibility.
EXAMPLES LISTED BELOW INCLUDE BRIEF SAMPLES OF COMMON DUTIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS JOB TITLE. PLEASE NOTE THAT NOT ALL TASKS ARE INCLUDED.
PROGRAM MANAGER FUNCTION
Develops and recommends goals and objectives for the specific program area and assist in organizational goal setting and monitoring.
Develops and interprets policy issues related to specific program areas.
Provides technical assistance to staff concerning program requirements.
May assist in proposing and analyzing legislation for assessment of programmatic impact and implementing enacted legislation to assure agency compliance.
Participates in budgetary planning and expenditure monitoring in specific program area.
Monitors and evaluates all casework services relative to interstate placement of children and youth (ICPC) both within and outside the State of Louisiana.
Makes determinations regarding the appropriateness of requests for placement of children within or outside the State of Louisiana.
Coordinates and arranges for the appropriate state social service or private social service agency staff to conduct evaluation and/or supervision of child care placement. Assures that the complete home study or evaluation and accompanying recommendation by agency staff is in accordance with state requirements.
Monitors the flow of required reports and ensures that needed social services are identified in the home study or provided by appropriate staff through evaluation.
Participates in the preparation of state budgets and plans to conform to federal specifications; responsible for the submission of required federal reports.
Reviews and approves applications for adoption subsidy payments to families and vendors.
Responsible for assisting in the coordination of the agency's management of Title IV-E and Medical Benefit program.
Oversees the quality assurance of residential treatment and private foster care placements statewide which involves evaluating service performance, providing technical direction, and ensuring the implementation of corrective action plans.
Assesses facility programmatic capacity to serve children in excess of bed cap.
Serves as a technical advisor regarding Federal and State legislative mandates relative to placements.
Reviews and approves statewide therapeutic foster care proposals and budgets.
Manages legislative database which tracks proposed bills and resolutions and ensures timely, programmatic and fiscal impact statements submitted.
PROGRAM SPECIALIST FUNCTION
Participates in studies or special projects.
Assist in revising rules, regulations and procedures to comply with changes in law or policy.
Identifies needs for resources and training related to community-based services.
Writes and submits grant proposals.
Meets with professionals and others on matters regarding the program element.
Maintains records, prepares reports and conducts correspondence relative to the program element assigned.
PROGRAM OFFICER FUNCTION
Directs and performs special policy research projects involving audit surveys, needs assessment surveys, issue identification surveys, special purpose questionnaires, and citizen participation components. Collects and analyzes legislation and comparable data from other states.
Analyzes and interprets proposed state and federal legislation for impact on existing state policies, programs, and impact on local agency operations.
Makes public presentations on behalf of agency, testifies before legislative committees concerning specific programs, and represents the agency and state on state and national organizations and committees.
Directs or performs assessments of local programs and policies, consideration of program alternatives, and recommendation of program actions.
Participates in formulating policy and procedures including provider manuals and operational memoranda.
Arranges and provides statewide training and policy interpretation for provider agencies in specific geographic areas.
Evaluates and approves budget/budget revisions, and negotiates rate of payment for each provider of federal and state funded social services.
Participates in appeals by providers and represents the child welfare program at hearings.
Conducts monitoring, prepares reports and participates in conferences with provider agencies as the child welfare authority.
Analyzes and approves corrective action plans and provides technical assistance for complex programmatic, administrative and fiscal deficiencies.
Negotiates terms for complex social services contracts through direct personal contact with administrative provider agency personnel statewide.
Assures compliance of local provider agencies with federal and state policies and procedures by review of proposals, by procurement and review of required legal documents, assessment of programs, analyses of services performance and projections, and clears audit findings.
Participates in meetings and workshops, and studies legal and professional publications on technical contracting procedures and social service practices.
Performs on-site interviews with provider agency administrators, interviews program participants, reviews agency program operation, and recommends procedures to assure program compliance.
Recommends goals and objectives for specific program areas, and participates in overall organizational goal setting and monitoring.
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Develops and maintains state plans for administering federal program(s).
Develops manuals, policies, etc. to be used by DCFS field staff, local government, and contractors; ensures compliance with federal regulations.
Analyzes federal policy to determine its impact on the program, and prepares notices of intent and fiscal impact statements in compliance with Administrative Procedures Act.
Develops/recommends changes in forms used by DCFS.
Responds to inquiries regarding the program from field staff, other sections, other agencies, federal officials and the public.
Develops requests for development and modification of computer programs for extracting specific data from agency computer files.
Conducts statewide corrective action effort including chairing the Statewide Program Corrective Action Committee, continuous monitoring and analysis of error data, development of measures to address error trends, preparation of the semi-annual State Program Corrective Action Plan, and the pursuit of statewide implementation of approved corrective action measures to reduce and/or prevent errors and the subsequent loss of Federal funding.
Directs the distribution of cases to the field offices by monitoring receipts, adjusting the number of cases sent to each office, establishing priority workloads and developing procedures for handling excess receipts in order to insure prompt case development.