Child Welfare Services Case Manager -Pee Dee Region Continuous

Job Responsibilities

• Multiple Positions Available in Pee Dee Region *

( Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Sumter, and Williamsburg )

Do you have a passion to provide meaningful contributions to your community? Would you like to be part of an organization whose central mission is helping to protect, stabilize and strengthen the lives of South Carolina's children, families, and vulnerable adults? If so, the SC Department of Social Services has the right job opportunity for you!

Job Duties:

• Case Managers are critically important to our mission to serve South Carolina by promoting the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and vulnerable adults, helping individuals achieve stability and strengthening families. We work to achieve our goals through courage, compassion, and competence in all circumstances. We maintain clients' and families' right to confidentiality in compliance with Federal and State laws.

• DSS utilizes several types of Case Managers throughout its agency. Through this posting you may apply for the following Case Manager positions within our Child Welfare Services Pee Dee Region.

• Child Protective Services (CPS) Investigations Case Manager: The CPS Assessment Case Manager serves as a specialist who assesses risk and safety threats to children who may have experienced abuse and/or neglect.
  
  CPS Assessment Case Managers gather information, conduct interviews, and personally engage children and families in the development of safety plans and access to services. Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to, thoroughly documenting case files, participating in supervision and legal consults, collaboration with providers, and preparation of and participation in Court proceedings.

• Family Preservation Case Manager: The Family Preservation Case Manager serves as a specialist to plan and execute case management activities that ensure the safety, permanence, and well-being of children who have experienced abuse and/or neglect. Responsibilities of Case Managers in this division include, but are not limited to, personally engaging children and their families in the development of plans and collaboration of access to services and providers, thorough documentation of case management, preparation of and participation in Court proceedings, and participation in other related activities as necessary.

• Foster Care Case Manager: Foster Care Case Managers are specialists who assess risk and manage safety threats to ensure the safety, permanence, and well-being of children who are in the custody of the Department of Social Services. Responsibilities of Case Managers in this division include, but are not limited to, personally engaging children and families in the development of plans and collaboration of access to services and providers, thorough documentation of case management, preparation of and participation in Court proceedings, and participation in other related activities as necessary.

• Adoptions Case Manager: The Adoptions Case Manager performs case management (i.e., contacts, visitation, case planning) to a caseload of legally free children and families to ensure safety, permanency and well-being.
  
  Makes referrals to adoption recruitment resources, coordinates the selection of adoptive individuals or families, prepares children and adoptive applicants for adoptive placement. Makes contact with children and families to achieve the permanency goal of adoption. Utilizes critical thinking skills to monitor safety, risk, and well-being and performs on-call duties as assigned.

• Will be required to perform shelter/emergency response duties as directed.

Minimum and Additional Requirements

Agency Requirements:

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.

A Bachelor's or Master's degree in a Social Work or Social Welfare program accredited by the Council on accredited institution, plus experience as a professional Social Worker.

For any of the Child Welfare Services Case Manager jobs, the best qualified candidate will have a working knowledge of child development, family dynamics, policies and procedures, and laws related to Child Protection and Child Welfare. Furthermore, good Case Manager candidates will have strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

Must be able to successfully use agency software and computer systems. Must be adept at active listening and interviewing techniques to elicit pertinent information. Must possess skills in critical analysis and conflict management and resolution. Must be able to collaborate with all stakeholders in the provision of services to ensure positive outcomes for children and their families.

Case Managers must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment with the SC Department of Social Services. Case Managers may be required to work overtime and occasionally may be required to drive a personal vehicle in the performance of duties.

Persons in this job must be able to travel and may be asked to work after core business hours, with little or no notice. Must be able and willing to drive and transport children and adults, while interacting with them in a positive and supportive manner. Must be able to lift small children, have a high tolerance for noise, irate and/or upset clients, and crowded working conditions. Must be able to access clients' homes and other buildings.

Child Welfare Services Case Managers must fully attend and successfully complete "Child Welfare Basic Training", to be eligible for continued employment in a Case Manager position.

Preferred Qualifications

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 and maintain a valid driver's license.

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: Child Welfare Services / Pee Dee Region

Additional Comments

• 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 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 $43,700 during initial certification, depending on education level and degree type, with up-front starting salary supplements of 2.5% ($44,792) and 5% ($45,885) for candidates holding a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, and 10% ($48,070) 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 $50,225, $51,510 or $52,769 depending on degree type), and $55,280 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.