Child Protection Specialist

Child Protection Specialist

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is seeking an organized, professional, and results oriented individual to serve as Spanish Speaking Child Protection Specialist. DCFS offers a competitive compensation plan, excellent benefits, and a generous pension program. The ideal candidate for this position will have excellent organizational skills and strong leadership and communication capabilities. We invite you to join our innovative team to help make a positive difference in the lives of the children and families of Illinois.

Position Overview

• Serves as Child Protection Specialist
• Prepares and maintains a variety of reports, assessments, and case documentation
• Selects, summarizes and presents case material for transfer to permanency caseworker or intact/prevention caseworker
• Translates and interprets, both orally and in writing, for Spanish speaking clients regarding services available and the proper completion of forms
• Determines the need for and coordinates the placement of children in substitute care facilities
• Attends multi-disciplinary diagnostic and technical staff conferences to assess needed services
• Transports clients when taking protective custody, when placing them in substitute care, and when changing placement location
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above

Minimum Qualifications

• Preferably requires a master's degree in social work OR Requires a master's degree in a related human service field, incriminal justice, criminal justice administration, or law enforcement and one year of directly related professional experience OR Requires a bachelor's degree in social work and one year of directly related professional experience OR Requires a bachelor's degree in a related human service field, in criminal justice, criminal justice administration, or law enforcement and two years of directly related professional experience
• The college or university issuing a bachelor's or master's degree must be accredited, and the degree program in social work must be approved by the Council on Social Work Education
• Requires ability to speak and write Spanish at a colloquial skill level

Conditions of Employment

• Requires travel, a valid driver's license, daily access to an automobile, and proof of vehicle insurance
• Requires ability to pass a background check
• Requires physical, visual and auditory ability to carry out assigned duties
• Overtime is a condition of employment, and you may be requested or required/mandated to work overtime, including scheduled, unscheduled, or last-minute overtime
• This requires the ability to work evenings and weekends
• This also requires the ability to work in a 24 hour "on call" capacity

About the Agency

DCFS is deeply committed to the welfare and protection of children. Our goal is to protect children by strengthening and supporting families. In every effort, from receiving hotline calls to reaching family reunification or foster care and adoption, children and families are our focus.