Family Case Manager

Work for Indiana

Begin a fulfilling career with the State of Indiana by joining one of the largest employers in the state, offering a range of opportunities across 60+ agencies. At the state, you'll find competitive compensation, a robust benefits package and a commitment to work-life balance. Most importantly, you'll have the chance to make a real and measurable impact on the lives of Hoosiers across Indiana.

About the Department of Child Services:

Join a team that engages with families and children to improve lives in meaningful and significant ways. DCS engages authentically with children who are victims of abuse or neglect and strengthens families through services that focus on family support and preservation. The Department also administers family preservation and prevention services, foster care, and child support throughout the State of Indiana. You will relentlessly pursue permanency for children and families through reunification, guardianship, adoption or support youth in making a successful transition to adulthood.

While this job is difficult and may have long and sometimes unconventional hours, this is more than a job—it is a calling to improve your community and neighbors. Will you join us in supporting our Mission, Vision, and Values?

Mission: The Indiana Department of Child Services leads the state’s response to allegations of child abuse and neglect and facilitates child support payments. We consider the needs and values of all we serve in our efforts to protect children while keeping families together whenever possible.

Vision: Children will live in safe, healthy and supportive families and communities.

Values: We at the Indiana Department of Child Services empower our team, in collaboration with state and local partners, to make decisions in the best interest of every child in our care by embracing:

• Child safety
• Permanency
• Collaborative partnerships with foster and adoptive families
• A culture of safety and transparency
• Continuous improvement

Role Overview
:

As the Family Case Manager, you will be responsible for working as a caseworker specialist in social services within a Local County Office or Central Office of the Department of Children Services. In this position, you will protect families and children from abuse and neglect, maintain or reunify families whenever possible, and, when in the best interest of the child, achieve a permanent home or independent living for children unable to be reunited with their families.

This position is in Bloomington, Indiana, and will serve Monroe County.

Salary
:

The salary for this position traditionally starts at $47,320.00 but may be commensurate with education or work experience.

A Day in the Life:

Responsibilities include:

• Investigate reported incidents of child abuse, neglect, or dependency, determine whether the incident is substantiated, and develop recommendations to a Juvenile Court or County Director for disposition.
• Assess the level of risk to the child for additional injury or harm, including whether the child is in imminent danger, and may remove the child from the family as the situation warrants, placing a child in a protected environment.
• Perform needs assessments to determine treatment options for families and children reported to be abused/neglected.
• Testify and prepare pre-dispositional and progress reports, maintain case files, and develop briefing reports for the community child protection team. Develop “informal adjustment” plans with families and children to divert children from the juvenile justice system.
• Develop case plans to assist families and children to become more self-sufficient in a safe and nurturing environment and to ensure a permanent home for the child.
• Develop discharge/transition programming to assist families and children to attain and maintain self-sufficiency in a safe environment.
• Monitor and assess the service capability of treatment programs and providers to ensure consistency with the case plan.
• Accept on-call responsibility as needed to receive and investigate allegations of child abuse/neglect.
• Conduct home studies and family histories and recommend placement for adoption to an adoption team.
• Visit children in…