Child Welfare Specialist

Under the direct supervision of the Child Protection and Licensing Supervisor, this position supports the Nicollet County Health and Human Services department. This position primarily provides child welfare assessments and child welfare case management to ensure the safety, protection, and well-being of children throughout the community. This position completes duties related to judicial process and participates in regular contact with children, parents, extended family, and community resources. This position also provides documentation to establish professional accountability, provides on call services, performs guardianship duties, and participates in professional staff development. - Assesses the needs of youth alleged to have committed a delinquent act before the age of 13. Gathers additional information and collaborates with law enforcement, family members, and community resources to develop a plan of services to provide for child and community safety - Assesses the needs of children that have been adopted or are in the permanent custody of a relative/kin after the permanency action - Assesses child welfare needs of children experiencing school attendance difficulties, runaways, family conflict, minor parents, or other needs that do not require child protective service involvement - Assesses child safety and imminent danger on an ongoing basis, and implements required safety interventions - Collaborates with family members as well as community partners including law enforcement, corrections agencies, attorneys, therapists, medical providers, chemical dependency services, housing services, domestic violence services, employment services, schools, and residential treatment providers to assess child and family needs, develop and implement a case plan, and monitor ongoing progress - Prepares information in connection with court cases, writes court affidavits for Child in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) petitions and any required court review letters. Testifies in court proceedings, interprets and implements judicial and court findings. Develops and implements placement of children out of the home, when children are in imminent danger - Participates in regular contact with children and parents. Completes at least monthly visits with all children and parents on the caseload and documents accordingly. Coordinates services with school, other providers, and relatives. Completes structured decision-making tools as required. Consults with the County Attorney and others for court-involved cases - Meets with children and families in the field to assess safety, risk and family needs - Provides case management to families with child welfare or child protection needs, including but not limited to the first response to reports of educational neglect, children placed in Minnesota through the Interstate Compact on Children, and children alleged to have committed a delinquent act before the age of 13. Completes assessments of child and family needs. Creates, implements, and monitors case plans with families. Makes referrals and reviews effectiveness of selected services. Identifies, selects, coordinates, and monitors out-of-home placement for children to ensure child and community safety. Acts as legal guardian/custodian for children in foster care or state wards. Provides reasonable or active efforts to prevent placement of children or reunify children with caregivers - Promotes safety, permanency, and wellbeing of children by offering and coordinating services to prevent future maltreatment, meet the needs of the child, and support family life. Provides information on social services programs - Performs guardianship duties. Acts as guardian for children who have been declared wards of the State - Provides after-hour response for emergency and urgent child protection situations. Additionally, provides general intake and emergency on-call social services as assigned - Demonstrates working knowledge of and follows all County, State, a…