Child Welfare Caregiver Support Specialist

Wellpoint Care Network; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

PSLF eligibility

Diversity & inclusion

Job summary

Wellpoint Care Network is seeking a Caregiver Support Specialist to work with out-of-home care providers in court-ordered care, delivering education on trauma-informed care, parenting, and available resources to strengthen caregiver capacity and placement stability.

You will collaborate with the child welfare team, advocate for families, and help caregivers navigate complex systems while maintaining compassionate, trauma-informed practice in home settings.

Qualifications

• Master's degree preferred in Social Work or related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related field required.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience serving child welfare families; case management/licensing preferred.
• Crisis intervention experience.
• Excellent communication skills and knowledge of community resources.
• Trauma-Informed Care knowledge to support caregivers.
• Proficiency with computer software including Microsoft Office, Excel, Outlook, Teams, ADP.
• Honesty, dependability, deadline orientation; ability to work independently.
• Must have valid Wisconsin Driver’s License and reliable transportation.

Responsibilities

• Contributes to caregiver skill development and knowledge base in child welfare topics.
• Supports program outcome goals through interventions promoting placement stability.
• Educates team in transition planning for children.
• Advocates for families within the system and empowers caregivers to advocate for themselves.
• Collaborates with treatment team to meet family needs.

Skills

Communication skills

Trauma-Informed Care

Self-motivation

Independent work

Time management

Education

Master's degree preferred

Bachelor’s degree required

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

Outlook

Teams

ADP

Job description

At Wellpoint Care Network, our mission is to facilitate equity, learning, healing, and wellness by restoring the connections that help children and families thrive.

Every person deserves the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. It’s part of human nature, and the promise of our country, that everyone be given a fair chance to be and do their best. Yet, many in our community live with unresolved childhood and generational trauma.

That’s where we come in. We believe we can create a world where children and families have a clearer path to their fullest potential. Wellpoint Care Network has championed the restoration of families for nearly 175 years.

Job Purpose:

Our next Caregiver Support Specialist will provide out of home care providers of children in court-ordered care with a variety of services to enhance their ability to meet the children’s needs. The primary goals of the program are to increase placement stability and to help ensure that caregivers, who are an imperative part of the team, feel supported. Caregiver Support Specialists work one on one with caregivers in their home to provide education on many different topics including trauma informed care and parenting, resources and services for the children and caregivers, and overall support to caregivers as they navigate the child welfare system.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Social Work or related degree preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related degree required.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience in service provision to child welfare kids/families with preference given for case management and licensing experience.
• Crisis intervention experience.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Knowledge of community resources.
• Advanced knowledge of Trauma Informed Care concepts with the ability to enhance caregiver’s skill set.
• Proficient in the usage of computer software; demonstrate an understanding of computer file systems and computer software packages, e.g., Microsoft Office, Excel, Outlook, Teams, ADP, etc.
• Must be honest, dependable, and able to meet deadlines; Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Physical exam, drug screen, motor vehicle report, and background checks are required for this position.
• A valid Wisconsin Driver’s License or occupational driver’s license, reliable transportation and insurance is required.

Duties:

Clinical & Direct Support Services

• Contributes to caregiver skill development and knowledge base (i.e., regarding child welfare system, mental health related issues, behavioral interventions, child developmental/emotional needs, etc.).
• Contributes to program outcome goals through interventions that support educational and placement stability.
• Supports and educates the team in transition planning for children.
• Appropriately advocates for families within the given system and empowers and supports caregivers to advocate for themselves.
• Demonstrates the ability to work collaboratively and form positive relationships with treatment team members (Child, Birth Family, Caregiver Family, Purchaser, and Collateral Providers) towards meeting family needs.

Assessment

• Comprehensively assesses caregivers and child’s needs and utilizes assessment information to establish relevant, measurable, strengths-oriented goals that are trauma-informed.
• Provides individualized and child specific recommendations/interventions for the child and caregiver.
• Assesses all enrolled children to determine if child would benefit from additional assessments, such as a NMT, OT, Birth to Three, etc.

Program Development & Documentation

• Supports the development and implementation of programs and initiatives aimed at improving quality outcomes.
• Uses data and feedback to continuously improve efforts and strategies.
• Documents and prepares reports on activities, outcomes, and impact.
• Produces quality, well-written and efficient case documentation (reports, progress notes, CoBRIS entries).
• Admission/intake and discharge reports are completed within the required timeframes.

Teamwork

• Regularly collaborates with child welfare and foster care colleagues to best meet the needs of the families.
• Initiates collaboration between birth parents and caregivers.
• Participates in Agency and program development activities to improve the quality of services and to maintain program/Agency growth.

Agency Engagement

• All employees will be evaluated on their demonstration of a consistent commitment to the Agency’s Seven Essential Ingredients, Inclusion & Belonging, and engagement in the strategic initiatives of the organization. This will be measured by their active participation in committees and workgroups, and by their communication and practice within their daily work and in the community.
• Participates in assigned meetings, events, and learning as required.
• Other duties as assigned, including serving in a coverage role for other department members.

Position Details & Extras:

• Hybrid & on-site work is available with reliable broadband connection.
• Involved with students, personnel, family members, visitors, volunteers, interns, government agencies, etc., under all conditions and circumstances.
• Moderate exposure to noise.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to work under demanding conditions.
• Good memory and recall are necessary for the accurate and timely transfer of data/information.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) - Wellpoint employees may be eligible for loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
• Regular travel in personal vehicles is required with the ability to move intermittently throughout the workday.

Organizational Information:

At Wellpoint Care Network, we have seen exactly how trauma, poverty, systemic racism, social injustices, and other barriers create instability in all areas of life. The people in our care face education and health disparities, high unemployment rates and unaffordable housing. What’s worse, many have lost connections to resources, family, friends, and other support systems. We have seen the toll it has on a person’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being to try and successfully navigate complex systems that may have failed them in the past.

We believe there is a better way. So, we have anchored ourselves in our 170 years of caring for our neighbors through modernized human services.

Wellpoint Care Network provides a rich continuum of services, including:

• Child Welfare and Foster Care
• Support for youth who have aged out of care
• Care Coordination and Wraparound services
• Mental health therapy and supports such as our Clinic, Family Preservation, Caregiver Support, and Integrated Community Treatment
• Professional education and clinical consultation (for organizations, schools, and individual/family)

Wellpoint Care also works to promote a diverse and caregiving environment to ensure that those we serve and employ are valued, accepted, respected, and treated equitably.

• Equity means we work tirelessly toward fair and just treatment, systems, and policies. At Wellpoint Care Network, we believe that we are accountable – individually and collectively – when inequity or injustice replaces equity and inclusion.
• Inclusivity means that we consciously build groups that welcome and celebrate differences in age, race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, gender expression, education, socio-economic background, personal history, geographical location, marital status, parental status, and work experiences.

Interested parties please apply online. We are committed to enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion and strongly encourage minority candidates to apply. For more information, visit our website www.wellpointcare.org.

Equal Opportunity Employer