DCS PROGRAM SPECIALIST - COURT LIAISONS - RUTHERFORD - 10202026-82034

State of Tennessee; Murfreesboro (TN); On-site; USD 49,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of Tennessee is seeking a Program Specialist for the Court Liaison team in Rutherford County. This role supports courts, coordinates services for children and families, and helps connect families to resources in line with Department policy and state statutes.

Qualifications include a bachelor's degree and at least three years of professional experience in counseling or case management; substitutions may apply. A criminal background check and pre-employment screening are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with experience in counseling or case management, including work with children/juveniles.
• Graduate coursework may substitute for up to one year of the required experience; two years with children remain necessary.

Responsibilities

• Representing DCS by supporting our courts.
• Timely court ordered service program assignments.
• Prevention efforts focused on reducing custodial entries through court.
• Promoting community-based resources to assist families when appropriate.
• Providing liaison support to internal and external partners.
• Attend Court and represent DCS as scheduled.
• Prepare Court Dockets, Intake Packets, & Notifications.
• Court Docket Case Reviews and Court Record Requests.
• Engage with judges, attorneys, and partners; connect families to resources.
• Enter custody data into DCS systems; track tasks on spreadsheets.

Skills

Critical Thinking

Judgment and Decision Making

Quality Control Analysis

Monitoring

Time Management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Personal Computer

Telephone

Fax Machine

Printer

Passenger Vehicle

Job description

State of Tennessee Job Information

Opening Date/Time 10/20/2026 12:00AM Central Time

Job Information

Opening Date/Time 10/20/2026 12:00AM Central Time

Closing Date/Time 10/26/2026 11:59PM Central Time

Salary (Monthly) $4,098.00 - $5,129.00

Salary (Annually) $49,176.00 - $61,548.00

Job Type Full-Time

City, State Location Murfreesboro, TN

Department Children's Services

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

This is a DCS Program Specialist position with the Court Liaisons team that sits in Rutherford 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 three years of professional work in one or a combination of the following: counseling or case management services; program evaluation of counseling or case management services, two 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 two 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).

Necessary Special Qualifications

• 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

The Statewide Court Liaison program is designed to streamline communication and coordinate efforts between the court system, children and families, communities, and the Department of Children's Services. Court Liaisons can achieve this by building strong relationships with stakeholders, diverting youth from DCS custody, assisting with the development of goal-oriented prevention plans, connecting children/families to services & resources, and by possessing knowledge of Departmental Policy and State Statutes.

Responsibilities

• Representing DCS by supporting our courts.
• Timely court ordered service program assignments.
• Prevention efforts focused on reducing custodial entries through court.
• Promoting (to the court) opportunities for community-based resources to assist families when that is a safe, more appropriate option for the family.
• Providing supportive liaison assistance to our internal and external partners.
• Attend Court, represent DCS (daily, weekly, monthly, or as scheduled by court)
• Preparing Court Dockets, Intake Packets, & Notifications
• Court Docket Case Reviews (for prevention & resource efforts)
• Court Record Requests, Court Order Uploads
• Engage with Judge/Magistrate/Attorneys/Court Personnel, Community Partners, Children/Families, and other DCS Personnel
• Connecting children and families to resources & services
• Assess and/or Complete Orders of Reference (family home studies)
• Enter Custodial and Non-Custodial services into DCS electronic database (Removals, FSS, FCIP, Probation, etc)
• Data Tracking (tracking tasks on spreadsheets)
• Additional Supportive Liaison Tasks (as designated by specific location)

Competencies (KSA's)

Competencies

• Being Resilient
• Drives Vision and Purpose
• Customer Focus
• Communicates Effectively
• Plans and Aligns

Knowledge

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

Skills

• Critical Thinking
• Judgment and Decision Making
• Quality Control Analysis
• Monitoring
• Time Management

Abilities

• Auditory Attention
• Speech Clarity
• Written Comprehension
• Speech Recognition

Tools & Equipment

• Personal Computer
• Telephone
• Fax Machine
• Printer
• Passenger 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.