Lead Child Welfare Professional

Department: Social Services
Reports to: Social Work Supervisor
Starting at $29.11 per hour, non-exempt, up to 40 hours per week

About the Role

This role serves as a critical link between unit staff and department leadership, providing day-to-day peer leadership, advanced guidance, and administrative support within the Child Protective Services (CPS) and Youth Justice (YJ) divisions. Under the general direction of the Social Work Supervisor, this position carries a modified (reduced) caseload while assisting with training, peer mentoring, quality assurance auditing, and case consultation. This role acts as a subject matter expert, assisting in the onboarding of new staff and stepping in to provide backup coverage or crisis support during complex, high-risk investigations or court proceedings.

Responsibilities

• Peer Leadership and Onboarding
  • Act as a peer mentor and primary point of contact for frontline Social Workers and Child Welfare Professionals on complex case dynamics, policy interpretation, and state standards.
  • Coordinate and deliver hands-on orientation, technical training, and shadowing opportunities for newly hired unit personnel.
  • Assist the supervisor in assigning work or identifying coverage gaps during team absences or specialized operational needs.
• Case Management & Support
  • Maintain a modified, reduced active caseload involving highly sensitive, intense, or legally complex social service or youth justice cases.
  • Provide clinical and operational backup to staff during emergency field responses, high-risk protective removals, or severe family crises.
  • Participate in and facilitate regular peer review or multidisciplinary team meetings to assist colleagues in defining clinical objectives, analyzing safety factors, and clarifying permanency plans.
• Quality Assurance & Compliance
  • Review and perform qualitative audits on unit case records, safety assessments, and documentation frameworks to verify strict adherence to local, state, and federal administrative rules.
  • Compile statistical insights, operational analytics, and programmatic compliance sheets to assist management with continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Ensure internal tools, safety assessments, and judicial documentation templates conform directly to statutory requirements.
• Community Collaboration & Advocacy
  • Represent the department on county-wide workgroups, steering panels, or regional coalitions committed to systemic youth welfare and local safety enhancements.
  • Foster professional communication and procedural clarity with circuit courts, school systems, legal advocates, and partner human services networks.
  • Address client, provider, or community concerns systematically when designated by unit leadership, applying advanced conflict de-escalation strategies.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Criminal Justice, or a closely related human services discipline.
• Minimum of three to five years of professional, progressively responsible experience in human services, child welfare, or youth justice case management.
• Possession of a valid State Social Work Certification or Licensure is highly preferred.
• Must possess or maintain a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record.

Skills

• Comprehensive knowledge of state social service statutes, child protective service protocols, youth justice benchmarks, and community assistance networks.
• Advanced skill in conducting professional trauma-informed assessments, safety reviews, and structural case tracking.
• Strong interpersonal, pedagogical, and mentoring skills to model practice expectations, lead peer sessions, and de-escalate sensitive personal dynamics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication competencies to deliver technical reports, judicial testimonies, and systemic documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to make defensible, evidence-based recommendations under pressure or during significant crisis environments.
• Proficiency with state-mandated social services databases, specialized document repositories, case management software tracking systems, and productivity suites (Microsoft Windows, Office, Excel).

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to sit, talk, and hear.
• Frequent use of hands to type, handle case files, or utilize administrative machinery.
• Routine travel required; must be capable of operating a motor vehicle safely across variable seasonal weather patterns to attend regional panels, conduct home visits, or respond to emergency scenes.
• Occasionally required to stoop, kneel, or bend, and must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds (such as case files or field supplies).

Work Environment

Work is primarily performed in a standard, climate-controlled office environment with a moderate noise level, subject to frequent desk distractions and internal conferences. The position introduces unique secondary field exposure, including travel into unmonitored home environments, courtrooms, or secure detention facilities that may involve contact with highly stressed, agitated, or volatile individuals. Strict adherence to department safety and field security protocols is required.

Pay

Starting at $29.11 per hour

Schedule

Non-exempt, up to 40 hours per week