Cps Conservatorship Caseworker Trainee

Job Overview:
Whenever a child must be removed from their home, Texas courts appoint Child Protective Services (CPS) to serve as a "Conservator" of the child. Conservatorship Specialists are a specific type of caseworker legally responsible for a child's welfare whenever they are removed from their home and monitors children's care while in CPS conservatorship. They work closely with parents, extended family, and legal parties to help children find a permanent, safe place to live.

**Responsibilities**:

- Receives cases from investigators after children are removed from their homes, placed in CPS conservatorship, and placed in care outside their homes.
- Determines each child’s needs and ensuring that appropriate referrals for testing, evaluations, records, or further assessments are made. Ensures all services are focused on achieving positive permanency.
- Working with children, families, and communities to plan for a child's permanency.
- Identifying potential permanency resources for the child through ongoing contact with parents, family members, and other individuals the child and family identify as important to them.
- Searching for potential kinship providers throughout the case. Completing home studies of a child's family members or family friends (kinship providers) who might care for the child.
- Meets with the parents to assess risk and safety issues, identify behavior changes necessary to achieve child safety, referring parents to appropriate services to address the identified needs to move towards positive permanency. Discusses with parents their progress towards making changes to behaviors that pose dangers to their child(ren).
- Meets with children, parents, family friends, or foster homes in public as well as in their own homes.
- Collaborates with a Placement Team, including Kinship staff, for placements, as needed.
- Participates in meetings and conferences at times and places convenient for the family members as well as everyone involved in the case.
- Visits children monthly to assess the child’s feeling of safety in their current home, to plan for permanency, and to discuss their needs, wishes, and progress while in care
- Attends and participates in court hearings about the child and family. This includes contacting the parties in the case before hearings, preparing court reports, and testifying in court on the child’s needs, the family’s progress, and the department’s efforts to achieve permanency for the child.
- Keeps the child’s, parents, caregivers, court-appointed attorney and guardian ad litem(s) informed about the child’s circumstances and significant events.
- Works with the department's attorney to prepare for contested-court hearings and trials.
- Works with kinship caregivers and foster parents to ensure that they have what they need to care for the child or youth placed with them i.e., keeping them informed about developments in the case, returning phone calls, and in some areas of the state being available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week at certain times.
- Transitions children home during reunification services and provides support to the family until the legal case is closed.
- Supervises adoptive placements until the adoption is final or until the case is transferred to an adoption caseworker.
- Using effective time-management skills to make sure all key tasks are done.
- Documents case records by completing forms, narratives, and reports to form a written record for each client.
- Develops and maintains effective working relationships between Child Protective Services staff and law enforcement officials, judicial officials, legal resources, medical professionals, and other community resources.
- Performs other duties as assigned and required to maintain unit operations.
- Promotes and demonstrates appropriate respect for cultural diversity among coworkers, clients, and all work-related contacts.
- Attends work regularly in accordance with agency leave policy.

**Requirements**:

- Bachelor's degree in social work or a related field (Master's degree preferred)
- Experience working with children, child protective services, or child welfare is highly desirable
- Knowledge of crisis management techniques and behavioral health principles
- Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
- Ability to effectively engage with diverse populations and build rapport with clients
- Proficient in motivational interviewing techniques
- Excellent conflict management skills
- Ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality and professionalism
- Valid driver's license and reliable transportation

**Benefits**:

- Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications
- Comprehensive healthcare benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Retirement savings plan with employer match
- Paid time off for vacation, sick leave, and holidays
- Professional development opportunities to enhance your skills and knowledge in the field

Pay: