CPS Family Based Safety Services Worker

Career Opportunities: CPS Family Based Safety Services Worker (18065)

Posting . Department:
Family & Protective Services. Region: 9 CPS Dir Del - FBSS. Salary: $3,816.65 – $5,372.41 per month.

Shift: Day. Telework:
Not Eligible. Travel:
Up to 85%.

Employment type:

Full time, regular. Salary group: TEXAS-B-17.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) works to build on strengths of families and communities to keep children and vulnerable adults safe so they thrive. We do this through investigations, services, and referrals.

What You Get Beyond Your Paycheck

• 100% paid health insurance for you, and 50% paid for eligible family members
• Retirement plans with lifetime monthly payments after five years of state service, plus options to save more with 401(k) and 457 plans
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave
• Optional dental, vision, and life insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee discounts on gym memberships, electronics, and entertainment

Brief Job Description

After a family has been investigated, a Family Based Safety Services (FBSS) worker helps them make changes to protect their children from abuse and neglect and keep them safe s involves providing services offered by the agency, the family's community, and extended families. Newly hired employees holding a Master’s Degree in Social Work may qualify for an increase at the point of hire.

DFPS is committed to its employees' professional development and ongoing success and offers the DFPS Certification Program to enhance skills and advance careers within the organization.

Essential Job Functions (EJFs)

• Responds quickly in crisis situations.
• Provides time‑limited in‑home services to meet the specific needs of families by identifying insufficient protective capacities, developing treatment plans, and using appropriate and necessary resources to minimize risk and provide for safety of the child; and maintains contact with parents and children to achieve treatment goals.
• Assesses child safety and takes the necessary actions to protect the child as appropriate. This could include removing a child from their family.
• Interacts objectively with caretakers who have abused and/or neglected children in their care.
• Discusses issues with families related, but not limited to, income, money management, and personal relationships that they will probably consider personal and private.
• Encounters family members who are angry and/or scared.
• Helps identify resources and community support available to the family.
• Assists parents to recognize behaviors that lead to child abuse and/or neglect and empowers parents to identify ways to make the necessary behavioral changes.
• Determines action to be taken to remove or reduce an immediate threat to the safety of a child, including working with families to identify family members who can assist with keeping the child safe, testifying in court to seek emergency protective services, placing children in substitute care, referring family for immediate crisis intervention therapy or other community resources.
• Gathers family and kinship information to support the child in a placement, should the child be placed in DFPS custody.
• Documents all relevant and appropriate information gathered during the investigation and completes all required forms accurately and in a timely manner.
• Works flexible work hours beyond 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday.
• Maintains a balance of objectivity and empathic understanding when engaging families living in stressful and crisis situations.
• Develops and maintains effective working relationships with law enforcement officials, judicial officials, legal resources, medical professionals, and other community resources.
• Attends and participates in trainings, meetings and staffing sessions.
• Performs other duties as assigned and required to maintain unit operations.
• Promotes and demonstrates appropriate respect for cultural diversity and competency among coworkers and all work‑related contacts.
• Attends work regularly in accordance with agency leave policy.

Knowledge,

Skills and Abilities

(KSAs)

• Knowledge of child development
• Knowledge of family dynamics
• Skill in effective verbal and written communication
• Skill in…