Child Welfare Case Worker

Akicita Federal, LLC; Red Lake Falls (MN); On-site; USD 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Akicita Federal is seeking a Child Welfare Case Worker to provide ongoing case management for Indian children and families served by the BIA Red Lake Agency in Red Lake, MN. Work from the Red Lake Agency office, satellite offices, and in the field across the Red Lake Reservation, including off-reservation placements and court appearances, from placement to permanency. Schedule: staggered shifts 7:30 a.m.

– 7:30 p.m., Monday–Friday, with evening visits. Salary listed: $80,000 per year.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field from an institution recognized in the U.S.
• At least 3 years of child welfare case management, foster care, or permanency casework.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Current child passenger safety certification (required for anyone who transports children).
• U.S. citizenship.
• Favorable suitability determination from IA PERSEC and a favorable background investigation by DCSA.

Responsibilities

• Manage cases from day of placement or case opening through in-home services, foster care, and permanency planning.
• Develop a written case plan with the family within 30 days of placement and prepare it for federal approval.
• Conduct at least one face-to-face visit per month with each child at placement; assess safety, well-being, health, education, and stability.
• Pursue a permanency plan within six months; prepare court reports and testify at hearings.
• Verify home licensing and NACSA checks for all adults in the home before placement.
• Refer families to services such as substance use treatment, mental health care, parenting support, and IHS; track progress.
• Arrange and document visitation and cultural connection; provide independent living planning for youth 16+.

Skills

Court testimony

Tribal community experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Job description

Akicita Federal is hiring Child Welfare Case Workers to provide ongoing case management for Indian children and families served by the BIA Red Lake Agency in Red Lake, MN. Working from the Red Lake Agency office, satellite offices, and in the field across the Red Lake Reservation - including off-reservation placements and court appearances - you will carry cases from initial placement or case opening through in-home services, foster care, and permanency. This assignment is established to stabilize the child welfare program during an emergency reassumption.

• Manage cases from the day a child is placed or a case opens through in-home services, foster care, and permanency planning
• Develop a written case plan with the family within 30 days of placement or case opening and prepare it for federal approval
• Conduct at least one face-to-face visit per month with each child at the placement setting, assessing safety, well-being, health, education, and placement stability
• Pursue a permanency plan within six months of placement; prepare court reports and testify at Admit/Deny, pre-trial, trial, review, permanency, and Northstar Kinship hearings
• Verify before placement that the home is licensed by the Nation and that NACSA checks are complete for every adult in the home
• Refer parents and children to services including substance use treatment, mental health care, parenting support, and IHS, and track their progress
• Arrange and document parent and sibling visitation and support cultural connection
• Provide independent living and transition planning for youth age 16 and older; respond to placement disruptions, runaways, and critical incidents; and document all visits and case activity in FASS-CMS Cloud

Schedule: Staggered shifts within a 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. staff coverage window, Monday through Friday, including evening visits. This position is not part of the investigative on-call rotation.

$80,000 - $80,000 a year

What sets candidates apart:

• Experience testifying in court and working with tribal communities

About Akicita Federal

Akicita Federal is a Native American-owned federal contractor delivering healthcare, clinical, IT, and program-support services across the Indian Health Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other federal agencies. We hire the people who do the work — clinicians, analysts, engineers, support staff — and we treat them like the professionals they are.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Akicita Federal is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Akicita Federal complies with the Indian Preference provisions of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (P.L. 93-638) where applicable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field from an institution accredited or pre-accredited by a U.S. Department of Education–recognized agency
• At least 3 years of child welfare case management, foster care, or permanency casework
• Valid driver's license
• Current child passenger safety certification (required for anyone who transports children)
• U.S. citizenship
• Favorable suitability determination from IA PERSEC and a favorable background investigation conducted by DCSA

Before your first day

• Background investigation must be completed and a favorable determination received before reporting to the Red Lake Agency, accessing any systems, or having any contact with children
• Fingerprinting through US Access within 3 business days of notification
• Complete mandatory security training — including suspected child abuse and neglect training — before beginning services
• Complete initial training within 15 calendar days of entry on duty and before performing independent duties
• Complete cultural orientation on Red Lake Nation history, Ojibwe culture, and tribal protocol within 15 calendar days of entry on duty