Child & Family Services Case Manager

Full Job Description

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Division of Well-Being and Protection, Bureau of Child Protective Services is seeking a Child & Family Services Case Manager (Job Classification: Social Worker 2) to join our team!

This position is located in Council Bluffs and will cover that and surrounding counties.

This is a full-time opportunity, Monday – Friday with typical hours being from 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM with paid overtime as needed including after-hours and weekend on call rotation. All paid overtime must be pre-approved by leadership.

The primary purpose for this position is to work with families in which child abuse and/or neglect has occurred. The focus is to decrease the likelihood of continued abuse while preserving families.

We do our best to keep families together, however, there are times in which this is not possible.

In these circumstances, children may have to be removed from parental custody and placed in another home, preferably still with family.

As a Social Work Case Manager, there will be times in which you will have to remove children. This can be a difficult and challenging process.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assess the ongoing risk to children, develop safety plans, assess the strengths and needs of the child and family, and make. recommendations to various county attorneys and courts
• Interact frequently with law enforcement, medical/mental health community partners, schools, etc.
• Apply Iowa Code, agency policy, and sound professional judgment to highly complex situations involving crises, chronic abuse, and/or neglect.
• Conduct home visits, detailed interviews, and thorough narrative documentation.
• Troubleshoot problematic situations to find innovative solutions to present to administration and the supervisor.
• Confront crisis situations and high stress situations in a calm and orderly manner.
• Maintain confidential information as required by the agency and ensure safety is a top priority for all in the office.
• Obtain and interpret information from a wide variety of sources including written materials, telephone conversations, and computer databases.
• Identify rules, principles, or relationships that explain reasonable facts, data, or other information and draw accurate conclusions.
• Interact in a team environment to manage group processes, foster commitment and team spirit, and facilitate and encourage cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity.
• Within an office environment, provide Division support to a large segment of the Agency through managing internal and external requests for information and legislative reviews, independent judgment, and adherence to agency formatting in timely responses and communication.
• Interact with employees and customers in a positive customer service manner to resolve problems and answer inquiries. Customer contacts may include correspondence, telephone, or walk-ins to the local office.
• This position will be required to work or be on standby during nights and weekends on a rotational basis.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Successful management of a full case load.
• Strong observational and analytical skills, the ability to establish a working relationship, and the ability to respectfully engage families as partners in planning for safety.
• Excellent judgment and communication skills and the ability to provide comprehensive written documentation in a timely manner.
• The ability to develop case plans, use critical thinking skills, prioritize work, and work under pressure.
• The ability to use independent judgement to make sound decisions, exercise integrity and confidentiality, and exhibit a strong work ethic.

To ensure the Service Area is providing the best service to the residents of Iowa, applicants should demonstrate exceptional customer service skills, integrity, and a strong work ethic.

Preference will be given to education or experience that correlates directly with the requirements and duties of the position.

Benefits
Working for the State of Iowa comes with its perks. In addition to a competitive salary, you'll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well-being and professional growth:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Coverage: Health and dental insurance packages to keep you and your family healthy at a low cost with outstanding coverage!
• Paid Time Off: Take time to recharge with paid time off, including vacation (96 hours/year to begin, increasing with years of service), sick leave (144 hours/year), and paid holidays (9 days/year).
• Retirement Plans: Participate in retirement plans such as IPERS (employees contribute 6.29% and the State of Iowa contributes 9.44%) as well as our Retirement Investors Club (RIC), Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan (the State of Iowa matches dollar for dollar up to $75/month).
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Take advantage of flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses.
• Insurance Coverage: Benefit from life insurance and free long-term disability insurance for added peace of mind.
• Employee Assistance Program: Access resources and support through our Employee Assistance Program for personal and professional challenges.
• Employee Discount Programs: Enjoy discounts on a variety of goods and services through our employee discount programs.

For additional information on benefits click here.
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Background Checks
Applicants will be required to complete a background check to be considered for this position.

The State of Iowa is an EEO/AA EmployerHHS values those with “lived experience” and encourages adults who were fostered as youth, foster parents, and/or parents who were in the DHS system to apply.

Minorities, women, persons with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply (Hearing and Speech Impaired – Relay Iowa 1-800-735-2942 TDD).

E-Verify and Right to WorkThe State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States.

The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization.

For more information, please visitwww.e-verify.gov.

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university;the equivalent of four years of full-time technical work experience involving direct contact with people in overcoming their social, economic, psychological, or health problems;an equivalent combination of education and experience substituting the equivalent of one year of full-time qualifying work experience for one year (thirty semester or equivalent hours) of the required education to a maximum substitution of four years.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.

Additional Information

Designated positions in this job class require applicants to obtain the required Chauffeurs License and endorsements within a period of time as determined by the appointing authority at the time of hire.