Initial Assessment Specialist - First Shift

Position Summary

The Initial Assessment Specialist in the Initial Assessment Bureau conducts assessments of alleged child abuse and neglect. This involves working with families under stress, including interviewing all household members and completing visits to the child's home and other locations to gather information about the presenting situation/alleged maltreatment. The Initial Assessment Specialist may be required to travel to locations located in high risk, disadvantaged or underserved neighborhoods. The Initial Assessment Specialist analyzes information gathered to make judgments about the safety of children and takes measures necessary to ensure children's safety; prepares written and oral testimony for Children's Court appearances; maintains current documentation on caseloads; and works in close cooperation with other social service agencies, hospitals, clinics, courts and community resources in planning to meet the needs of children and families. This position is required to participate in 24-hour on-call rotation to ensure continuous provision of access and initial assessment services for children in the community.

View the complete position description.

Salary Information

The classification title for this position is Initial Assessment Specialist. The starting salary is $26.11 to $29.11 per hour ($54,308 to $60,548 annually), depending on qualifications. Pay for current State of WI employees will be based on the compensation plan in effect at the time of the appointment. The pay schedule/range is 12-64. A one-year probationary period may be required.

This position includes:

Overtime pay (hourly pay x 1.5 for working over 40 hours in a standard work week), when position necessitates.

• Night/weekend differential of $0.80/hr. Night Differential=working before 6:00am and/or after 6:00pm.

• Eligibility for position advancement to Senior level after 14 months of service (includes a pay increase).

• "On call" rate of $125 per weekday shift and $150 per weekend/holiday shift, in addition to hourly pay for any hours worked during the shift. "On call" includes rotational and voluntary sign ups by staff.

• A reimbursement of $.51 per mile driven in your personal vehicle.

Future increases will be in accordance with the Governor's Compensation Plan.

Job Details

Due to the nature of this job, additional hours and "on-call" hours will be required, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Due to the nature of the position, final candidates may be required to allow DCF to conduct a security background check to determine whether the circumstances of any pending charges or convictions would be substantially related to the job being filled.

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the U.S., a lawful permanent resident, an alien authorized to work in the U.S. without DCF sponsorship.) The Department of Children and Families does not sponsor visas, either at time of hire or at any later time.

Qualifications

You must possess a valid driver's license AND have the ability to meet the minimum State Department of Administration fleet standards listed below:

Must have a valid driver's license

Must have a minimum of two years licensed driving experience

Must be 18 years of age or older

Minimally qualified applicants will have:

• Experience, training and/or education in social welfare, social science, or related field (which may include law enforcement, child and family welfare, counseling, psychology, health education, behavioral health, etc.)

• Experience creating (drafting) written reports or assessments.

• Experience handling competing priorities.

• Experience making unbiased decisions.

Well-qualified applicants will have:

• Associate Degree or higher in social welfare, social science, or related field (which may include law enforcement, child and family welfare, counseling, psychology, health education, behavioral health, etc.)

• Experience, or formal training interpreting and applying social welfare-related laws and regulations.

• Education or training in interviewing diverse populations (which may include families, parents, and children) to gather information and make recommendations.

• Experience handling stressful situations.

• Experience de-escalating situations.

• Experience investigating allegations of child abuse or neglect and managing a case load independently.

How To Apply

If you haven't already done so, you will need to create an account and apply online. You must apply online to be considered for this position. Application materials will not be accepted if received in an e-mail, as a hard copy or a fax. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.

After you are logged in and are viewing the announcement, click "Apply Now." You will be asked to provide your personal information and required materials. Online applications that do not include all of the requested materials will not be considered.

Both a resume and letter of qualification are required. If both documents are not submitted during the application process, your application will be disqualified. Your letter of qualifications and resume are very important parts of your application at DCF and are used during our evaluation process to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job. View instructions on developing your resume and letter of qualifications for your DCF application and what should be included in these materials.

Submitted materials will be evaluated by one or more subject matter experts and qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process.

The State of Wisconsin is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to applicants of any race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national original, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

Veterans with at least a 30% service-connected disability rating should contact the HR Specialist listed in this posting regarding eligibility for consideration under the non-competitive appointment process. For a list job categories that match our positions, see our Military Crosswalk to match your skills.

Permanent classified state employees who are eligible for consideration (transfer, voluntary demotion, or former employees as a reinstatement) must complete the application process to apply.

Deadline to Apply

The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM on July 15, 2024. If you need assistance with the online application process, please contact, Angela Cox at 608-422-6422 or via email at angela.cox@wisconsin.gov.

Please see the Frequently Asked Questions for general wisc.jobs user information and technical assistance.

The anticipated start date is September 23, 2024.