Permanency Services - Social Services Specialist IV

Hybrid Child Welfare Specialist

This position is Hybrid. In-office at 1575 Sherman Street on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Please note:

These working arrangements are subject to change.

About this position:
This position is responsible for identifying barriers and solutions to the timeliness of permanency for the population of children and youth placed in Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTP) by county child welfare agencies. Primary duties include providing increased oversight, technical assistance, and support to county departments to improve performance measures and outcomes related to permanency; helping the Department identify and address systemic barriers related to timeliness of permanency;

monitoring measures and outcomes for Colorado's children placed in QRTP or out-of-home treatment experiencing barriers to permanency; and focusing efforts and resources on reducing the impacts of those barriers.

Duties include outreach to other stakeholders to address barriers and identify strategies to overcome barriers to sustained permanency. Identification of strategies to address barriers to removing children and/or youth from their home needs to be considered at the individual, county, state, and other systemic levels. This position is expected to travel to all 64 counties to provide technical assistance and oversight of child welfare practice as it relates to utilization of Qualified Residential Treatment Programs and Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) for timely and sustainable permanency.

This position makes recommendations for policy and practice improvements to the Ongoing Child Protection Administrator and Permanency Services Unit Manager in matters related to the timeliness of permanency; other areas of permanency; coordinating efforts between the County Department of human/social services and other state agencies or community stakeholders; and opportunities for collaboration with licensed providers (QRTPs, PRTF's, and child placement agencies) and the placement services unit.

This person will need the skills to be able to review multiple documents, including clinical notes, DHS reports, and assessments, to formulate recommendations to guide and inform agencies, county DHS, and other appropriate professionals involved to ensure children and youth are getting the placement and support that best meets their permanency needs.

This position will give feedback directly to counties regarding best practice issues identified during reviews and communicate with the counties' assigned County Intermediaries. This position will develop up-to-date training on best practices for submitting QRTP Lifetime Limits referrals as well as rules and expectations for counties that have youth or children in QRTP level of care.