Permanency Child Protection Lead Social Case Worker

City and County of Denver; United States; Hybrid; USD 71,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan

457B Retirement Plan

Paid time off

Holidays and personal days

Insurance plans

Job summary

City and County of Denver, via Denver Human Services, seeks a Lead Social Case Worker to supervise a small team and coordinate child protection services for children under 11. You will guide case management, counseling, and referrals while ensuring compliance with CDHS standards.

The role requires leadership experience, a strong background in child welfare, and a valid driver’s license. Hybrid work arrangements and ongoing professional development are offered by DHS.

Qualifications

• Three years of post-graduation professional social case work experience at the level of Social Case Worker
• Certification as a social case worker in CDHS regulations
• Valid driver’s license required

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 4 Social Case Workers and participate in leadership and development
• Provide intensive social case work services including case management, counseling, referral, placement, and assessment/evaluation
• Assist Social Case Worker Supervisors and perform supervisory roles in their absence
• Attend voices meetings and court hearings with Social Case Workers as needed

Skills

Leadership experience

Child Protection experience

Social Case Worker certification

Proactive attitude

Job description

About Our Job With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The target hiring range for this position is $71,000 - $77,000. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 wellness day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

Location

The City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model. Employees work where needed, at a job site several days a week and off-site as needed. Employees must work within the state of Colorado on their off-site days.

What You’ll Do

At Denver Human Services (DHS), we envision a healthy community where people are connected, supported, safe, and well. One in three people in Denver turn to DHS for support at all stages of life. Our employees help children, at-risk adults, families, and individuals navigate social and economic pressures by connecting them to services and experts who support their overall well-being. Denver Human Services is seeking a dedicated and experienced Lead Social Case Worker to serve on the Permanency Child Protection team. In this role, you will be a lead on a team of 4 Social Case Workers and actively participate in leadership, supervision and development.You should be a strong team player and possess good decision-making skills and the ability to effectively handle conflicts. The Permanency Child Protection team primarily provides service to children ages 11 and under.Therefore, it is imperative that the Lead Social Case Worker has a clear understanding of child development and the impact of child abuse and neglect on both children and their families.

The Lead Social Case Worker will perform permanently assigned lead work over professional social case workers, assist the Social Case Worker Supervisor with establishing unit goals, plans, and specific unit functions. You will provide intensive social case work services including case management, counseling, referral, placement, and assessment/evaluation.

The Permanency Child Protection Lead Social Case Worker will:

• Maintain current supervisory certification and participate in training the Social Case Worker staff
• Demonstrate critical decision-making skills with their staff and section
• Assist Social Case Worker Supervisors and perform supervisory roles in their absence
• Demonstrate competencies and critical decision-making skills when working with intake assessments, ongoing cases, and youth cases
• Coach, train, and mentor staff at various levels of experience
• Lead by example and set a precedent for Social Case Workers
• Attend voices meetings and court hearings with Social Case Workers when needed

What You’ll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level. Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• Previous leadership experience
• Extensive experience with Child Protection in a County level Child Welfare environment
• A certification as a Social Case Worker from the Colorado Child Welfare Academy
• A positive, professional, and proactive attitude

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Requirements as set forth in Colorado Department of Human Services Volume 7 and/or Volume 30 regulations

Experience: Requirements as set forth in Colorado Department of Human Services Volume 7 and/or Volume 30 regulations. Three (3) years of post-graduation professional social case work experience at the type and level of Social Case Worker

Education & Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for experience requirements.

Licensure & Certification

Requires a valid Driver’s License at the time of application. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment. Requires certification as a social case worker in Child Welfare or Adult Protective Services in accordance with CDHS regulations.

Additional Document

Please attach your official or unofficial transcripts of your completed undergraduate and/or graduate degree and list of professional references to your application in the required attachment section.

Application Deadline

This position is expected to stay open until November 15th, 2026.

About Everything Else

Job Profile CS2694 Social Case Worker Lead

Position Type Unlimited Position Salary Range $68,773.00 - $113,476.00

Target Pay $71,000.00 -$77,000.00/year, based on education and experience

Agency Denver Human Services

Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies City and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact [e-mail] with three business days’ notice. Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. See yourself experiencing growth and balance. See yourself being respected and valued. See yourself belonging here. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver. Your journey starts right here.