Foster Care Case Manager at State of Indiana Rensselaer

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.

Join a team that engages with families and children to improve lives meaningfully. 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 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

The Foster Care Case Manager serves as a foster family licensing worker within a Child Services region. You will improve foster care services to children by providing targeted and timely services related to foster care support, recruitment, licensing, and retention.

Key outcomes for this role are:

• Decrease placement moves for children.
• Increase the availability and use of local placements.
• Use more appropriate placements resulting from the enhanced ability to understand and match the needs and strengths of children with prospective foster caregivers.
• Expedite the training and licensure of relatives.
• Increase the quality and quantity of foster homes by using targeted recruitment strategies to meet regional needs.
• Provide greater support to Family Case Managers (FCM) in making placement determinations for children.

This position supports offices in Benton, Jasper, La Porte, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, and Starke counties.

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

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…