Social Services Specialist - Foster Care​/Licensure

Social Services Specialist - Foster Care/Licensure in 25 - HINDS COUNTY, MS

State of Mississippi

$38,210.22 - $47,715.60 Annually

Location

25 - HINDS COUNTY, MS

Full-Time

Job Number

HIN

0681 - CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES

Opening Date

10/05/2026

10/12/2026 at 11:59 PM Central Time (US & Canada)

Agency Minimum Salary

$38,210.22

$47,715.60

About the Agency

This opportunity is a Specialist position within the MS Department of Child Protection Services within the Licensure Unit. The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) is committed to protecting and nurturing Mississippi's at-risk children and families. MDCPS offers a variety of positions statewide, including social work positions providing case management services and working with potential foster families, supervisor positions providing clinical and administrative support, and agency support positions such as policy development, human resources, information technology, program management, training, and budgeting/finance.

Working with MDCPS will give you the chance to make a life-changing difference for Mississippi's most vulnerable children and families. If you have any additional questions, you can contact Touya Harrington of Workforce Development at  or touya.harrington.gov

Social Services Specialist II coordinates and carries out administrative and support services for various areas, including but not limited to Tracking Expedited Relative Placements, Researching Foster Board and Way2GO Debit Master Card Issues, Processing Non-Expedited Foster Parent Applications, and answering general questions related to Licensure Policies and Procedures. And other assigned duties.

This consists of 4 weeks (every other week) of on-site training and 4 weeks of On-The-Job Training, and must pass a comprehensive test prior to continued employment and/or advancement.

What you'll need to be Successful

A successful candidate for this position will understand micro, mezzo and macro-level social work practice and how social, economic, and personal factors impact safety. A professional commitment to caring about people, their safety, well-being, and the larger profession of child welfare is also a benefit. Efficient organizational and time management skills. Good oral and written communication skills. Ability to be flexible in thinking and problem solving, Able to synthesize information clearly and concisely and assess according to agency policy, state statutes, and/or federal regulations;

realistic expectations about the difficulty and challenges of the work. Ability to positively handle an often-unpredictable work environment; ability to coach and motivate others for expected outcomes. Ability to work effectively at multiple levels of the organization and with multiple organizations. Ability to use tools within Microsoft Office Suite (PPT, Word, Excel). If you are customer service-driven with personal resilience and strong self-efficacy beliefs about the ability to work with all clients to produce positive client outcomes, this is the optimal career for you.

Preferred Qualifications

Typically requires a Bachelor’s Degree and 1-3 years of experience. The appointing authority may require a social worker’s license. — Agency

Preferred Qualifications:

Requires a Bachelor’s degree and 2-4 years of experience. The appointing authority may require a social worker’s license. A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year college or university in social work, social services, psychology, educational psychology, sociology, nursing, criminal justice, counseling, marriage and family therapy, family studies, or a related field. In this position, the salary may be based on Education and Qualifications.

VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE AND INSURANCE

See MSPB Careers for information regarding this classifications

Employer State of Mississippi

Address 210 East Capitol Street
Suite 800
Jackson, Mississippi, 39201