ICWS Caseworker

Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas; Eagle Pass (TX); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas seeks an ICWS Caseworker to investigate potential abuse or neglect cases and to aid families by educating and coordinating services under ICWA. The role emphasizes safety planning, reporting, and collaboration with tribal and external agencies.

Required are a Bachelor’s in a behavioral science field or a Texas Peace Officer License and at least one year of professional social casework; a Master’s in social work is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in human behavioral science or Texas Peace Officer License required.
• Master's degree in social work preferred.
• One year of full-time professional social casework experience required; native preference prevailing.

Responsibilities

• Investigate and determine whether a child is in an abusive or neglectful environment.
• Develop safety plans and connect families with community resources.
• Provide guidance to parents to modify behaviors affecting family function.
• Maintain detailed case history records and prepare reports for court proceedings.
• Serve as liaison between families, schools, and agencies to coordinate services.

Skills

Casework methods

English proficiency

Cultural awareness

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in human behavioral science or Texas Peace Officer License

Master's degree in social work (preferred)

Job description

In order to be considered for any vacancy within the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, an application must be completed. If you are among the qualified candidates, you will receive a call or email from one of our coordinators to schedule an interview. Once your application is completed, please send it to the Human Resources Department at [e-mail].

In House Only Applicants (Tribal Members and Employees currently working within a Kickapoo Entity)

Position: ICWS Caseworker

Supervisor: ICW Director

Division: Community Services Administration

Department: ICW

Responsibilities

The ICWS Caseworker’s responsibility is to investigate and determine whether or not children are in an abusive or neglectful environment and to aid parents by educating and providing support to modify behaviors that are detrimental to family function. The ICWS Caseworker also organizes and achieves the goal of a vision based on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).

Essential Duties and responsibilities include the following

• Determine if a child has Native ancestry.
• Investigating, interviewing and gathering information to see if abuse or neglect occurred and if intervention is necessary while considering both risk and safety issues. Develop safety plans as necessary.
• Checking children for signs of abuse or neglect.
• Aid parents with child rearing problems and children and youth with difficulties in social adjustments: Investigate home conditions to protect children from harmful environment.
• Evaluate children’s physical and psychological makeup to determine needs. Refer child and parent or guardian to community resources according to needs of child.
• Evaluate foster home environmental factors and personal characteristics of adoption applicants to determine suitability of foster home situation, plans for child’s care, interactional behavior modifications needed, or rehabilitation.
• Place children in foster or adoptive homes, following KTTT family codes and ICWA
• Maintain detailed case history records and required reports.
• May specialize in specific area of child-directed casework and be designated according to work performed as Investigator, Caseworker, child placement (social service); Casework, Protective Services (social Ser.)
• Counsel individuals or family members regarding behavior modifications, rehabilitation, social adjustment, financial assistance, vocational training, child care, or medical care.
• Counsel parents with child rearing problems and children and youth with difficulties in social adjustments.
• Interview individuals to assess social and emotional capabilities, physical and mental impairments, and financial needs.
• Refer the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas community to outside resources for needed assistance. Ensure that all eligible tribal members are enrolled in KTTT PRC program and get preapproval before making referrals if not an emergency when referring to outside resources.
• Provide service coordination for students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical impairment indicates need for assistance.
• Prepare case/status reports and make recommendations and testify in court.
• Develop and maintain case and program documentation according to funding sources and other program standards.
• Maintain a balance of objectivity and empathy for families in stressful and crisis situations.
• Arrange for medical, psychiatric and other tests that may disclose cause of difficulties and indicate remedial measures.
• Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems and effects solutions.
• Serve as liaison between students, home, school, family service agencies, law enforcement agencies, child guidance clinics, courts, and protective services, doctors, and tribal members.
• Perform other work-related duties as assigned by immediate supervisor.

Knowledge, skills and abilities for the position

• Knowledge of information and techniques needed to rehabilitate physical and mental ailments and to provide career guidance including alternative treatments, rehabilitation equipment and its proper use, and methods to evaluate treatment effects.
• Knowledge and skill in casework methods acquired through degree programs at school of social work or experience in working in a similar field.
• Knowledge of human behavior and performance, mental processes, psychological research methods, and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, cultures, their history, migrations, ethnicity, and origins.
• Knowledge of principles and processes involved in business and organizational planning, coordination, and execution. This includes strategic planning, resources allocation, manpower modeling, leadership techniques, and production methods.
• Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services including needs assessment techniques, quality service standard, alternative delivery systems, and customer satisfaction evaluation techniques.
• Being aware of other’s reactions and understanding why they react the way they do.
• Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Talking to others to effectively convey information.
• Being able to listen to what other people are saying and asking questions as appropriate.
• Identifying the nature of problems.
• Adjusting actions in relation to others actions.
• Knowing how to find information and identifying essential information.
• Using logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches.
• Assessing how well one is doing when learning or doing something.
• Being able to generate a number of different approaches to problems.
• Communicating effectively with others in writing as indicated by the needs of the audience.
• Weighing the relative costs and benefits of a potential action.
• Evaluating the likely success of an idea in relation to the demands of the situation.
• Observing and evaluating the outcome of a problem solution to identify lessons learned or redirect efforts.
• Using multiple approaches when learning or teaching new things.
• Working with new material or information to grasp its implications.
• Reorganizing information to get a better approach to problems or tasks.
• Developing approaches for implementing an idea.
• Identifying the things that must be changed to achieve a goal.
• Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
• Developing an image of how a system should work under ideal conditions.
• Ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving in problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Ability to come up with a number of ideas about a give topic. It concerns the number of ideas produced and not the quality, correctness, or creativity of the ideas.
• Mathematics: Ability to perform simple arithmetic for timekeeping and other calculations.
• Language & Communication: Ability to read, write, speak and understand English, and communicate effectively with others.
• Ability to understand and follow written and verbal direction.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to manage and maintain security of confidential data and information.
• Ability to exercise independent and sound judgment.
• Cultural awareness of and sensitivity to Kickapoo traditions, religious beliefs and way of life.

Supervision exercised

This position does not carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.

Education/experience requirements

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in one of the human behavioral science field and/or possess a Texas Peace Officer License. Relevant experience in Social Service and/or Law Enforcement Agency may substitute for educational requirement on a year-for-year basis.One year of full-time professional social casework experience in a public or private Social Service Agency.

Preferred Qualifications: A master’s degree in social work. Two (2) years of full-time professional social casework experience acquired after the degree, in a public or private Social Service Agency, in an assignment appropriate to the position.

Native American preference is observed

KTTT recognizes preference for KTTT tribal members and qualified Native American tribal members including preferential treatment in recruitment, hiring, promotions, layoffs and reductions in force so long as they meet minimum job qualifications.