DCS CASE MANAGER 4 - 10072026-81550

State of Tennessee; Chattanooga (TN); On-site; USD 57,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Tennessee in Chattanooga is seeking a supervisory DCS Case Manager for the Office of Child Safety. This full-time role supervises staff delivering case management services for children in state custody or at risk, guiding safety, permanency, and family well-being.

Qualifications include a master's in social work or related field with relevant experience or a bachelor’s with five years of professional child welfare work; background check and drug screen required; valid driver's license

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work or a related behavioral science field with a child or family focus and experience equivalent to three years of full-time professional child welfare case work.
• OR Bachelor's degree with five years of full-time professional child welfare case work including related duties.

Responsibilities

• Assists case manager in determining abuse/neglect, risk, safety plan needs, and permanency outcomes.
• Assigns cases and provides feedback on performance and development.
• Participates in multi-disciplinary teams to inform case planning decisions.
• Discusses case information with subordinates to guide decisions and resource allocation.
• Conducts case conferences to promote safety, permanency, and well-being for DCS clients.
• Tracks regional data and ensures timely reporting and policy compliance.

Skills

Child welfare

Supervisory leadership

Policy compliance

Communication

Education

Master's in Social Work

Bachelor's in related field

Job description

State of Tennessee Job Information

Opening Date/Time 10/07/2026 12:00AM Central Time

Job Information

State of Tennessee Job Information

Opening Date/Time 10/07/2026 12:00AM Central Time

Closing Date/Time 10/14/2026 11:59PM Central Time

Salary (Monthly) $4,718.00 - $7,085.00

Salary (Annually) $56,616.00 - $85,020.00

Job Type Full-Time

City, State Location

Chattanooga, TN

Jasper, TN

Department Children's Services

LOCATION OF (2) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES, HAMILTON COUNTY, MARION COUNTY

This position serves as part of the Office of Child Safety / CPS Division.

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Qualifications

Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree in social work or a related behavioral science field with a child or family focus and experience equivalent to three years of full-time professional child welfare case work including, but not limited to, one or a combination of the following: social, psychological, or correctional counseling or case management; volunteer services coordination for a children's service program; and/or juvenile classification coordination.

OR

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree and experience equivalent to five years of full-time professional child welfare case work including, but not limited to, one or a combination of the following: social, psychological, or correctional counseling or case management; volunteer services coordination for a children's service program; and/or juvenile classification coordination.

Necessary Special Qualifications

Applicants for this class must:

• Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age on the date of application;
• Be a citizen of the United States;
• Possess a valid driver's license prior to and during employment;
• Have a good moral character, as determined by investigation;
• Complete a criminal history disclosure form in a manner approved by the appointing authority;
• Have no conviction for a felony;
• Agree to release all records involving their criminal history to the appointment authority;
• Supply a fingerprint sample in a manner prescribed by the TBI for a fingerprint based criminal history records check;
• Submit to and pass a pre-employment screening test for use of illegal drugs.

Overview

This classification is responsible for professional case management supervisory work of average difficulty; and performs related work as required. This is the first full supervisory class in the DCS Case Manager job series. An employee in this class is responsible for the supervision of staff who are providing case management services for children under the State's supervision, in State custody, or at risk of State custody, and their families. This class differs from DCS Case Manager 3 in that an incumbent of the latter performs lead level case management work. This class differs from DCS Team Coordinator in that an incumbent of the latter is responsible for managing operations and programs in a regional or field office or multiple/large residential programs and supervises members of this class.

Responsibilities

• Assists case manager in determining if abuse or neglect has occurred, the level of risk or harm to the child, assists in determining the need for a safety plan, makes recommendations regarding permanency, reunification, and/or termination of parental rights. Assesses underlying needs and core family concerns in order to address key issues that will ensure safety. Reviews/assesses cases for closure or transfer based on knowledge and policy requirements.
• Assigns cases/work assignments through TFACTS and provides feedback on performance to subordinates including professional development opportunities and/or corrective action. Analyzes data, response times, overdue reports, Child and Family Team Meetings, placement reports, resource home reports, EPSDT and dental, face-to-face visits, and utilizes Sharepoint an excel to track child welfare outcomes.
• Participates in multi-disciplinary teams including Child Protective Services Investigative Team, Foster Care Review Board, Community Advisory Board, in order to gain a global perspective about case planning decisions. Interprets the meaning and intent of policies and procedures for staff, community partners, and clients.
• Discusses case information with subordinates to guide decision making process regarding case needs, resource allocation, and outcomes. Coaches subordinates on understanding the underlying needs and core family concerns in order to address key issues that will ensure client safety.
• Conducts case conferences with subordinates to provide guidance, feedback, direction and next steps to promote safety, permanency, and well-being for DCS clients. Ensures subordinates follow policy guidelines for entering case documentation and all case associated information as well as meet policy requirements for expected completion.
• Reviews and monitors ongoing assessments of subordinates to ensure quality case management. Documents discussions with staff including Employee Performance Briefings (EPBs) and case conferences.
• Tracks, creates and communicates reports on regional data to ensure state and federal compliance. Tracks assessments to ensure data elements are meeting required time frames. Ensures information provided to internal and external entities is accurate with needed and required details to provide all relevant information to decision makers such as court, etc.
• Works flexible hours including weekends, holidays, and after hours. Schedules appointments, meetings, visitation with children on caseload. Transports children to various appointments safely, assists children in preparing for placement, and sitting with children who are awaiting placement.
• Communicates effectively and timely with others, engages with children and families to build trustful relationships, encourages clients to overcome barriers and achieve permanency, explains parental rights and other relevant documents to families, responds timely to families, providers, co-workers and supervision.
• Works within communities by making referrals to service providers on behalf of clients; collaborates with law enforcement officials and multi-disciplinary teams; trains foster parents, adoptive parents and community.

Competencies (KSA's)

• Decision Quality
• Directs Work
• Drives Results
• Develops Talent
• Communicates Effectively

Knowledge

• Clerical
• Customer and Personal Service
• Personnel and Human Resources

Skills

• Time Management
• Active Learning and Listening
• Complex Problem Solving
• Coordination
• Critical Thinking

Abilities

• Written Comprehension
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning

Tools & Equipment

• Electronic devices
• Computers
• Motor vehicle

TN Driver Standards

State of Tennessee positions that may involve driving responsibilities require candidates to meet the following minimum driver qualifications:

• A valid driver's license
• For the past five years, the candidate's driver record must not have record of the following violations: driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, license suspension for moving violations, more than 4 moving violations.

Please include your Driver's License Information under the Licenses and Certifications section of your application.

• Agencies may allow an exception based on other factors.