DCS PROGRAM COORDINATOR - FAMILY BASED PLACEMENT - SHELBY COUNTY - 09222026-81187

State of Tennessee; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Tennessee is seeking a Program Coordinator in the Family Based Placement division of the Central Office Network Development Team. The position, located in Shelby County, supports referrals for foster placement and coordinates with provider agencies to identify suitable placements for children.

Candidates need a bachelor's degree and at least four years of professional work in counseling, case management, or program evaluation, with three years involving children or juveniles.

Qualifications

• Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree and four years of professional work in counseling/case management or program evaluations, three years with children/juveniles.
• Substitution: Graduate coursework may substitute for up to one year; no substitution for three years of children’s services.
• Experience substitution: One year as a DCS Program Specialist or DCS Case Manager 3 may substitute for education.

Responsibilities

• Review referrals and provide feedback on completeness and missing items.
• Utilize assessments to identify least restrictive, most appropriate placements.
• Refer children to Provider Agencies for foster home placement.
• Maintain accurate documentation of placement efforts.
• Some travel is required.
• On-Call work required.
• Requires multitasking, critical thinking, attention to detail, and strong customer service.

Skills

Time Management

Critical Thinking

Instructing

Judgment & Decision Making

Operations Analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree

4 years professional experience with children (counseling/case management or program evals)

Job description

State of Tennessee Job Information

Opening Date/Time 09/22/2026 12:0AM Central Time

Closing Date/Time 09/28/2026 11:59PM Central Time

Salary (Monthly) $4,562.00 - $5,694.00

Salary (Annually) $54,744.00 - $68,328.00

Job Type Full-Time

City, State Location Memphis, TN

Department Children's Services

LOCATION OF (1) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES, SHELBY COUNTY

This is a DCS Program Coordinator position for the Family Based Placement division of the Central Office Network Development Team.

This position is currently located in Shelby County.

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 bachelor's degree and experience equivalent to four years of professional work in one or a combination of the following: counseling or case management services, or program evaluations of counseling or case management services, three years of which must involve providing these services to children and/or juveniles.

Substitution of Education for Experience: Graduate course work credit received from an accredited college or university in social work, criminal justice, psychology, sociology, human services, and/or child development may substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of one year, there being no substitution for the required three years of children's services work (e.g. 36 graduate quarter hours in one or a combination of the above listed fields may substitute for one year of the required experience).

Substitution of Experience for Education: Experience equivalent to one year as a DCS Program Specialist or a DCS Case Manager 3 with the State of Tennessee.

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 position is part of a team referring children for placement with Provider Agencies.

Responsibilities

• Review referrals and provide feedback to DCS field staff on the completeness of the referral and identifying any missing items.
• Utilize available assessments to identify the least restrictive and most appropriate placement for children.
• Refer children to Provider Agencies for foster home placement.
• Maintain accurate documentation of placement efforts.
• Some travel is required.
• On-Call work required.
• The position requires multi-tasking, critical thinking skills, attention to detail and exceptional customer service skills.

Competencies (KSA's)

Competencies

• Decision Quality
• Manages Complexity
• Action Oriented
• Organizational Savvy
• Nimble Learning

Knowledge

• Customer and Personal Service
• English Language
• Law and Government
• Public Safety and Security

Skills

• Time Management
• Critical Thinking
• Instructing
• Judgment and Decision Making
• Operations Analysis

Abilities

• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Problem Sensitivity
• Information Ordering

Tools & Equipment

• Office Equipment
• Computer
• Mobile Phone

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.