Public Child Welfare CQI & Data Specialist (Foster Care, CPS, AFCARS, NCANDS)

JBS INTERNATIONAL, INC; North Bethesda, San Mateo (MD, CA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

JBS International, Inc. seeks a Public Child Welfare CQI & Data Specialist to lead data analysis and reporting for foster care, CPS, AFCARS, and NCANDS projects. You will collaborate with jurisdictions and interdisciplinary teams to support performance improvement plans and data-driven learning opportunities.

The role requires extensive experience with state and federal child welfare data, data visualization, and training staff on data literacy and CQI applications. A master’s degree is required.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree and 6 years of experience, including 3 years of focused experience in child welfare data.
• Experience analyzing and visualizing child welfare administrative datasets (AFCARS/NCANDS).
• Familiarity with CCWIS requirements and federal reporting processes.

Responsibilities

• Distill complex information into key ideas for program improvement and systems change.
• Design data analytic tools, dashboards, and data-driven workplans.
• Lead/support project team in exploring jurisdictional data, addressing data quality, and making data-driven decisions.
• Provide consultation on CQI frameworks and data usage to inform decisions and strategy.

Skills

Data analysis

Data visualization

Training & coaching

Stakeholder communication

CQI methods

Education

Master’s degree in a relevant field

Tools

AFCARS data

NCANDS data

Tableau/Power BI

CCWIS knowledge

Job description

Public Child Welfare CQI & Data Specialist (Foster Care, CPS, AFCARS, NCANDS)

The child welfare data expert (Research Associate II) functions in a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary team that shares a continued commitment to excellence. The child welfare data expert conducts and/or leads data analysis that supports complex data-driven and continuous quality improvement (CQI) projects, conducts data analytics tasks, and develops reports and presentations. This role serves as the primary point of contact for data-related tasks and information for jurisdictions as well as assists with the development and implementation of quality assurance and CQI protocols and activities, including, but not limited to, the following:

Supporting and advising jurisdictions on root-cause analysis and data-driven strategies to support performance improvement plans

Linking quality findings to data collection and learning opportunities Supporting the implementation of improved data collection processes based on performance improvement plans and Federal review findings

**** This position requires direct experience working with public child welfare agencies, child protective services (CPS), foster care, prevention programs, or child welfare administrative data systems.****

PROJECT-SPECIFIC JOB FUNCTIONS

Distills complex information into key ideas and concepts and makes information easily accessible to child welfare professionals for the purpose of program improvement and systems change

Designs data analytic tools, data visualization reports, presentations, dashboards, and data-driven assistance workplans

Leads and or/supports the internal project team in exploring jurisdictional data to understand challenges, assesses and addresses data quality concerns, and makes data-driven decisions

Leads and or/supports the project team in responding to jurisdictional needs regarding CQI frameworks (e.g., plan, do, study, act [PDSA]; results-based accountability [RBA]; define, assess, plan, implement, monitor [DAPIM]; and define measure, analyze, improve, control [DMAIC])

Provides consultation and support to public child welfare agencies (jurisdictions) in understanding, analyzing, visualizing, using, and sharing their child welfare data with a range of partners to inform decision-making and strategy selection

Contributes to tracking key performance metrics relevant to child welfare (i.e., safety, permanency, and well-being)

Identifies trends, patterns, and correlations in child welfare data to inform technical assistance development and delivery

Develops and provides training and coaching to child welfare staff on data literacy, interpretation, root-cause analysis, and application to daily workflows

Provides consultation and support to public child welfare agencies to more deeply explore performance using available quantitative and qualitative data and identifying areas for additional data collection (i.e., using data to test theories/hypotheses, training and coaching and review of the completeness of problem exploration)

Supports connecting CQI activities with data collection processes and findings

Supports the development of jurisdictional improvement plans and implementation of improved processes based upon Federal review findings

Manages tasks and deliverables for contract compliance with minimal supervision

MINIMUM JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

Education:

A master’s degree and 6 years of experience, including 3 years of focused experience, are required

Experience:

Experience in child welfare and/or highly related field

Experience analyzing and visualizing child welfare administrative datasets, including State administrative data and/or Federal child welfare reporting such as the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) and the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS)

Experience with child welfare Federal reporting processes and initiatives such as Child and Family Services Plans (CFSP) and Annual Progress and Services Reports (APSRs), Child and Family Services Review (CFSR)-related documents and reports including the statewide data indicators (SWDI), Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) prevention plans, materials related to other Federal reviews (e.g., National Youth in Transition Database), formula grant plans (e.g., Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and Children’s Justice Act), demonstration grants reports, discretionary grant work plans and reports, Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) applications, Court Improvement Program (CIP) plans, and other sources to systematically assess the needs of State and Territorial public child welfare agencies

Familiarity with Comprehensive Child Welfare Information Systems (CCWIS) requirements