Child and Family Services Administrative Reviewer

Full Job Description

Most State of Colorado employees are eligible for a great benefit package! Please see the Supplemental Information section below for details!

About this Unit:
The Administrative Review Division's (ARD) vision is to create a safe and promising future for children and at-risk adults. Our mission is to strengthen the communities, families, and systems that work to make that future possible. As a neutral, third party, we do this by facilitating reviews, gathering and analyzing data, publishing research, and providing training and technical assistance to effect change in practice, policy, and programs that lead to improved outcomes for Colorado's children and at-risk adults.

Colorado's Administrative Review Division (ARD) serves as an independent third party review system under the auspices of the Colorado Department of Human Services. The ARD manages quality assurance and quality improvement programs for Colorado’s child welfare and adult protective services systems. Specifically, the ARD is the mechanism responsible for the federally required Case Review System and a portion of the Quality Assurance System for both the Division of Child Welfare and the Division of Youth Services. Additionally, the ARD conducts quality assurance reviews of Adult Protective Services cases.

With an ultimate passion of providing permanency and well-being for Colorado's children, and the safety and protection of at-risk adults, the Administrative Review Division works closely with Colorado's counties to train, measure and assess their adherence to State and Federal regulations. Such regulations are in place to help prevent unnecessary moves for children in foster care and to assess (and encourage) that the needs of the families', children, and at-risk adults are being appropriately addressed.

Specifically, the ARD is the mechanism responsible for:

• Child Welfare Quality Assurance:
  • The federally required child welfare Case Review and Qualitative Case Review systems,
    • Administrative Reviews
    • Court ordered substituting Administrative Reviews
    • Screen Out Reviews/Assessment Reviews
    • In-home Services Case Reviews
    • Institutional Abuse/Neglect Reviews

  • Colorado’s statutorily mandated Child Fatality Review Team

  • Foster Home Certification Reviews

  • Child Welfare Hotline Reviews

• Adult Protective Services Quality Assurance:

  • Adult Protective Services qualitative case reviews

• Child and Adult Maltreatment Dispute Review Section

  • Child abuse and neglect dispute review unit

  • Adult Protective Services dispute review unit

• Qualified Residential Treatment Program Placement Review

Requirements

PLEASE NOTE: This position follows a hybrid work arrangement, combining remote work with regular travel.

The employee will maintain a home office located within 20 miles of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) offices at 1575 Sherman Street, Denver, CO.

Candidates are preferred to reside in the following counties within the Denver metro region: Denver County, Broomfield County, Northern Jefferson County, Western Adams County, and Southern Boulder County.

The ideal home location is north of Interstate 70 (I-70), east of the foothills corridor served by the major highways such as Interstate 25 (I-25) and Interstate 76 (I-76) within this metro zone, and no further east than Denver International Airport.

These major transportation routes support the frequent travel requirement throughout the assigned counties.

About this Position:
Provides independent third party review and quality improvement processes for the Division of Child Welfare (CW) and the Division of Youth Services (DYS) service delivery. These reviews and quality assurance processes include:

• Administrative Reviews,
• Court-ordered Substituting Administrative Reviews,

• Quality Assurance Reviews (including reviews of child protection assessments and in-home service cases),

• Child and Family Services Reviews

• Ad-hoc reviews, and

• IV-E eligibility reviews to maximize Title IV-E revenue and ensure that court orders contain federally required language.

Qualitative Case Reviews:

Responsible for conducting periodic Administrative Reviews for children every six months they are in care, and Administrative Permanency Reviews every 12 months children are in out-of-home (foster) care per CRS 19-2- 906.5 and 19-3-702.

This process involves collecting, analyzing, interpreting and summarizing data gathered through the file read and personal interview.

Based on the data collected, a determination will be made as to the compliance or non-compliance with Federal and State regulations that govern all children and youth in the custody of the county department of human/social services or Division of Youth Services.

Recommends administrative response and/or sanctions for non-compliance.

This position will also conduct reviews of child welfare assessments as well as cases involving the provision of in-home services.

This position will also participate in the Child and Family Services reviews. Reviews occur in the county departments.

Each CI-II staff is assigned to a number of counties and will travel daily to these different counties in order to conduct reviews. Approximately 6-8 over-night stays may be required per month.

Training and Technical Assistance:

• Communicates with and influences a variety of county, region, court, State Program and other state staff in order to address case specific and systemic issues. This involves providing case specific technical assistance as well as larger trainings on systemic issues.

Contact Reviewer and other duties as assigned:

Specific to assigned counties, this position is in charge of scheduling review staff to cover the assigned counties in their geographic area.

This includes determining the necessary number of reviews days required by each county in order to remain in compliance with Federal requirements of timely periodic reviews, securing appropriate resources (county space, computers, etc.), communicating and altering schedules with other review staff, etc.

Qualifications

Experience Only:

Six (6) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position.

Must have two (2) years of professional human services investigative experience conducting child and/or youth abuse and neglect investigations, provision of ongoing child protection and/or youth services, or supervision of professional social caseworkers in child protection and/or youth services.

Experience must demonstrate working knowledge and experience utilizing Volume VII Regulations and the Colorado Children's Code, and Colorado child welfare processes.

AND Two years of relevant experience including ongoing permanency casework and/or intake and assessment casework.

OR

Education and Experience:
A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to six (6) years. Experience must include two (2) years of professional human services investigative experience conducting child and/or youth abuse and neglect investigations, provision of ongoing child protection and/or youth services, or supervision of professional social caseworkers in child protection and/or youth services. Experience must demonstrate working knowledge and experience utilizing Volume VII Regulations and the Colorado Children's Code, and Colorado child welfare processes.

• AND Two years of relevant experience including ongoing permanency casework and/or intake and assessment casework.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum of 1 year experience with Colorado Trails or other relevant SACWIS systems

• Ability to read and evaluate multiple volumes of typed and/or hand-written case materials on a daily basis; and

• Possess intermediate computer skills to enter information into various databases, produce reports, and email information to colleagues and others.

• Strong preference will be given to candidates with 3-5 years of experience conducting child and/or youth abuse and neglect investigations, provision of ongoing child protection and/or youth services, or supervision of professional social caseworkers in child protection and/or youth services.

• Strong preference will be given to candidates who possess a bachelor’s degree in any of the fields listed in the Minimum Qualifications section of this announcement.

• Certified through the Child Welfare Training Academy Experience supervising child welfare caseworkers conducting assessments or on-going service delivery.

• Exceptional communication skills, including demonstrated success in developing curriculum and providing training utilizing adult learning theory.

• Candidates are preferred to reside in the following counties within the Denver metro region: Denver County, Northern Jefferson County, Western Adams Country and Southern Boulder County.

The ideal home location is north of Interstate 70 (I-70), west of Denver International Airport (DIA) and east of the foothills corridor served by major highways such as Interstate 25 (I-25) and Interstate 76 (I-76) within this metro zone.

These major transportation routes support the frequent travel requirement throughout the assigned counties.




Highly Desirable Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated working knowledge and understanding of federal and state law and how it applies to the administrative review process;

• Knowledge and ability to provide technical expertise and training regarding the Adoption and Safety Families Act (ASFA) and federal mandates to insure that all orders issued by the courts within the district contain the federally required findings in order to maximize Title IV-E funding for children and families served by county departments and regions;

• Ability to conduct reviews which may substitute for court reviews, and work directly with the county to develop and operate a combined Administrative Review 6-month periodic review process;

• Ability to act as a liaison between the judicial district, county department, region, and state;

• Ability to manage scheduling needs of multiple counties and multiple reviewers to ensure reviews are completed timely;

• Ability to manage and resolve conflicts, confrontations, and disagreements in a positive and constructive manner to minimize negative personal impact;

• Ability to derive logical conclusions from available information, utilizing a combination of judgment and formal guidance, in order to determine if departmental objectives have been met;

• Ability to effectively communicate in both written and oral format to prepare and present review findings and provide technical assistance;

• Ability to set and prioritize workload, identify short- and long-term goals and develop strategies to achieve them; and

• Ability to negotiate to find mutually acceptable solutions, and builds consensus through give and take.


Conditions of Employment

• Full background check and reference check required

• This position requires State of Colorado residency at the time of application, and residency within the state throughout the duration of employment in this position.

• Candidates are preferred to reside in the following counties within the Denver metro region: Denver County, Broomfield County, Northern Jefferson County, Western Adams County, and Southern Boulder County

A home office located within 20 miles of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) offices at 1575 Sherman Street, Denver, CO is preferred.

Candidates are preferred to reside in the following counties within the Denver metro region: Denver County, Broomfield County, Northern Jefferson County, Western Adams County, and Souther Boulder County.

The ideal home location is north of Interstate 70 (I-70), east of the foothills corridor served by the major highways such as Interstate 25 (I-25) and Interstate 76 (I-76) within this metro zone, and no further east than Denver International Airport.

These major transportation routes support the frequent travel requirement throughout the assigned counties.

• Must possess a valid, non-restricted Colorado Driver’s License

Home as Sole and Permanent Work Place – The employee’s home address shall serve as their official and regular work location for employment purposes.

While a portion of work will be performed from the home office, the majority of duties are expected to occur within County Departments of Human Services or other assigned county facilities, as determined by business needs.

• This Compliance Investigator II position will primarily conduct reviews throughout the greater Denver Metro area, with occasional travel to rural counties and regions as needed.

• Employees must maintain a home office, including reliable internet access and, if required, a phone, to perform assigned duties effectively.

• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must:

1. Disclose that information on the application.

2. Explain why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify you from the current position.

3. Provide your employee number from your prior State employment. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination and failure to provide this information will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.


CDHS Selection Process Explanation
Employment history is calculated on a full-time basis (40/hrs per week). Part-time employment is calculated on a prorated basis to determine qualifications. Be sure your application specifically addresses your qualifications, experience, work products, and accomplishments as they relate to the position and minimum requirements.

• Preferred Qualifications & Competencies:

  • Relevant years of state service experience.


Minimum Qualification Screening Process

A Human Resources Analyst will review the work experience/job duties sections of the online job application to determine whether your experience meets the minimum qualifications for the position.

You must complete the official State of Colorado online application. Cover letters and resumes WILL NOT be reviewed during the minimum qualifications screening process.

You must specifically document your work experience and qualifications. Do not use "see resume" or "see attached."

You must meet the minimum qualifications to continue in the selection process. Part-time work experience will be prorated.

Comparative Analysis Process – Structured Application Review

After minimum qualification screening, the comparative analysis process will involve a review and rating of all the information you submit. The comparative analysis step may also include your results from an eSkills Test.


Your Work Experience/Job Duties

Document your work experience/job duties to the extent to which you possess the skills, education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications.

If listed, answer all supplemental questions as your answers to these questions will be evaluated during this phase. Provide at least 4-8 sentences for each supplemental question.


Supplemental Questions

Answer the supplemental questions completely and thoughtfully. We will rate your answers based on the content of your response and your writing skills (spelling, grammar, and clarity of your writing).


Appeal Rights

You may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director if your application is eliminated. You will find the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it on the State Personnel Board website.

• You or your representative must sign and submit the official appeal form for review.

• You can find the official appeal form here.

• You must be deliver the official appeal form to the State Personnel Board:

  • By email (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), or

  • Postmarked in US Mail to(1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203, or

  • Hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203), or

  • Faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.




Contact the State Personnel Board for assistance:

• At (303) 866-3300, or

• Refer to the Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, within the Rules webpage.

Additional Information




How to apply to the State of Colorado:






The Assessment Process



For additional recruiting questions, please contactjade.green@state.co.us

About Us and Benefits:

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference, join the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS).

Our professionals strive to design and deliver high quality human and health services that improve the safety, independence, and well-being of the people of Colorado.

Each of us is committed to contributing to a safe and accessible CDHS. In addition to a great location and rewarding and meaningful work, we offer:

• Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including a PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus 401(k) and 457 plans

• Medical and dental health plans

• Employer supplemented Health Savings Account

• Paid life insurance

• Short- and long-term disability coverage

• 11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave

• State of Colorado Employee BenefitHub Resource Center

• Employee Wellness program

• Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, training and more

• Remote work arrangements for eligible positions

• *Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.


Our Values

We believe in a people-first approach: We prioritize the needs, well-being, and dignity of the individuals, families and communities we serve.

We commit to respect, fairness and access in every decision, policy and interaction. We engage client voices and experiences in the development and implementation of the services we provide.

• Balance creates quality of life: We want our team to be resilient through a supportive workplace that values flexibility, health and wellness, and employee engagement.

• We hold ourselves accountable: We take responsibility through our actions, programs, and results for the state of health and human services in Colorado.

• Transparency matters: We are open and honest with employees, our partners, the Coloradans we serve, and the public.

• We are ethical: We abide by what is best for those we serve by doing what is right, not what is easy.

• Collaboration helps us rise together: We work together with all partners, employees, and clients to achieve the best outcomes for Coloradans.

ADA Accommodations
CDHS is committed to a Colorado for ALL qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment.

This includes completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or performing essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship.

If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to cdhs_ada@state.co.us.

EEO Statement

~THE STATE OF COLORADO IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER~

We are committed to increasing a “Colorado for ALL" of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services.

Therefore, we encourage responses from people of all backgrounds and abilities.

The State of Colorado believes that a “Colorado for ALL” drives our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply.

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them.

Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

Additional Support For Your Application

Toll Free Applicant Technical Support

If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g.

uploading or attaching documents to your online application) call NEOGOV technical support at 855-524-5627 Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time).

Helpful hints: if you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to your application 1) ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files and 2) close the document before you attempt to upload (attach) it.