Case Manager Lead

Job Title: DCS Case Manager 3

Job Type: Full-Time

Location: Kingston, TN

Department: Children's Services

Job Summary:

We are seeking a highly skilled and dedicated Case Manager Lead to join our team at the Department of Children's Services. As a Case Manager Lead, you will be responsible for leading and training subordinates in the performance of case management work for children under the State's supervision, in State custody, or at risk of State custody, and their families.

Responsibilities:

• Administers disciplinary action as required to correct undesired outcomes.
• Conducts case conferences to provide guidance, feedback, direction, and next steps to promote safety, permanency, and well-being with DCS Case Manager 1 and DCS Case Manager 2.
• Addresses inappropriate behaviors and/or actions with clients, service providers, resource parents, etc.
• Addresses conflict among co-workers and leadership using conflict resolution skills to provide a harmonious working environment.
• Determines if abuse or neglect has occurred, who the abuser is, the level of risk or harm to the child, and the need for a safety plan.
• Makes recommendations for reunification or termination of parental rights.
• Coordinates and observes visitations for children in and out of home placement to ensure meaningful visitation.
• Reviews and assesses cases for closure or transfer based on knowledge of policy requirements for case tasks to ensure safety, permanency, and well-being.
• Uses information from gathered assessments to aid in decision-making about safety, permanency, and well-being.
• Learns to compare the needs of the child to family capabilities to appropriately match child with family.
• Actively listens to concerns to make appropriate referrals.
• Conducts peer reviews to gain a global perspective on possible interventions.
• Coaches, directs, and demonstrates all job duties of DCS Case Manager 1 and DCS Case Manager 2's for continuous professional development.
• Demonstrates tasks in computer programs for DCS Case Manager 1 and DCS Case Manager 2's (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, departmental system for entering child welfare information departmental systems (TFACTS), etc.).
• Recognizes and acknowledges the rights of families.
• Tracks and creates reports on regional data to ensure State and Federal compliance.
• Tracks assessments to ensure data elements meet required time frames.
• Reviews new and updated laws and policies, disseminates to staff to ensure compliance.
• Sets goals and establishes action steps for families, teams, and professional development to meet desired outcomes.
• Performs advanced tasks in computer programs (e.g., Microsoft Office, Excel, etc.).
• Identifies pertinent information about cases that require decision and/or actions from leadership and DCS legal staff.
• Serves as a liaison among supervisors and staff to ensure a positive work environment and professional relationships are maintained.
• Assigns cases and work assignments to DCS Case Managers through the use of departmental systems for entering child welfare information (TFACTS) in order to meet work requirements.
• Creates on-call schedules for DCS Case Managers to allocate personnel in a fair and consistent manner.
• Documents accurate information from interviews, observations, correspondence for a wide range of sources.
• Prepares reports for court.
• Enters time, mileage, travel, leave request into Edison.
• Prepares to participate and testify in court proceedings.
• Provides higher-quality customer service with clients and community partners to promote effective outcomes.
• Participates in multi-disciplinary teams, including Child Protective Investigative Team, Foster Care Review Board, Care Team, Community Advisory Board, to gain a global perspective about case planning decisions.
• Recruits adoptive and foster parents.
• Regularly conducts home visits to assess the safety of homes.
• Works flexible hours, including weekends, holidays, and after hours.
• Conducts intake interviews with individuals reporting suspected child abuse or neglect.
• Conducts interviews with child's family and collateral contacts (e.g., principals, neighbors, doctors, etc.).
• Discusses case information with DCS Case Manager 1 and DCS Case Manager 2's to guide decision-making about case needs, resources allocation, and outcomes.
• Gathers demographic information on child and family (e.g., Genogram, Ecomap, Lexus Nexus, etc.).
• Gathers complete and accurate information (e.g., child's school records, psychological evaluation report or medical examination results).
• Locates and identifies natural, formal, and informational supports.
• Completes required assessments in a timely manner (e.g., Family Functional, Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths, Youth Level Services Tool, Family Advocacy and Support Tool, etc.).
• Reviews ongoing assessments of all DCS Case Manager 1 and DCS Case Manager 2's to approve.
• Analyzes data, response time, overdue reports, Child and Family Team Meetings, placement reports, resource home reports, Early Periodic Screening, diagnosis, and treatment, and dental, face-to-face visits, review mega-report through the use of Sharepoint and Excel to track child welfare outcomes.
• Conducts ongoing assessments of all incoming information.
• Engages with staff, children, and families to build trustful relationships.
• Encourages clients to be self-sufficient to overcome barriers and achieve permanency.
• Regularly conducts home visits to assess the safety of homes.
• Conducts multiple and ongoing face-to-face visits with children, resource families, providers, kinship homes, and other relevant entities.
• Communicates effectively what the issues are to build solutions.
• Responds timely to follow-ups with action steps.
• Arrives on time and prepared to meetings.
• Responds timely, appropriately, and respectfully with families, providers, co-workers.
• Assists child to prepare for placement, adoption, reunification, etc.
• Provides subordinates with tools such as Employee Assistance Program, information about coping skills for secondary trauma, and other stress management supports.
• Transports children to various appointments safely and securely.
• Identifies members for a Child and Family Team Meeting that will work collaboratively with the Case Managers to develop action steps and goals to be accomplished by the child and family.
• Participates as an active member of a team; supports and relies on team members for additional knowledge and help when needed.
• Maintains and updates case files.
• Maintains and updates personnel files and supervisory notebooks for employees to document to support employee evaluation.
• Answers and returns all correspondence in a timely manner.
• Obtains appropriate signatures on required documents.
• Operates child restraint devices when necessary to ensure safety.
• Scans documents.
• Operates a camera.
• Operates office machinery.
• Works with service providers to receive information.
• Makes referrals for service providers.
• Trains adoptive and foster community.
• Reviews and explains relevant documents to clients.
• Adheres to departmental policies.
• Communicates to field staff new policies, techniques, procedures, issues, and systems.
• Completes all training hours as required by the department.
• Administers drug screen analysis.

Requirements:

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree and two years of professional experience providing child welfare services, including but not limited to, one or a combination of the following: social, psychological, or correctional counseling or case management; volunteer services coordination for a children's service program; and/or juvenile classification coordination.
• Substitution of graduate education for experience: A graduate degree in social work or a related behavioral science field may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis, to a maximum of one year (e.g., 36 graduate quarter hours may be substituted for one year of required experience).
• Necessary special qualifications: Applicants for this class must complete a criminal history disclosure form in a manner approved by the appointing authority; agree to release all records involving their criminal history to the appointing authority; supply a fingerprint sample in a manner prescribed by the TBI for a fingerprint-based criminal history records check; submit to a review of their status on the Department of Health's vulnerable persons registry; possess a valid motor vehicle operator's license at the time of appointment in some positions; and upon appointment, successfully complete a prescribed course of training offered by the Tennessee Department of Children's Services.

Competencies:

• Decision Quality
• Problem Solving
• Directing Others
• Organizing
• Conflict Management
• Sizing Up People
• Drive For Results
• Perseverance
• Organizational Agility
• Written Communications
• Ethics and Values
• Integrity and Trust

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of computer programs and office equipment, at an intermediate level, used on a daily basis
• Knowledge of Human Resources policies and procedures that will be used on a daily basis with supervision
• Knowledge of the Department of Children Services policies and procedures, at an intermediate level, used on a daily basis in the work environment

Skills:

• The skill to manage one's own time
• The skill to actively listen to others
• The skill to organize work efficiently and effectively
• The skill to use problem-solving techniques, at an intermediate level, in daily work
• The skill to understand written sentences and paragraphs, at an intermediate level, in work-related documents
• The skill to understand verbal communication, at an intermediate level, in work-related situations on a daily basis
• The skill to listen to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times
• The skill to make appropriate decisions, at an intermediate level, on a daily basis

Abilities:

• The ability to be culturally sensitive in the work environment
• The ability to demonstrate warmth and empathy when working with children and families
• The ability to demonstrate self-control in daily situations
• The ability to demonstrate critical thinking, at an intermediate level, in the work environment
• The ability to handle daily stressful situations in the work environment
• The ability to demonstrate flexibility in the work environment
• The ability to be a team player in the work environment
• The ability to work with the general public in the work environment on a daily basis
• The ability to manage multiple roles in the work environment on a daily basis
• The ability to develop and maintain personal growth within the team assigned to in the work environment
• The ability to coach and mentor best practices for the DCS Case Manager 1's and 2's in the work environment on a daily basis

Tools & Equipment:

• Electronic devices
• Computers
• Motor vehicles
• TN Driver Standards

Driver's License Information: A valid driver's license is required for this position. For the past five years, the candidate's driver record must not have a record of the following violations: driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, license suspension for moving violations, more than 4 moving violations.

Language: English