CWS Team Leader - Investigation / 61012067

State-of-South-Carolina; South Carolina; On-site; USD 42,000 - 51,000; Full time

Job summary

The South Carolina Department of Social Services seeks a CWS Team Leader for the Investigation unit in Cherokee County. You will supervise case managers, coach staff, and ensure investigations meet policy and safety standards.

You will also oversee FAST documentation, coordinate with families and professionals, and participate in on-call coverage. A social sciences degree is required; MSW/BSW preferred. This role emphasizes empathy, accountability, and collaborative practice.

Qualifications

• Direct supervision of case managers with coaching and training.
• Ensure timely investigations, safety and risk concerns addressed.
• Engage with families, staff and professionals empathetically.

Responsibilities

• Supervise case managers in the Child Welfare Service investigations.
• Promote safety, permanency and well-being through policy fidelity.
• Ensure timely completion of the FAST and accurate CAPSS documentation.
• Engage families, staff and professionals with empathy and leadership.
• Ensure legal actions are initiated timely when risk requires removal.
• Provide EPMS planning and participate in hiring/training of staff.
• Maintain child welfare certification and ongoing training.
• Protect PII and safeguard agency data; participate in shelter duties.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Supervision

Coaching

Training

Case management

Policy compliance

On-call availability

Education

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

Master's Degree may substitute for required experience

1 year related field 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 Team Leader - Investigation provides direct supervision to case managers in Child Welfare Service area of Investigation. Ensures accountability of case managers by conducting case consultations, coaching, training and providing support in accordance with DSS Policy, Agency Mission and GPS Practice Model. Ensures initial investigations are conducted timely, safety and risk concerns are addressed, and services are offered to children and families who may have experienced and /or are risk of experience child maltreatment. Performs on-call duties and provides support to on-call staff.
• Promotes safety, permanency and well-bing by ensuring fidelity to policy and procedures and conducting case consultations and case reviews, facilitating meetings, reviewing data reports, monitoring policy changes, and ensuring staff attendance in mandatory trainings.
• Ensures timely completion of the comprehensive Family Advocacy and Support Tool (FAST) according to time frames established by DSS policy. Ensures CAPSS reflects up to date case information and quality documentation. Ensures timely referrals for services and least intrusive interventions are used with families to address needs identified during investigations and maintain the safety of children. Ensures case manager participation in initial child and family team meetings.
• Authentically engages and works collaboratively with child welfare staff, families and other professionals with empathy, respect and leadership. Ensures concerted efforts to locate non-custodial parents and kinship support is ongoing. Responds timely and professionally to constituent inquiries.
• Ensures legal actions are initiated timely when risk and safety concerns require removal to foster care or non-emergency removal. Monitors adherence to court orders, identifies and addresses legal barriers that impact legal proceedings, and ensures court packets are submitted timely.
• Provides case managers with EPMS planning and evaluation plans. Participates in hiring and training of all new employees, promotes equal opportunity, develops a diverse workforce, and gives fair opportunity to all staff. Completes performance and practice evaluations on direct reports biannually and upon request for level ascension. Timely submits evaluations for level ascension.
• Maintains child welfare certification. Completes 20 hours of training yearly to include certifications that are required yearly.
• Maintains an active routine of self-care and pursues support when necessary to minimize the threat of secondary trauma to physical and mental health. Understands the impact of trauma on families and secondary trauma on child welfare staff and applies principles to support families and staff.
• Ensures 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 duty or other emergency shelter duties/services as directed.
• Other duties as assigned.

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.

Master's Degree or higher may be substituted for the 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 / Cherokee 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.