Child Protection Specialist; Region - Southwest

Child Protection Specialist (Region 4 - Southwest) )

As a Child Protection Specialist, you will play a critical role in enhancing the well‑being of Montana families. You will engage directly with families facing a wide range of challenges, investigate child abuse, provide support, advocacy and connection to vital resources. This role is both rewarding and demanding. You will navigate complex, sometimes hostile, situations that require empathy, resiliency and a deep understanding of social systems.

• Conduct timely assessments of reports of child maltreatment, in accordance with requirements of state and federal statutes and agency policy, using standardized safety assessment tools and decision‑making guides.
• Carry a caseload and keep all case file documentation current.
• Work collaboratively with law enforcement, other welfare professionals and agencies.
• Prepare for and testify in court, preliminary hearings, multi‑disciplinary team meetings, family partnership meetings and court hearings.
• Place child(ren) in out‑of‑home care when necessary, ensuring that the placement is safe, complies with statutory and policy preferences and is in the best interests of the child(ren).
• Identify available resources and connect families and children to these resources.
• Ensure child(ren) is evaluated and assessed to determine medical and psychological needs throughout the case.
• Prepare assessments, design case plans, evaluate the progress of participants and make and monitor appropriate placements.
• This role requires frequent travel and conducting in‑home visits and interviews; may include out‑of‑state travel with appropriate travel documents.
• Work may involve evenings, weekends or holidays; assigned a rotating on‑call schedule.

• Required bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, psychology or a related degree.
• Two years of social services work experience, or directly related experience, working with children and families in difficult and sometimes volatile situations.
• Experience working with tribal government entities and/or other organizations of native peoples.
• Knowledge of child development, child maltreatment prevention and treatment and family‑centered social work practice.

• Stress tolerance:
  Deals calmly and effectively with high‑stress situations (for example, tight deadlines, hostile individuals, emergency situations).
• Self‑management:
  Sets well‑defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment toward completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.
• Decision making:
  Makes sound, well‑informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.
• Advocacy:
  Develops and presents the client’s, youth’s, and/or customer’s interests in all matters.
• Teamwork:
  Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust; fosters commitment and works with others to achieve goals.
• Ability to make critical decisions, based on integration of information from multiple sources that may be discrepant, in high‑stress situations.
• Ability to engage children and families, under difficult circumstances, to gather sufficient information to make accurate and precise decisions.
• Ability to remain calm when being confronted and to develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, even those who do not share the same point of view and may be violent or angry and maintain them over time.
• Ability to operate a personal computer and general office equipment as necessary to complete the essential functions of this position, including using spreadsheet, word processing, database, email, internet and other computer programs.

The State of Montana’s comprehensive benefits package includes healthcare coverage, retirement plans, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, work/life balance and eligibility to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

This position may be eligible for partial telework within the state of Montana. Specific conditions will be provided by the supervisor and must adhere to state policy.

$30.55 per hour.

State government does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, creed, political beliefs or affiliation, veteran status, military service, retaliation, or any other factor not related to merit and qualifications of an employee or applicant.