Case Worker- Child Welfare

City and County of Denver; Denver, Northern (CO, KY); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life-long pension

457B retirement plan

Paid time off + holidays

Medical, dental & vision plans

Job summary

The City and County of Denver is seeking a Social Case Worker to join the Denver Human Services team. The role focuses on intake, investigating abuse/neglect cases for children and youth, and coordinating permanency planning with families in a dynamic Denver metro environment.

Ideal candidates bring a degree in social work or related field, relevant human services experience, and a valid driver’s license. The position offers a hybrid work model and strong benefits package.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and relevant coursework in human development or social work.
• Professional or volunteer experience in a human services agency.
• Valid Driver’s License and required certifications to become social case worker.

Responsibilities

• Investigate new allegations of child abuse/neglect ages 0-18 in a fast-paced environment.
• Contact families, conduct interviews, and communicate with law enforcement.
• Develop and implement service plans with counseling and referrals.
• Prepare case records and collaborate on court testimony as needed.
• Represent the department in accordance with regulations and maintain case documentation.

Skills

Strong self-starter

Organizational skills

Critical thinking

Time management

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Positive attitude

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social work or related field

Job description

About

About Our Job NOTE: Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply. A bilingual stipend may be available to eligible candidates once hired. With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. New hires are typically brought into the organization between $62,000 - $66,000. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 132 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 wellness day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

Location

The City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model. Employees work where needed, at a job site several days a week and off-site as needed. Employees must work within the state of Colorado on their off-site days.

What You’ll Do

Intake

The Intake section primarily is responsible for investigating new allegations of abuse/neglect of children ages 0-18 in a fast-paced and demanding environment. You will also be expected to contact families and conduct interviews on behalf of the child, as well as maintain professional contacts with community leaders and regularly communicate with law enforcement representatives. This role is an opportunity to impact a variety of populations throughout the Denver Metro Area.

Permanency Child Protection/Youth Services

The Permanency Child Welfare is grouped in two sections. Permanency Child Protection is specific for children 11 and under. Permanency Youth Services is for people 12-21. It is important that the Social Case Worker has a clear understanding of child/youth development, the impact of child abuse and neglect on both children/youth and their families, and how to support transition-age youth in securing permanency. You should also understand delinquency court processes and appropriate services to maintain youth safely in their family setting.

Generally, the Social Case Worker:

• Performs case management activities involving complex problems/cases, assesses individual and family needs, develops appropriate service and/or treatment plan, and provides counseling, referral, and placement services
• Evaluates client's needs, interest, motivation, and pattern of responsibility, reviews case records for client and family profiles, socio-economic history, previous treatment and services experience, and/or special problems and needs, and reviews and discusses case, problems, prognosis, behavior patterns, and needed services with a supervisor or other senior level staff
• Develops and implements established, maintains, and supports treatment plan that provides a variety of social services and referrals to meet social, behavioral, medical, and/or psychological needs, recommends and refers clients to appropriate support agencies and programs, and provides continuous counseling and crisis intervention to achieve objectives
• Represents the department in accordance with Volume 7 and city rules and regulations
• Prepares case records, reports, and documents and compiles with state and federal standards in providing case notes, treatment plans, and evaluations
• Testifies in court as needed by providing expert testimony and preparing comprehensive reports that allow the court to make finding and recommendations that affect court-ordered treatment plans
• Performs other related duties as assigned

What You’ll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level. Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• Strong self-starter and organizational skills
• Superior critical thinking and time management skills
• Solid interpersonal and communication skills
• The ability to represent the organization in several different settings
• A positive, professional, and proactive attitude

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education requirement: Requirements as set forth in Colorado Department of Human Services Volume 7 and/or Volume 30 regulations. A bachelor’s degree from a higher education institution with at least fifteen (15) college level credit hours related to the job responsibilities of child welfare social caseworker. Course work examples can include and are not limited to, the development of human behavior, child development, family intervention techniques, diagnostic measures, counseling, psychology, or therapeutic techniques
• Experience Requirement: Professional, internship, or volunteer work experience in a human services related agency, as required by Colorado Department of Human Services Volume 7 and/or Volume 30 regulations
• Education/Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for experience requirements
• Licensure: Requires a valid Driver’s License at the time of application. Requires post-hire completion of certification requirements to be a social case worker in Child Welfare or Adult Protective Services in accordance with CDHS regulations. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment

Application Deadline

Applications for this position are accepted on a rolling basis.

About Everything Else

Job Profile CS2686 Social Case Worker

Position Type: Unlimited Position

Salary Range: $60,064.00 - $99,105.00

Target Pay: $62,000-$66,000/year

Agency: Denver Human Services

Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies: City and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact [e-mail] with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise.

See yourself experiencing growth and balance.

See yourself being respected and valued.

See yourself belonging here.

Your journey starts right here.