CPS Family Safety Services Worker Job in Eastland, TX - Texas Health and Human Services Commission | career builder (2023)

CPS FBSS IV Specification

Child Protection Service Employee - SAO CPS Spec I

After a family is assessed, a Family Based Security Services (FBSS) worker helps them make changes to protect their children from abuse and neglect and to keep them safe not long This includes the provision of services rendered by the agency, to family communities and their extended families.

To learn more about what family-based safety services specialists do, click here.

Click here to watch a realistic online video about child protection employees and customers.

You will also have access to a self-assessment to help you determine if this type of work is right for you.

WHY WORK FOR DFPS?

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is responsible for protecting the vulnerable (children, seniors, and people with disabilities) from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. DFPS fulfills this responsibility by employing more than 12,000 associates who adhere to the agency's mission, vision and values ​​of serving Texas' 27 million citizens.

Not only is DFPS an eligible organization for the Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives the remaining balance of direct college loans after making 120 qualifying monthly payments, but it also offers great health benefits, special discounts on many products and services through Discount Shopping Program, a lifetime monthly pension, and the Texas Employee Retirement System's Texa$aver 401(k) and 457 programs. An additional benefit you receive is 12 days of annual paid leave, 12 days of sick leave and the opportunity to earn up to four days of administrative leave each year. Your annual paid leave will increase as your term increases.

New employees with a master's in social work may be eligible for a hiring increase.

Essential Job Duties:

* Reacts quickly in crisis situations.
* Provides childcare services to meet the specific needs of families, identifying inadequate protective capacities, developing treatment plans and deploying adequate and necessary resources to minimize risks and ensure the child's safety; and maintains contact with parents and children to achieve treatment goals.
* Evaluates children's safety and takes necessary steps to adequately protect them. This may include removing a child from your family.
* Interacts objectively with "caregivers" who have abused and/or neglected children in their care.
* Discusses issues with families related to, but not limited to, income, money management, and personal relationships that they are likely to find personal and private.
* Meeting family members who are angry and/or scared.
* Helps identify resources and community support available to the family.
* Helps parents identify behaviors that led to child abuse and/or neglect and empowers parents to find ways to make necessary behavior changes.
* Determines actions that must be taken to eliminate or reduce an imminent threat to a child's safety, including working with families to identify family members who can help with the child's safety, testifying in court to order the search for emergency services, alternative child placement care, family referral for immediate crisis intervention therapy, or other community resources.
* Gathers family and kinship information to assist in child placement if the child is taken into DFPS custody.
* Document all relevant and reasonable information collected during the investigation and complete all required forms accurately and in a timely manner.
* Work with flexible hours from Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm.
* Maintains a balance between objectivity and empathetic understanding when dealing with families living in stressful and crisis situations.
* Develops and maintains effective working relationships with law enforcement, law enforcement officials, legal resources, medical professionals, and other community resources.
* Attend and participate in trainings, meetings and staff.
* Perform other assigned tasks necessary to keep units running.
* Encourages and demonstrates proper respect for cultural diversity and competition among colleagues and all work-related contacts.
* Regularly attends work in accordance with the vacation policy.

Knowledge Skills Skills:

* Knowledge of child development.
* Knowledge of family dynamics.
* Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
* Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
* Knowledge of problem solving techniques.
* Ability to operate a personal computer.
* Possibility to travel after 5 pm. m. and attend child and family visits and other work-related appointments and meetings.
* Ability to be on call and work irregular hours.
* Ability to work in an emotionally charged environment that may require home visits in remote or high crime areas and may involve exposure to poor and unsanitary living conditions.

Registration or admission requirements:

This position requires the use of the applicant's personal motor vehicle to perform work duties.

Candidates for positions must have a reliable motor vehicle and acceptable driving record within the last five years and a valid and current Texas driver's license appropriate for the vehicle and passenger or cargo. Applicants must provide proof of driver's license, insurance and driver's license.

First selection criteria:

Child Protective Services Specialist I: An accredited bachelor's degree OR an accredited associate's degree plus two (2) years of relevant work experience OR 60 accredited college credit hours plus two (2) years of relevant work experience OR 90 hours accredited university credit cards plus one (1) year of relevant work experience.

Examples of relevant work experience in social, human or protective services include paid or volunteer work in social service agencies or communities that provide services to families or other vulnerable populations.

Child Protective Services Specialist II: Employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist I for 9 months AND certified as a Child Protective Services Specialist OR currently employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist II in the Department of Child Protective Services Texas Family and Protection OR formerly employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist II in the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

Child Protective Services Specialist III: Employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist II for 9 months AND received Advanced Child Protective Services Specialist Certification OR currently employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist III in the Department of Services of Texas Child Protective and Family Services OR formerly employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist III in the Texas Department of Protective and Family Services.

Child Protective Services Specialist IV: Employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist III for 24 months AND earned certification as an Advanced Child Protective Services Specialist OR currently employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist IV in the Department of Family and Texas Protective Services OR formerly employed as a Child Protective Services Specialist IV in the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

Additional information:

This position can be filled at all levels from CPS Specialist I to CPS Specialist IV. Factors such as education and experience can be taken into account when determining the starting salary.

This position will be based on a mobile unit, which means most of the work will be done using mobile technology such as cell phones. B. a tablet, is taken out of the office. Being mobile requires working independently and still responding to supervision and your assigned unit.

Newly hired DFPS staff in suitable positions will be provided with a DFPS cell phone.

SKILLS REQUIRED/ACQUIRED IN THE FIRST MONTHS OF EMPLOYMENT:

PROCESS SKILLS

A process competency relates to a general practice approach that can be seen in a newly hired CPS Specialist's interactions with children, families, and safety nets.

involved

* Understands and is able to articulate the critical involvement of the family in achieving security, sustainability and well-being.
* Can recognize basic strategies for involving children and families.
* understands and appreciates the different views, knowledge and experiences of others; Consider other people's perspectives

team work

* understands the need to extend the child's safety net beyond caregivers and to other adults who can care for the child and participate in the child's daily safety.
* Interview caregivers to identify people who could support the caregiver and/or child.
* Interviews with children to identify people who can support the child and/or caregiver.

assessment

* Understands and can articulate the concept of child safety.
* Is able to recognize his own biases and is willing to question his own thinking.
* Regularly seek information from various sources to make and revise reviews.
* Understands meaning and is able to make judgments based on factual information versus assumptions.

planning

* Consider ways to ensure personal safety as well as the safety of children and families during interviews and other meetings.

intervention

* Understands and can articulate what an intervention is and what range of interventions the CPS might use in what circumstances.

Evaluate

* Understands and is able to articulate personal responsibility for the outcomes of a case.

CONTENT COMPETITION

A content competency refers to a specialized area of ​​knowledge that must be integrated with process competencies.

domestic violence

* Understands and recognizes power and control.
* Distinguish domestic violence from other types of violence
* Is able to identify victims and perpetrators of domestic violence and refer them to appropriate services.

Mental health

* Can articulate symptoms from broad mental health diagnostic categories.
* Is able to make appropriate referrals for crisis intervention, psychological and psychiatric evaluation.
* Can articulate mental health resilience factors and the recovery process.

substance abuse

* Distinguish between substance use, abuse and chemical dependency.
* Can articulate physical and behavioral warning signs of substance use and abuse.
* Administer and/or refer drug tests when appropriate.
* Provides referrals to community and contracted services to treat substance abuse.
* Can articulate resilience factors in substance abuse and recovery.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

Demonstrates a basic understanding of the following

* Federal and state laws, regulations and rules governing the operation of child protection programs.
* The legal responsibility to report suspected abuse and neglect
* Roles and responsibilities of participants in the global child welfare system, including children, families, child protection, various courts and other entities serving children/families
* Legal definitions and concepts, including ethics, and is able to apply them within the law to court cases and proceedings.

Build effective relationships with colleagues.

* Is willing to accept and offer support and assistance from peers, supervisors and other Child Protective Services staff
* Is able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with external stakeholders

Follow policies and procedures.

* Is able to learn and understand specific policies and procedures for child protective services.
* Understands the requirements of the Ethical Practice Policy and the impact on employees and customers when they fail to do so.
* Demonstrates compliance with policies and best practices

Document

* Accurately record observations as part of the case documentation, using specific citations and accurate descriptions of the risky behavior and its effects on the child
* Prepares clear, accurate and appropriate written communications or documents
* Prepare court documents such as petitions, affidavits and court reports

time management

* Responds quickly to resolve issues and get things done
* Use technology, to-do lists, or other tools to manage time, keep track of what needs to be done, and manage multiple urgent work requests
* Periodically reassess and prioritize to focus attention on the most important tasks

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

These requirements are not exhaustive, and individual agencies may add additional job-related physical requirements as needed. Corrective devices can be used to meet physical requirements. These are typical requirements; however, reasonable accommodations are possible.

Physical Activities: Often asked to stand, listen, and speak; he is occasionally invited upstairs.

Physical Requirements: Holder typically performs work that requires up to 20 pounds of occasional exertion and/or often up to 10 pounds of force and/or a negligible amount of force to constantly move objects.

Visual Requirements: The wielder must be able to clearly see objects 20 feet or less and 20 feet or more. In addition, you must be able to adjust your eyes to focus on objects, distinguish colors, see objects in your peripheral vision, and see objects in three dimensions.

Working Conditions: You typically work in a mobile environment (most work is done outside of the office environment) and are occasionally exposed to harsh environmental conditions, including, but not limited to, extreme heat, wet and humid conditions, chemicals, proximity, gases, and altitude.

Interview requirements:

Any candidate called for an agency interview must notify the agency in writing prior to the interview date if reasonable accommodation is required.

MOS code:

Note: There are no direct military jobs related to the initial selection criteria and registration or licensure requirements for this position. All actives, reservists, rangers and veterans are encouraged to apply. For more information, see the Texas State Auditor's Military Crosswalk here.

As a government agency, the Texas Administrative Code (TAC 206 & 213) requires DFPS to ensure that all Electronic Information Resources (EIRs) meet accessibility standards. Employees must be familiar with WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508 to create accessible content, including but not limited to; Microsoft Office documents, Adobe PDF, web pages, software, training guides, video and audio files.

HHS agencies use E-Verify. You must bring your I-9 documentation with you on your first day of work.

Form I-9 - Click here to download Form I-9.

Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), HHS agencies provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities during the hiring and selection process. If you need assistance completing the online form, please contact the HHS Employee Service Center at

1-888-894-4747

. If you are being contacted for an interview and need accommodations to attend the interview, please notify the interviewer.