Child Welfare Specialist I/II/III

About the role

This position is located in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Working in Child Welfare for Oklahoma's largest state agency means having the opportunity to positively impact the safety and well-being of children and families for generations to come. If you have a passion for social work and making a difference in your local community, OKDHS has a place for you! Join our team and create pathways to hope for all Oklahomans. Extensive training will be provided to new employees.

Responsibilities

• Child Protective Services (CPS): Investigates allegations of child abuse or neglect; protects the safety of children and provides services to help families address barriers that could put children at risk.
• Family Centered Services (FCS): Preserves and strengthens protective capacities of parents to keep the child in their own home, focusing on increasing safety for the child and family to prevent unnecessary out‑of‑home placements.
• Permanency Planning (PP): Provides services to families that involve family members in treatment planning; arranges placements meeting children’s medical, educational, and physical needs; returns children home when possible and develops permanent plans when reunification is not feasible.
• All new employees complete the Child Welfare Core Academy Training Program, which includes learning treatment and preventive services; visiting children in placement and conducting assessments; referring families to community services; participating in abuse and neglect investigations and preparing case reports; attending court hearings and providing testimony; consulting with the District Attorney, other attorneys, and tribal partners; providing direct services to children in placement; and performing other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Child Welfare Specialist, Level I: Completion of 90 hours from an accredited college or university; OR 3 years of experience related to child welfare work; OR a combination of education and experience.
• Child Welfare Specialist, Level II: A bachelor's degree (in any field); OR one year of experience as a Child Welfare Specialist.
• Child Welfare Specialist, Level III: A Master's degree; OR a bachelor's degree plus one year of experience as a Child Welfare Specialist; OR two years of experience as a Child Welfare Specialist.

Benefits

• Full State Employee Benefits (health, retirement, etc.) for all salary levels.
• Extensive training provided to new employees (Child Welfare Core Academy Training Program).
• State vehicles available for use to carry out position duties.

Pay

• Level I H23A: $37,280.75 annual salary + Full State Employee Benefits.
• Level II H23B: $40,077.79 annual salary + Full State Employee Benefits.
• Level III H23C: $43,968.62 annual salary + Full State Employee Benefits.
• Applicants with a Master's Degree in Social Work receive an additional 5% salary incentive.
• On‑call positions receive an additional bonus of $