Children's Services - Extended Supportive Services Caseworker

Puyallup Tribe; Tacoma (WA); On-site; USD 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dedicated Extended Supportive Services Caseworker to join their Children's Services team. This full-time role is vital in developing and implementing case plans that ensure the wellbeing of children and families. The ideal candidate will engage with families to foster cultural ties and provide ongoing support throughout the permanency process. With a generous benefits package, this position offers a rewarding opportunity to impact the lives of children and families positively. If you are passionate about child welfare and community service, this role is perfect for you.

Benefits

Employer paid medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) plan with profit sharing

Paid holidays

Paid time off including birthday leave

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field and two years of experience in direct case management.
• Experience working with Native American children and families is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement permanency case plans for families in Children's Services.
• Conduct home visits to assess health and safety for children and families.
• Prepare detailed Social Service reports for court proceedings.

Skills

Case Management

Crisis Intervention

Interviewing Skills

Cultural Sensitivity

Report Writing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Social Work or related field

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Children's Services - Extended Supportive Services Caseworker

3001 Puyalupabsh, Tacoma, WA 98404, USA

Job Description

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is committed to protecting and exercising the inherent inalienable sovereign rights of the Tribe and Individuals in the interest of the Medicine Creek Treat Territories, as stewards to ensure preservation of our cultural and environmental integrity for common good and prosperity for all.

Open: April 28, 2025

Close: May 13, 2025

Job Title: Extended Supportive Services Caseworker

Department: PTCS/ICW

Reports To: Director of Children’s Services/ICW

Hours: 40 Hrs/Wk – Full Time

Salary: Based on Salary Matrix+Benefits

Requisition: 528

* Salaries are market competitive. For accurate salary information, call [phone] or email [e-mail] . The Puyallup Tribe of Indians provides a generous benefits package that includes employer paid medical, dental, vision, life insurance, a retirement/401(k) plan with profit sharing, paid holidays, and paid time off including birthday leave.

Position Summary:

To develop, implement and evaluate permanency case plans for families within Puyallup Tribe Children’s Services. Initiates life-changing decisions based solely on the best interest of the children. Complete Guardianship/Adoption reports and home studies to achieve permanency for a child in Children’s Services care with Children’s Services recommendation for permanency. The permanency worker will assist guardianship/adoptive families and children during the transition with services such as child care and any other pertinent supportive services within the Tribe. Provides on-going and long-term assistance to children and families in permanent placements and adoption by assessing the needs of the families and providing resources and tools to preserve and sustain children in permanency. Assist with children remaining connected to their family and cultural throughout and after permanency is achieved.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides permanency planning case management for children in a permanent placement, which may include guardianship, adoption, long-term foster care or other arrangements as indicated.
• Conducts home visits to assess health and safety with children, parents and placement providers to maintain the wellbeing of children in the care of Children’s Services.
• Works with families and caregivers to find the best possible outcome for child placement that will nurture the child’s cultural and family ties.
• Initiates, facilitates and assists in obtaining referrals to outside agencies and professional providers in establishing services necessary to achieve stability and preserve permanency in collaboration with guardianship/adoptive parents and families
• Consistently engages after permanency is reached providing ongoing support to children, adoptive parents, guardians and families.
• Performs case consultation and collaboration with court personnel, professional therapists, medical personnel, school officials, legal professionals, and other community agencies for optimal outcomes of case plans to provide up to date wellbeing of children in court ordered guardianships.
• Prepares detailed, comprehensive and fact-based Social Service reports and testimony to court in accordance to the Child and Family Protection Code and by court order i.e. guardianship show cause, filling of information and affidavit and attends predetermined court proceedings. Provides expert opinion to the court.
• Completes thorough background checks on families requesting permanency including DCYF CPS records check, Tribal Court records background check, Washington State background check, etc.
• Interviews and Evaluates children, social service providers, medical providers, and educational providers to determine if permanency is appropriate for the petitioning family.
• Completes active efforts in contacting and engaging parents in permanency planning and case planning.
• Gathers all historical documents required for the reports and petitions
• Complete active efforts to involve permanency families in tribal community activities.
• Adheres to all of the Child and Family Protection Code timeframes, which includes all court required filings.
• Submits court reports and distributes to all legal parties in a timely manner.
• Supports and encourages families that are currently in guardianship/adoptive placement to participate in the development of a case plan to preserve the placement. Case planning for the requested guardianships/adoptions that are not within Children’s Services and ordered through the Puyallup Tribal Court.
• Available to assist with court ordered recommendations for guardianship/adoptive families, as needed. These may include transfers of guardianship, visitations with family, reunification after guardianship, dismissal of guardianship, services for guardian/adoptive families, etc.
• Monitors court ordered supervised guardianship cases, according to PTCS policies and procedures.
• Provides services and develops a plan for guardianship/adoptive families who receive a CPS screen out referral. If the referral is screened in, assist CPS with the case. Provides services and develop a plan for families who voluntarily need assistance from ESS.
• Schedules Family Team Decision Meetings, when needed.
• Assists adoptive/guardian families to connect children for ongoing contact with parents, siblings, and extended family members to maintain familial bond, when safe and appropriate
• Maintains up to date case records of case progress including, but not limited to; case notes, court documents, school and health records, correspondence, placement records, and visitations. Also responsible for administration of financial support records, service agreements, service episode information, and tribal affiliation.
• Assists guardianship/adoptive family in applying for financial support, prior to the guardianship/adoption is granted.
• Prepares and presents various case summaries for team, supervisor, and the Puyallup Tribe Indian Child Welfare Act Committee, when needed and applicable.
• Maintains and ensures extreme level of confidentiality and appropriate professional boundaries regarding clients.
• Participates in regular case staffing with supervisor and promptly inform of any significant changes in the case.
• Prioritizes workload based on client needs.
• Transports clients to and from appointments, as needed.
• Available to respond to afterhours emergencies, as needed.
• Manages crisis situations as they arise.
• Ability to adapt and be flexible to constant changes in Tribal and State Children’s Services systems.
• Adheres to the Child and Family Protection Code; Duty to Report Child Abuse and Neglect.
• Participates in departmental staff meetings and trainings.
• Will continuously engage in professional development including, but not limited to, cross training throughout the department and keeping up with the latest trends and best practices of child welfare service delivery.
• Participate in departmental community outreach.
• Responsible for rotating as back-up coverage for after hour emergencies.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Qualifications and Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

Bachelor’s degree (B.A. in a related field or a B.S.W.) from a four-year college or university and two years of experience in direct case management. Working with Native American children and their families is preferred. Experience interviewing children and families is preferred. Intermediate word processing skills (Microsoft Word) is required. Knowledge and experience using spreadsheet applications (Microsoft Excel) is preferred. Internship hours completed in a social work setting may count as experience.

Note: Part-time work is prorated in crediting experience (e.g., if you work 20 hours per week for a 12-month period you will be credited with 6 months of experience).

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability

Must possess independent decision making skills, have or be willing to learn de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques. Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Licenses Or Certificates

Current First Aid and CPR certification and HIV/AIDS training certificate.

Must pass Washington State Department of Social and Health Services criminal history and CPS background inquiry every two years unless otherwise indicated.

Must have valid Washington State driver’s license and proof of insurance.

Willing to attend training for professional development.

Other Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of legal requirements of Puyallup Tribal Court- Children’s Code, and U.S. Federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.

Knowledge of Native American family dynamics. Sensitive to and familiar with the social/cultural needs of Tribal children and their families.

Must pass tuberculosis test.

Knowledge of DCYF systems and procedures.

Willing to travel with little or no notice.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Requires the ability to operate a typewriter, personal computer, multi-line telephone, calculator, facsimile and photocopier.
• Requires the ability to read, write, communicate, and interpret information accurately in English.
• Requires the ability to concentrate and consistently produce accurate work.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required talk or hear.
• The employee is frequently required to sit.
• The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; reach with hands and use hands to finger, handle and feel.
• The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The noise level is low to moderate.
• The physical exertion is low to moderate.
• Work is performed in an office setting with some occasional outside travel.
• There are frequent employee contacts and interruptions during the day.
• Position may be stressful at times due to the sensitive or confidential issues being addressed.
• Requires local travel using employee’s personal transportation.

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises. This position description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

Indian Preference Employer as Required by Law

Online Application Tips:

1. If you are using a PC, use Chrome. If you are using a MAC, use Safari.

2. Upload additional documents (resume, cover letter, letters of recommendation, proof of Indian blood, etc.) to the resume tab as one (1) PDF file or email documents to [e-mail] and we can add them to your online application. Please send in copies of any degrees or certificates that you have been awarded.

3. Indian Hiring Preference – send in the appropriate documentation for the category you select. If you have any questions about the hiring preference policy or what document to send in, email us at [e-mail] or call [phone].

4. Provide 3+ references (we cannot obtain references from direct family members – mother, father, grandparents, sisters, brothers, or children and this includes in laws). One reference must be your most recent supervisor. We prefer the rest of your references to include co-workers, subordinates, or other supervisors, but we can accept a personal reference from someone who is familiar with your work ethic, habits, and attendance. You can send in letters of recommendation to [e-mail]

5. To add more employment, education, references, etc., click on the small + sign at the top right corner of the page.

6. When entering salaries, only use numbers. Do not use any other characters (such as , . or $)

7. After you submit your application, you will receive an email confirmation. If you do not receive an email, please call the office to confirm submission.

*Please do not wear perfumes, colognes, or strong scents to your interview. Some employees are allergic.

If you have any questions about the positions or the online application, please call [phone]

Native American preference applies and job placements are given on a competitive basis, using job related factors. Because of the large number of applications received and limited job positions, your application will not guarantee employment.