Multi Systems & Complex Placement Program Manager (SHPC4) - Tacoma

State of Washington; Tacoma (WA); On-site; USD 79,000 - 106,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Washington's Department of Children, Youth, and Families seeks a Multi Systems & Complex Placement Program Manager (SHPC4) for Region 5 in Tacoma. The role leads placement innovation, kinship prioritization, and cross-agency collaboration to improve youth well-being and placement stability.

Responsibilities include staffing complex placements, regional liaison work, and guiding policy implementation across offices in Pierce and Kitsap Counties, with travel as needed and collaboration

Qualifications

• One year of experience as an SHPC3 or equivalent.
• Two years of experience as an SHPC2 or equivalent.
• Five years of professional experience in planning, administering, developing, or delivering social services.
• Two years of paid social service experience must include assessing risk and safety to children.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate complex placement staffings and ensure kinship placements are considered and followed up on.
• Track, review, and address complex placements to remove barriers to placement and stability.
• Review placement trends in Region 5 offices to align with stability and kinship priorities.
• Represent Region 5 in statewide meetings and community meetings regarding complex placement.
• Represent Region 5 at statewide meetings, complete daily AIRS, and produce monthly reports.
• Attend 1624 meetings and serve as liaison with Juvenile Court and probation.
• Provide policy guidance on Family Reconciliation Services and DDCS eligibility.
• Support field offices with DDCS services and youth release planning.

Skills

Leadership

Policy development

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in social work or related field

Master's degree in social work or related field

Equivalent 9 years of progressive social services experience

Tools

FamLink

Job description

Our vision is to ensure that “All Washington's children and youth grow up safe and healthy, thriving physically, emotionally, and educationally, nurtured by family and community.”

Job Title

Multi Systems & Complex Placement ProgramManager (SHPC4)

Location

Tacoma, WA. For a detailed view of DCYF's regional boundaries, Click Here. Travel within Region 5 and WA State is required. Occasional national travel may be required.

Closes

09/030/2026

Salary

$78,504 - $105,612. Annually.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families is looking for a Multi Systems & Complex Placement Program Manager (SHPC4) to join us in Region 5. Our ideal candidate will have professional experience in Child Welfare and extensive knowledge of Federal and State Child Welfare laws and regulations, understanding of the CFSR/PIP process and improvement strategies, Department and State fiscal policy, DCYF performance improvement plans, statewide policies and procedures, and Famlink experience.

Click here to learn more about DCYF.

The Opportunity

This position serves as a proactive leader in the following areas: Placement Innovation and Connection, Multisystem Liaison, Family Reconciliation Lead, and Regional Field Support. This position acts as principal expert and practice consultant with authority to assess and evaluate Child Welfare practices in all Region 5 Offices (Lakewood, Parkland, Bremerton, Tacoma, and Puyallup) in Pierce and Kitsap Counties. In this role, you will make recommendations for practice changes, implement quality assurance and practice improvement processes that will effectively reduce night-to-night placement, increase kinship care placements, and increase better working relationships across systems to support child/youth well-being. The position works closely with the Regional Administrator, Deputy Regional Administrator, Field Offices Area Administrators, and Regional program staff. Another key component of this position is building connections and relationships with key stakeholders: Tribes, courts, juvenile detention, school district, child-serving agencies, mental health providers, hospitals, attorneys, law enforcement, parents, youth, families, and other systems partners. You will serve as the liaison and regional expert to ensure practice delivery is aligned with DCYF policies and procedures, represent Region 5 at statewide meetings, and have a clear perspective of the noted program, as it is directly connected to the stability of the children we serve. The intent of this position is to make a significant impact to support policies and practices that will prevent and reduce night-to-night placement/hotel stays, increase kinship placements and supports, and improve child/youth well-being. This position reports to the Regional Safety & Programs Administrator.

Some of what you will get to do

• Facilitate Complex placement staffings and ensure resource-included kinship placements are considered and followed up on.
• Track, review, and address complex placements to remove barriers to placement and stability.
• Review placement trends in Region 5 offices to identify practices that need to align with the priority placement on stability and kinship placements.
• Represent Region 5 in statewide meetings and community meetings regarding complex placement
• Represent Region 5 at DS statewide meetings, complete daily AIRS, and track and provide monthly reports.
• Ensure kinship and relative placements are prioritized
• Attend 1624 meetings.
• Serve as the Kitsap and Pierce County Juvenile Court Liaison (Detention, probation, diversion), support field offices with County Probation/Detention MOUs and processes, and attend monthly collaboration meetings. Track and support field offices regarding youth being released from detention to DCYF care and custody.
• Family Reconciliation Regional Program Lead providing consultation and policy guidance on FRS cases.
• Lead the region regarding Adults with Cognitive Disability by providing resources to staff, attending individual staffings, and monthly statewide meetings.
• Facilitate monthly interagency staffings with Developmental Disabilities Community Services DDCS management and DCYF social workers regarding youth who qualify for DDCS Services. Provide social workers, supervisors, and managers support and regular communication regarding DDCS eligibility and services.
• Provide hospital liaison support by participating in monthly statewide meetings and attending MDT with community partners.
• Work with Headquarters Program Managers and statewide program managers to design and develop statewide policies and procedures for DDCS eligible youth and MOU language.
• Facilitate staffing for youth and work with DCYF staff to determine eligibility of youth who may qualify to receive Sexually Aggressive or Physically Aggressive services.
• Support DCYF field offices with navigating Children Long Term Inpatient Treatment and BRS processes.

Required Qualifications

One year of experience as a Social and Health Program Consultant 3 (SHPC3) or equivalent.

OR

Two years of experience as a Social and Health Program Consultant 2 (SHPC2) or equivalent.

A Bachelor's degree in social work, a health or social science, public administration, or a related field AND five (5) years of professional experience in planning, administering, developing, or delivering social, financial, health, or chemical dependency treatment services programs.

OR

A Master's degree in social work, a health or social science, public administration, or a related field AND four (4) years of professional experience in planning, administering, developing, or delivering social, financial, health, or chemical dependency treatment services programs.

OR

Equivalent professional experience totaling nine (9) years of progressively responsible experience in planning, administering, developing, supervising, or delivering family and child-related social services.

AND

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

NOTE: Two years of paid social service experience must include assessing risk and safety to children and providing direct family-centered practice services (strengthening and preserving family units).

In addition to those required qualifications, our ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following

• Previously demonstrated working knowledge of DCYF programs and policies, Intake, Family Team Decision Making, Child Protective Services Family Assessment Response and Investigations, Family Voluntary Services, Child and Family Welfare Services, Family Reconciliation Services, Adoptions, Extended Foster Care, Interstate Compact.

• Previously demonstrated strong working knowledge of Washington’s electronic child welfare records system, FamLink.

• Previously demonstrated strong risk and safety assessment skills and has strong working knowledge of developing effective safety plans.

• Previously demonstrated strong working knowledge of DCYF Child Welfare responsibilities and authority.

• Previously demonstrated extensive knowledge of federal and state child welfare laws and regulations, understanding of the CFSR/PIP process and improvement strategies, department and state fiscal policy and procedures, agency values and mission, DCYF performance improvement plans, statewide policies and procedures to maintain program consistency, best practice initiatives and strength-based family practices in addition to cooperatively developed protocols.

• Previously demonstrated history of applying best practices to achieve child safety outcomes.

• Previously demonstrated strong writing skills in preparing clear, accurate, and comprehensive reports or documents.

• Previously demonstrated strong oral communication skills individually with group facilitation and case staffings.

• Previously demonstrated knowledge and understanding of culturally competent best practice in case planning and decision-making.

• Previously demonstrated working understanding of family preservation and strategies for family engagement, along with expertise in building relationships with clients, staff, and community leaders and modeling.

• Previously demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the connection between research, data, and practice.

• Previously demonstrated working knowledge of concurrent planning and child wellbeing measures.

• Previously demonstrated strong working knowledge of child injury dynamics.

• Previously