Child Protective Services Casework Supervisor

State of Maine; Houlton (ME); On-site; USD 78,000 - 103,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

Vacation leave

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Parental leave

Job summary

State of Maine in Houlton seeks a Child Protective Services Casework Supervisor to lead caseworkers in child protection, adoption, and substitute care. The role emphasizes monitoring workloads, providing guidance, and ensuring high-quality service delivery.

Required is an LSW with eight years of social work experience; a Master's degree is preferred. Knowledge of MACWIS/Katahdin is a plus, and additional licensed experience is valued.

Qualifications

• Eight years of education and/or professional social work experience, including two years as a fully licensed social worker (LSW).
• Master's degree is preferred.
• Licensed Social Worker (LSW) is required.
• Preference for MACWIS/Katahdin knowledge and experience.
• Four years of experience as a fully-licensed social worker preferred.

Responsibilities

• As a Child Protective Services Casework Supervisor, plan, coordinate, direct, and monitor activities of caseworkers and support staff in child protection, adoption, and substitute care.
• Assess and assign casework loads; review and provide guidance on cases and service delivery.
• Research and collaborate with staff and peers to resolve critical and crisis situations.
• Ensure established quality service standards are maintained.
• Counsel workers on casework to assist with difficult caseloads and performance issues.
• Coordinate activities between unit and service providers to deliver social services.

Skills

MACWIS

Katahdin

Team leadership

Education

Eight years education/experience in social work

Master's degree preferred

Licensed Social Worker (LSW)

Job description

Opening Date: September 1, 2026

Closing Date: September 15, 2026

Job Class Code: 5078

Grade: 27 (Supervisory Svcs)

Salary: $77,542.40 - $103,064.00 per year**This is inclusive of a $7.50/hr. stipend. This position is eligible for an additional $1.00/hr. stipend for employees possessing a related Master's Degree.

Position Number: 02022-1841

Location: We have an anticipated vacancy in our Houlton office.

Agency Information

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers. The Office of Child & Family Services (OCFS), within DHHS is responsible for ensuring the safety, permanency and well-being of children and families through community networks, local resources, and life-long family connections throughout Maine.

Core Responsibilities

As a Child Protective Services Casework Supervisor, you will plan, coordinate, direct, and monitor the activities of caseworkers and support staff in the areas of child protection, adoption, and substitute care assigned to your unit. You will assess and assign casework loads; and review, monitor and provide guidance to your staff concerning cases and service delivery. You will research and work with staff and peers to resolve critical and crisis situations.

Your typical duties will include:

• 1. Ensuring established quality service standards are maintained.
• 2. Conferring with and counseling workers regarding casework in order to assist with difficult cases and caseload problems.
• 3. Reviewing and comparing work performance and/or products of staff with established standards to assess employee productivity levels and training needs.
• 4. Connecting with other agencies and community resources to coordinate services, promote necessary community resources, and monitor cooperative agreements.
• 5. Evaluating and recommending program-wide changes and establishing unit procedures and goals in order to upgrade the quality and continuity of services.
• 6. Coordinating activities between unit and service providers to effectively deliver social services to agency clients.
• 7. Authorizing service provision and client/caseworker expenditures.
• 8. Negotiating various contracts and agreements with service providers and others to ensure appropriate services are provided.
• 9. Analyzing and reviewing cases to ensure compliance with state and federal laws, standards, and requirements, and initiate and participate in court hearings.
• 10. Directing, coordinating, and/or participating in after-hours coverage to ensure appropriate staffing.

Minimum Qualifications

To qualify, your background must include eight (8) years of education and/or professional experience in social work which includes at least two (2) years experience as a fully licensed social worker* (LSW). A Master's degree is preferred.

Licensing, Registration and Certification Requirements

Licensed Social Worker (LSW).

Preference will be extended to candidates possessing the following skills/experience:

• 1. Recent experience in professional child welfare casework.
• 2. A thorough knowledge of and recent experience working with MACWIS/Katahdin.
• 3. Four years of experience as a fully-licensed social worker.*

Special Note: An LMSW or LCSW automatically meets the two (2) years fully licensed social worker experience requirement. Please submit a cover letter addressing your skills and/or prior experience in each of the three areas above.

Thinking about applying?

Research shows that people from historically excluded communities tend to apply to jobs only when they check every box in the posting. If you're currently reading this and hesitating to apply for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! Let us know how your experience and passion set you apart.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.

If you're looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we'd love to hear from you.

Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

Benefits of working for the State of Maine

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto-"Dirigo" or "I lead"-as they provide essential services to Mainers every day.

We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Fit - Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave. When you or immediate members of your family are ill, utilize 12 days of sick leave per year.
• Health Insurance Coverage - The State of Maine pays 85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($12,213.60 - $13,650.48 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costsfor you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• Health Insurance Premium Credit - Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements.
• Dental Insurance - The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($365.28 annual value).
• Retirement Plan - The State contributes the equivalent of 14.06% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement - Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts - Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness - The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office.
• Living Resources Program - Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child-including non-birthing and adoptive parents-receive six weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation - Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions. State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.