Social Services Specialist -Licensure

State of Mississippi; Jackson (MS); On-site; USD 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Mississippi in Jackson seeks a Social Services Specialist in the Licensure Unit of the Department of Child Protection Services to manage case files, visit children in care, and coordinate services. You will document in the MDCPS database, participate in investigations, and collaborate with county offices to ensure safety.

A Bachelor's Degree (or related field) and 1–3 years of experience are typically required; licensure may be required.

Qualifications

• Typically requires a Bachelor’s Degree and 1-3 years of experience.
• Appointing authority may require social worker’s license.
• A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year college or university in social work or related fields.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain case files for children in care; document in MDCPS online database.
• Visit children in care in foster homes, facilities and hospitals; complete investigations of abuse/neglect.
• Complete ongoing safety and risk assessments; participate in county conferences/meetings.
• Make referrals for services (dental, vision, medical) and transport to appointments.
• Attend court hearings and assist with new hires as needed; on-call after hours on a rotating basis.

Skills

Social work

Communication

Organizational skills

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree in social work or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Social Services Specialist -Licensure in 25 - HINDS COUNTY, MS

State of Mississippi

$38,210.22 - $47,715.60 Annually

Location

25 - HINDS COUNTY, MS

Full-Time

Job Number

9797-0681-20261019Hs

0681 - CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES

Opening Date

10/21/2026

10/28/2026 at 11:59 PM Central Time (US & Canada)

Agency Minimum Salary

$38,210.22

$47,715.60

About the Agency

This opportunity is a Specialist position within MS Department of Child Protection Services within the Licensure Unit. The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) is committed to protecting and nurturing Mississippi's at-risk children and families. MDCPS offers a variety of positions statewide, including social work positions providing case management services and working with potential foster families, supervisor positions providing clinical and administrative support, and agency support positions such as policy development, human resources, information technology, program management, training, and budgeting/finance. Working with MDCPS will give you the chance to make a life-changing difference for Mississippi's most vulnerable children and families. If you have any additional questions, you can contact Touya Harrington of Workforce Development at 601-301-8494 or [e-mail]

This is a time limited position. Create and maintain case files for children in care; document in MDCPS online database program; Visit children in care in foster homes, facilities and hospitals; Complete investigations of abuse, neglect for exploitation; Complete ongoing safety and risk assessments; Participate in scheduled county conferences/meetings for assigned children-in-care; Make referrals for children-in-care to receive services including dental, vision and medical; Transport children-in-care to appointments and destinations; Arrange for visitation with siblings and parents; Attend staff meetings with supervisor (normally) and all-staff meetings; Assist with new hires by being “shadow buddies”; Make copies of documents for case files; On-call for after-hours situation (rotating responsibility with other staff members); Attend court for hearings; Along with other job duties.This consist of 4 weeks (every other week) of on-site training and 4 weeks of On-The-Job Training, and must pass a comprehensive test prior to continued employment and/or advancement.WILL NEED VALID DRIVERS LICENSE AND INSURANCE

What you'll need to be Successful

A successful candidate for this position will understand micro, mezzo and macro level social work practice and how social, economic, and personal factors impact safety. A professional commitment of caring about people, their safety, well-being, and the larger profession of child welfare is also a benefit. Efficient organizational and time management skills. Good oral and written communication skills. Ability to be flexible in thinking and problem solving, Able to synthesize information in a clear and concise manner and assess according to agency policy, state statutes and/or federal regulations, Realistic expectations about the difficulty and challenges of the work. Ability to positively handle an often-unpredictable work environment, Ability to coach and motivate others for expected outcomes. Ability to work effectively at multiple levels of the organization and with multiple organizations. Ability to use tools within Microsoft Office Suite (ppt, word, excel). If you are customer service driven with personal resilience and strong self-efficacy beliefs about the ability to work with all clients to produce positive client outcomes, this is the optimal career for you.

Preferred Qualifications

Typically requires a Bachelor’s Degree and 1-3 years of experience. Appointing authority may require social worker’s license. Agency preferred qualifications:Requires a Bachelors’ Degree and 2-4 years of experience. Appointing authority may require social worker’s license. A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year college or university in social work, social services, psychology, educational psychology, sociology, nursing, criminal justice, counseling, marriage and family therapy, family studies, or a related field. In this position.Incumbent will need valid driver’s license.In this position, the salary may be based on Education and Qualifications.

See MSPB Careers for information regarding this classifications

Employer State of Mississippi

Address 210 East Capitol Street
Suite 800
Jackson, Mississippi, 39201