CWS Case Manager - Placement / 61014349

State of South Carolina; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 42,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, Vision, LTD, Life for

Employee, Spouse, and Children

15 days annual leave

15 days sick leave

13 paid holidays

Paid Parental Leave

State Retirement Plan & Deferred Comp

Job summary

South Carolina Department of Social Services seeks a CWS Case Manager-Placement to coordinate foster care referrals and match children with appropriate DSS homes, partner agencies, or group care facilities. You will communicate with DSS staff and families to ensure the Best Fit First approach.

Responsibilities include updating CAPSS, participating in staffings and trainings, and maintaining placement statistics.

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level degree or higher as specified in the ad.
• Relevant experience handling child welfare cases is implied.
• Ability to participate in staffings, trainings, and on-call duties.

Responsibilities

• Receive and assess foster care placement referrals and match with suitable homes.
• Communicate with DSS staff and partner agencies to explore placement options.
• Update CAPSS and maintain monthly placement statistics.
• Participate in staffing, workgroups and trainings.
• Protect and manage Personal Identifying Information (PII) according to policy.
• Perform on-call duties during hours/holidays.

Skills

Critical thinking

Excellent communication

Client/customer service

Professionalism

Data privacy (PII) handling

Education

Bachelor's in Social Work / Behavioral Science / Social Science

Bachelor's in any field + 1 year related experience

Master's degree may substitute for required experience

Job description

Do you have a passion to provide meaningful work in the community? Would you like to be part of an organization whose central mission is helping to protect, stabilize and strengthen the lives of children, families, and vulnerable adults? Then the South Carolina Department of Social Services has the right job opportunity for you.

Job Duties:

• The CWS Case Manager- Placement has the role of receiving information from DSS staff regarding children who are in need of a foster care placement, and facilitating matching of children with available DSS foster homes, partner agency foster homes or group care facilities (when appropriate) with the goal of finding "Best Fit First".
• CWS Case Manager - Placement will receive, record and assess referral information from DSS staff regarding children and youth who require a foster care placement. CWS Case Manager - Placement will use critical thinking to explore options within the DSS foster families, partner foster care licensing agencies, or group care settings (when appropriate), and will interface with potential families or partner agencies to explore placement options using phone or email, while always demonstrating excellent communication, client/customer service and professionalism.
• CWS Case Manager - Placement will review and update CAPSS as needed concerning a placement search for a child.
• CWS Case Manager - Placement will participate in staffing's, workgroups and trainings as appropriate.
• CWS Case Manager - Placement will update database of families as needed, and prepare and maintain monthly placement statistics as requested by supervisor.
• CWS Case Manager - Placement will participate in hours/holiday on call duties as assigned.
• Ensure that Personal Identifying Information (PII) is properly used, accessed, gathered, shared and disposed. Protects the agency networks and applications by safeguarding systems, equipment and data.
• Perform Red Cross shelter duties and other related job duties as required or requested.

Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Behavioral Science, or Social Science.

Bachelor's Degree in any other field and one (1) year experience in a related field.

A Masters degree or higher may be substituted for required work experience.

The South Carolina Department of Social Services offers an exceptional benefits package that includes:

• Health, Dental, Vision, Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse, and Children
• 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year
• 15 days sick leave per year
• 13 paid holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• State Retirement Plan and Deferred Compensation Programs

DIVISION: Child Welfare Services / Richland County

*Important Salary Information*

With the recent implementation of the Child Welfare salary plan funded by the General Assembly beginning in July 2021, front line case managers and team leaders (supervisors) will not only earn higher starting salaries when joining DSS than in previous years, but will also enjoy supplements to their starting salaries upon completion of training and competencies, attainment of BSW/MSW degrees for front line case managers, annual increases for years of continuous service, and salary increases upon attainment of established competencies/certifications for moving into Level 2 and Level 3 salaries.

New Child Welfare case managers will earn a starting salary of at least $46,635 during initial certification, depending on education level and degree type, with up-front starting salary supplements of 2.5% ($47,802) and 5% ($48,966) for candidates holding a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, and 10% ($51,298) for team leaders (supervisors), respectively. Following completion of training certification, assignment of caseloads with one year of completed experience, quarterly adjustments will be made to move successful trainees into the Level 1 salary bracket and will receive at least a 15% salary increase (adjusting their salary to $53,899, $55,248 or $56,508 depending on degree type), and $59,287 for team leaders (supervisors) at that time.

Annual salary increases of up to 0.50% per year will be awarded on a quarterly basis for each consecutive year a Level 1 case manager remains in his/her class/position.

In January of 2022, DSS rolled out additional opportunities for case managers to progress from Level 1 to Levels 2 and 3, with increases in salary averaging 2.5% for each increase in the case manager’s level of expertise under the salary plan. Level 2 and 3 child welfare staff will also see accelerated annual increases of 1% to 1.5% per year awarded for each continuous year served in his/her class/position. Progression from Level 1 to Levels 2 and 3 requires completion of specified requirements in the Advancement Pathway which include additional training, skill development, and practice model aligned competencies that increase in complexity as the career path progresses. Case reviews, data compliance reviews, field observations and employee self-assessments are used by supervisors to evaluate eligible employees’ demonstration of competencies and skills prior to approval to advance to the subsequent level.