CPI Investigation Worker Trainee

FALL CREEK FARM & NURSERY; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 43,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) seeks a CPI INV Trainee Spec I to protect children and families. This in-field role covers investigations of alleged abuse or neglect, gathering information, and determining safety and risk.

Work occurs in homes, schools, hospitals, and community locations, not a typical office. The job requires strong judgment, adaptability, and the ability to document thoroughly under pressure.

Qualifications

• This is a mobile, field-based position where the work occurs where children and families live, learn, and receive services.
• Investigators spend much of their time in homes, schools, hospitals, childcare facilities, law enforcement agencies, courts, and other community locations.

Responsibilities

• Responds quickly in crisis situations involving children who may be in an abusive or neglectful situation.
• Conducts forensic investigations of reports of abuse/neglect to determine if abuse or neglect occurred and assesses current or future risk.
• Observes children for signs of harm and assesses whether it results from abuse or neglect.
• Interviews people in the case such as parents, caregivers, reporters, family members, and others familiar with the case.

Job description

Posting ID20613-Posted -Dept of Family & Protectve Svc-CPS Investigations Region 3E-Protective Services-Not Eligible for Telework- Other Locations (2) -b. $3000 - $4999 per month

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) works to build on strengths of families and communities to keep children and vulnerable adults safe, so they thrive. We do this through investigations, services, and referrals.

What You Get Beyond Your Paycheck

When you join the State of Texas, your monthly paycheck is just one part of your real income. Our benefits provide extra value that many private employers simply don’t match—often adding hundreds of dollars each month to what you take home or save.

Here’s what you get as a full-time employee:

• 100% paid health insurance for you, and 50% paid for eligible family members—saving you hundreds every month in out-of-pocket medical costs
• Retirement plans with lifetime monthly payments after five years of state service, plus options to save even more with 401(k) and 457 plans
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave so you can recharge and take care of life outside work (that’s time off you’re actually paid for)
• Optional dental, vision, and life insurance —at rates much lower than most private plans
• Flexible spending accounts for added tax savings on health and dependent care
• Employee discounts on things like gym memberships, electronics, and entertainment

Functional Title Information

• Functional Title: CPI Investigation Worker Trainee
• Job Title: CPI INV Trainee Spec I
• Agency: Dept of Family & Protectve Svc
• Department: CPS Investigations Region 3E
• Posting Number: 20613
• Closing Date: 09/09/2026
• Posting Audience: Internal and External
• Occupational Category: Protective Services
• Salary Range: $3,816.65-$5,371.41
• Pay Frequency: Monthly
• Salary Group: TEXAS-B-17
• Shift: Day
• Additional Shift: None
• Telework: Not Eligible for Telework
• Travel: Up to 75%
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Full Time/Part Time: Full time
• FLSA Exempt/Non-Exempt: Nonexempt
• Facility Location:
• Job Location City: DALLAS
• Job Location Address: 8700 N STEMMONS FWY
• Other Locations: Dallas; Grand Prairie
• MOS Codes: 0149,5805,5821,5822,5832,14N,14NX,183X,1N0X1,230X,311A,31D,351L,351M,35L,35M,42SX,43HX,4C0X1,4E0X1,5IX,683X,68X,71SX,73A,783X,HM,INV,IS,ISS,IV,MST,NC,OAP12

Brief Job Description

Child Protective Investigations (CPI), Family Investigations and Alternative Response (FIAR) Investigators play a critical role in protecting children and strengthening families. Investigators respond to reports of alleged child abuse or neglect, gather and assess information, evaluate child safety and future risk, and work with families to address concerns and reduce the likelihood of future harm. They are responsible for making informed decisions that can significantly impact the lives of children and families.

This is a mobile, field-based position where the work occurs where children and families live, learn, and receive services. Investigators spend much of their time in homes, schools, hospitals, childcare facilities, law enforcement agencies, courts, and other community locations. This is not a traditional office job and is not a work-from-home position. The core responsibilities of the job require regular face-to-face contact with children, families, caregivers, and community partners. While technology supports the work, the work itself happens in the field. Employees may also be required to work from an office location when directed by their supervisor.

The position requires flexibility, sound judgment, and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. A typical day may involve interviewing children and families, coordinating with schools, medical professionals, law enforcement, attorneys, and courts, responding to urgent safety concerns, and completing extensive documentation. Investigators must quickly absorb, assess, and act upon large amounts of information while balancing multiple active cases, urgent child safety concerns, court obligations, extensive documentation requirements, and competing demands from families, community partners, supervisors, and agency leadership. The work requires the ability to make informed decisions under pressure, adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, and maintain thorough and timely documentation despite a fast-paced and unpredictable workload.

The work is often physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. Investigators may encounter families experiencing crisis, substance abuse, family violence, mental health challenges, or other significant stressors. They may enter environments ranging from professional settings such as hospitals and courtrooms to homes that are unsanitary, isolated, or potentially unsafe. Investigators must remain professional, objective, and compassionate while addressing difficult and emotionally charged situations.

Work schedules are dictated by the safety needs of children and families, not by a traditional 8-to-5 workday. Extended workdays, after-hours responses, weekend work, and holiday work are common aspects of the job. Investigators frequently encounter situations that require immediate action and may remain on duty until a child’s safety has been assured, regardless of the hour. Significant travel is required and may include unexpected long-distance trips across the state with little advance notice. Investigators must be prepared to adjust plans, manage competing demands, and respond to emerging situations whenever and wherever the work requires.

This career is not for everyone. The workload is demanding, the subject matter can be heartbreaking, and the responsibility is significant. However, for individuals who are mission-driven and committed to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families, the work provides a unique opportunity to create meaningful and lasting impact. People who thrive in this role are those who remain focused on the mission, even during the most challenging days, because they understand that their efforts can profoundly change the trajectory of a child’s life.

Essential Job Functions (EJFs)

• Responds quickly in crisis situations involving children who may be in an abusive or neglectful situation. Sometimes these situations can be dangerous.
• Conducts forensic investigations of reports of abuse/neglect to children to determine if abuse or neglect occurred and conducts assessments to determine the current or future risk of harm to children.
• Observes children for signs of any harm and assess the signs to determine if they are the result of abuse or neglect. This could involve children with serious injuries and child fatalities.
• Interviews people in the case such as the parents, caregivers, person who reports the concern, family members, and others familiar with the family situation. This may include medical staff, teachers, law enforcement, etc.
• Assesses child safety and takes the necessary actions to protect the child as appropriate. This could include removing a child from their family.
• Talks frankly and objectively with families about matters they may consider personal and private, such as parenting decisions and actions, sexual abuse, income, money management, and personal relationships.
• Determines action to be taken to remove or to reduce an immediate threat to the safety