CWS Team Leader - Investigations & Family Preservation / 61014757

Do you have a passion to provide meaningful work in the community? Would you like to be part of an organization whose central mission is helping to protect, stabilize and strengthen the lives of children, families, and vulnerable adults? Then the South Carolina Department of Social Services has the right job opportunity for you.

Job Duties:

The Child Welfare Services Team Leader provides direct supervision to Child Welfare Case Managers. Ensures accountability of supervisors by conducting case consultations, coaching, trainings, and support in accordance with DSS Policy, Agency Mission and GPS Practice Model. Assists the County Director with the development of plans and strategies to improve performance and practice in Child Welfare. Promotes safety, permanency and well-being by ensuring fidelity to policy and procedures and conducting case consultation and case reviews, facilitating meetings, reviewing data reports, monitoring policy changes, and ensuring staff attendance in mandatory trainings, and conducting periodic case reviews to ensure quality practice. Provides direct supervision to case managers. Coordinates and performs on-call duties. Authentically engages and works collaboratively with child welfare staff, families and other professionals with empathy, respect and leadership to include timely responses to telephone calls, emails, and texts. Responds timely and professionally to constituent inquiries from the public and families to problem solve and bring resolution to inquiries. Ensures timely permanency by providing oversight and monitoring of permanency data. Works with Child Welfare Case Managers to ensure permanency resources are explored at the onset of agency involvement and ongoing. Ensures case managers are adhering to court orders, and assists case managers in identifying and addressing legal barriers that impact timely permanency and legal proceedings. Partners with community stakeholders to identify services to meet the needs of the children and families. Provides EPMS planning and evaluation plans. Participates in hiring and training of all new employees, promotes equal opportunity, develops a diverse workforce, and gives fair opportunity to all staff. Completes performance and practice evaluations on direct reports biannually and upon request for level ascension. Timely submits evaluations for level ascension and EPMS evaluations. Maintains Child Welfare certification, completes at minimum 20 training hours yearly. Maintains an active routine of self-care and pursues support when necessary to minimize the threat of secondary trauma to physical and mental health. Applies trauma informed principles when working with Child Welfare staff and families. Ensures that personal identifying information (PII) is properly used, accessed, gathered, shared and disposed. Protects the agency networks and applications by safeguarding systems, equipment and data. Performs Red Cross shelter duty or other emergency shelter duties/services as directed. Other duties as assigned. A Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Behavioral Science, or Social Science. A Bachelor's Degree in any other field and one (1) year experience in a related field. This application for employment with the SC Department of Social Services must be completed in its entirety. A resume may be included; but shall not be substituted in lieu of the completion of this application in part or in whole. "See Resume" is not acceptable information for the completion of any part of the requirements of this application. If such is submitted, this employment application will be considered incomplete and may not be forwarded as eligible for consideration to hiring managers. Must possess a valid driver's license and have access to and be able to operate a motor vehicle. Individuals must comply with necessary field work assignments. If you certify, by completion and submission of this application, that you possess educational credentials that qualify you for the available DSS positions, you will be required to provide a certified official transcript, if you are selected for job offer. The South Carolina Department of Social Services offers an exceptional benefits package that includes: Health, Dental, Vision, Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse, and Children 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year 15 days sick leave per year 13 paid holidays Paid Parental Leave State Retirement Plan and Deferred Compensation Programs

DIVISION

CWS - Investigations & Family Preservation / Edgefield County •Important Salary Information• With the recent implementation of the Child Welfare salary plan funded by the General Assembly beginning in July 2021, front line case managers and team leaders (supervisors) will not only earn higher starting salaries when joining DSS than in previous years, but will also enjoy supplements to their starting salaries upon completion of training and competencies, attainment of BSW/MSW degrees for front line case managers, annual increases for years of continuous service, and salary increases upon attainment of established competencies/certifications for moving into Level 2 and Level 3 salaries. New Child Welfare case managers will earn a starting salary of at least $45,721 during initial certification, depending on education level and degree type, with up-front starting salary supplements of 2.5% ($46,865) and 5% ($48,006) for candidates holding a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, and 10% ($50,293) for team leaders (supervisors), respectively. Following completion of training certification, assignment of caseloads with one year of completed experience, quarterly adjustments will be made to move successful trainees into the Level 1 salary bracket and will receive at least a 15% salary increase (adjusting their salary to $52,843, $54,165 or $55,400 depending on degree type), and $58,125 for team leaders (supervisors) at that time. Annual salary increases of up to 0.50% per year will be awarded on a quarterly basis for each consecutive year a Level 1 case manager remains in his/her class/position. In January of 2022, DSS rolled out additional opportunities for case managers to progress from Level 1 to Levels 2 and 3, with increases in salary averaging 2.5% for each increase in the case manager's level of expertise under the salary plan. Level 2 and 3 child welfare staff will also see accelerated annual increases of 1% to 1.5% per year awarded for each continuous year served in his/her class/position. Progression from Level 1 to Levels 2 and 3 requires completion of specified requirements in the Advancement Pathway which include additional training, skill development, and practice model aligned competencies that increase in complexity as the career path progresses. Case reviews, data compliance reviews, field observations and employee self-assessments are used by supervisors to evaluate eligible employees' demonstration of competencies and skills prior to approval to advance to the subsequent level.