Senior Care Manager (may underfill as Care Manager) - Placement Care Resource Specialist

Placement Care Resource Specialist

Join Waukesha County Child and Youth - Family Services and be part of meaningful work that strengthens families, protects children, and builds lasting community connections.

Our team provides high-quality, professional services to children, youth, and families throughout Waukesha County. We are committed to keeping children safely connected to their families and communities whenever possible by using family strengths, natural supports, and collaborative partnerships. Our work is guided by respect, compassion, confidentiality, and a shared commitment to helping families move toward safety, stability, independence, and long-term success.

The Placement Care Resource Specialist plays a key role in coordinating and strengthening a standardized, team-based placement support process for youth with complex needs. This position partners with care managers, supervisors, legal partners, shelter care, out-of-home care providers, and system partners to assess placement needs, explore the full continuum of resources, and support placement matching when standard referral pathways may not be enough.

Using a youth-centered, trauma-informed, and strength-based approach, this role helps coordinate placement searches, supports timely decision-making, strengthens provider relationships, promotes least restrictive placement outcomes, and provides consultation on complex placement planning, eWiSACWIS documentation, and shelter care coordination.

• Coordinate placement searches for youth with complex care needs across the full continuum of resources.
• Prioritize family, relatives, kin, fictive kin, and the least restrictive safe placement options whenever appropriate.
• Review assessments, case documentation, and youth needs to support informed placement recommendations.
• Partner with care managers, supervisors, legal partners, shelter care, providers, and system partners to support timely placement decisions.
• Strengthen and maintain relationships with out-of-home care providers and placement resources.
• Support placement stability, continuity of care, permanency considerations, and individualized planning.
• Facilitate team-based placement staffings, provider meetings, and decision-making meetings with clear next steps and accountability.
• Support placement-related documentation, referrals, court documentation, and eWiSACWIS entries.
• Track and analyze placement data, provider responses, outcomes, trends, and workflow needs.
• Serve as the Health and Human Services liaison to shelter care.
• Help improve placement workflows, escalation pathways, staff roles, documentation standards, and quality improvement efforts.

• Experience or knowledge related to child welfare, out-of-home care, placement planning, or youth services.
• Experience providing services under Wisconsin Statutes Chapters 48 and/or 938.
• Strong communication, coordination, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to build effective relationships with staff, providers, legal partners, families, and community resources.
• A family-centered mindset and the ability to build trust with youth, families, and partners.

• Impact:
  Help youth with complex needs access safe, stable, and appropriate care.
• Purpose:
  
  Support placement decisions that promote safety, permanency, and long-term well-being.
• Collaboration:
  
  Work alongside dedicated professionals, providers, and system partners.
• Innovation:
  Help strengthen and improve a team-based placement support model.
• Growth:
  Access professional development through meetings, conferences, and trainings.
• Support:
  Receive guidance from knowledgeable leaders and experienced child welfare professionals.
• Meaningful Work:
  Contribute every day to better outcomes for youth and families in Waukesha County

Work Schedule

Primarily Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with some flexibility required to meet the needs of families. Remote work up to 50% of the time to be determined based on program eligibility.

Minimum Training & Experience Requirements 1. A bachelor's degree from a recognized college or university in sociology, social work, psychology, nursing, criminal justice, or a closely related field.
2. Two years of responsible work experience in social work, counseling, nursing, criminal justice, or a closely related field.
3. A master's degree in social work, nursing, psychology, criminal justice, or a closely related field may substitute for one year of the work experience.
4. Social work certification may substitute for one year of work experience.
5. Valid driver's license.

The department may choose to underfill this position as a Care Manager. To view the full classification specification for Care Manager, .The 2026 salary range for Care Manager is: $27.49 to $38.19.

Minimum Training & Experience Requirements 1. A bachelor's degree from a recognized college or university in sociology, social work, psychology, nursing, criminal justice, or a closely related field.
2. One year of related…