Recruitment & Retention Caseworker

JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY: 

Jefferson County Human Services' Caseworkers provide Child Welfare services using Partnering for Safety techniques to engage families. 
 
This position includes Recruitment/Retention and Certification Caseworker duties for the Collaborative Foster Care Program of Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties. Employee will be primarily stationed at Arapahoe Plaza building in Littleton, CO. 
 
The Recruitment and Retention Caseworker is responsible for the development and enhancement of the Foster Care recruitment component of the Collaborative Foster Care Program of Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties. Responsible for identifying any inefficiencies that may inhibit recruitment efforts and recommending solutions to enhance the effectiveness of recruitment efforts. Responsible for planning, organizing and conducting events and activities that are intended to recruit foster families.  Identify barriers to retention of foster families and develop programming designed to increase retention of foster families. Responsible for being up to date on the latest local and national research regarding the recruitment of foster families. 

Members of the team are cross-trained, provide placement desk back-up coverage and may have other primary responsibilities within the program. The ideal applicant will have high energy and enthusiasm with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.  They should enjoy flexibility and variety in their job duties and have a desire to work with families and other professionals in a team setting. 

This position will be responsible for daily use of the Trails database system, the Caseworker Application Timesaver (CAT) and the Integrated Case Management System (ICM), foster care policy, rules and regulations, as well as Volume 7 regulations for foster care certification. SAFE (Structured Analysis Family Evaluation) training is required or must be obtained after hire. 

SCHEDULE: 

Personal Choice Work Model: After six months of employment, all employees can work with their supervisor to develop a work model that allows them to meet the needs of the families they serve. This means an employee may be able to work from the office more or from home more, with some general expectations such as in-person tasks required by your role, such as facilitated family meetings in person, if the family chooses, in-person group supervision at least monthly, etc.  The nature of this position requires more office- and community- based work and work that occurs during evening and weekend hours.

COMPENSATION:  

Hiring Range: $68,345-$72,500 USD Annually 

Compensation will be determined based on education, experience and skills. 

BENEFITS: 

Jefferson County offers a generous benefits package that supports your personal and professional life. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid time off and holidays, including a starting bank of 40 hours of PTO for new hires; retirement matching; wellness programs; tuition reimbursement; flexible schedules; remote work options; and more. For more information, click here for our Total Rewards summary.   

ESSENTIAL DUTIES: 

The following duty statements are illustrative of the essential functions of the job and do not include other non-essential duties that may be required. The County reserves the right to modify or change the duties or essential functions of this job at any time. This position is primarily responsible for: 

• Actively establishing new partnerships within the community to recruit foster families from their membership and/or customers 

• Partnerships are to be established with but are not limited to – faith-based organizations, schools (i.e. individual public/private schools, school districts, Parent/Teacher Organizations), libraries, community groups (i.e. charitable organizations, caregiver organizations), businesses, etc. 

• Actively maintain already existing partnerships within the community to recruit foster families from their membership and/or customers 

• Actively support and engage community partners with print material / advertisements (i.e. posters, brochures, banners) and discussions that raise awareness for the need for foster families within the Arapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson Counties.  

• Assist in managing the 1-KID foster care recruitment line. This includes ensuring the phone line is always available to the community, and all inquiry calls and voicemails are responded to within 24 hours. 

• Manage inquiries that are received via the Collaborative Foster Care Program (CFCP) website, all inquiries are responded to within 24 hours. 

• Working with the Public Information Officers (PIO) of all three counties in order to create effective avenues of communication and advertisements that demonstrate the need for foster families. Communication will include but is not limited to print materials, swag, letters, phone calls and the use of the internet and social media. 

• Manage all social media platforms for the Collaborative Foster Care Program (CFCP), to include Facebook, Nextdoor, CFCP website, and other possible social media outlets to further promote the program needs, specifically around Recruitment and Retention.  

• Author and manage grant applications to fund cooperative agreements, for the purpose of developing programs to recruit foster families. 

• Ensure that recruitment efforts are communicated with staff throughout the three Divisions and organize efforts to engage those staff to assist with Recruitment efforts. 

• Represent the CFCP at community events and festivals. These events are often held in the evenings and/or on the weekends. 

• Management, organization and promotion of activities throughout the year associated with foster care awareness (i.e. National Foster Care Awareness Month, Child Abuse Awareness Month, and any other applicable opportunities) 

• Management of all aspects of “Recruitment Day.” in all three counties This includes promoting and organizing the event. 

• This position will be responsible for engaging current foster families in order to solicit their involvement with the recruitment of prospective families.  This includes foster parent attendance at Information Night and ensuring foster parents are capable and prepared for their involvement in events.   

• Co-manage the Information Night team, facilitate Information Night sessions requiring evening and weekend work. 

• Provides crisis intervention to foster care providers on an as-needed basis. Utilizes skills/framework developed from Partnering for Safety practice. 

• Participates in staffing as needed within the agency, other providers and professionals. 

• Manage a workload of certification cases at any given time while in this role.  The workload of certification cases is dependent upon the needs of the program and can often vary.  This includes assessing foster and kinship families’ abilities to provide safe placement while children are in care.  Certification caseworkers are responsible for ensuring assigned foster families are in compliance with all Volume 7 regulations and collaboration with the teams of youth placed in their families’ homes. 

• Resource staff assesses potential families as candidates for caregivers to children who have been abused/neglected.    

• Manage the internal Support Group for the Collaborative Foster Care Program (CFCP), to include arranging guest speakers, securing locations and childcare, and ensure the material presented address needs and interests of our certified families. 

• This position will be responsible for co-managing a foster family support and coaching program which connects foster families by region in order to increase retention. 

• Research and identify resources, events, and useful information for the retention of foster families.  Manage the CFCP Newsletter on a weekly basis to communicate the identified information to foster families. 

• Having working knowledge of foster care policy, rules and regulations, and Volume 7 regulations for foster care certification. Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE) certification will be required as this position may be responsible for the yearly completion of home study updates.   

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Research shows that women and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups tend to apply only when they check every box in the posting. If you are reading this and hesitating to click “apply” for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! A true passion and excitement for making an impact is just as important as work experience. 

Minimum Qualifications:  

Education: A bachelor’s degree from a higher education institution with course work related to the job responsibilities of child welfare social caseworker. Course work examples can include and are not limited to, the development of human behavior, child development, family intervention techniques, diagnostic measures, or therapeutic techniques. 

*Note: An equivalent combination of education and experience is acceptable. 

Preferred knowledge, skills and abilities: 

• This position requires thorough knowledge of theories, principles, and concepts of social caseworker practice related to child protection.  

• Knowledge of caseworker principles and methods of human needs and behavior pertaining to child development, parenting, attachment, and separation. 

• Knowledge and skill in interviewing techniques, crisis intervention methods and relevant treatment modalities.  

• Knowledge of community resources, of agency rules, regulations and procedures related to child protection issues.  

• Ability to independently analyze complex situations, formulate plans and make quick decisions as needed.  

• Ability to establish and maintain harmonious professional relationships with other employees, outside agencies, and public.  

• Ability to testify effectively in court hearings.  

• Exceptional organizational skills are required to effectively manage the volume of work and prioritize tasks.  

• In addition, candidate must become familiar with foster care policy, rules and regulations, as well as all Volume 7 regulations for foster care certification. 

• Participate in planned recruitment and retention activities. 

Additional Job Information: 

• A valid Colorado driver’s license is required for positions that drive on County Business in either a county or personal vehicle within 30-days of hire or beginning to serve as an intern or volunteer. 

• Offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of criminal history, motor vehicle report, education verification, and/or references for all positions. 

Accommodations Statement: We encourage people with disabilities to apply and are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout our hiring process. For assistance with applications, interviews, or other hiring-related accommodations, contact careertalent@jeffco.us. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot provide application status updates. 

APPLICATION: 

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.  

All applicants must submit an online employment application by 11:59PM on the posted cut-off date. Follow this link to apply now: Jefferson County Colorado Career Opportunities 

• A resume and cover letter submitted with your application is encouraged but will not substitute for the information requested on the application.  

• Current Jefferson County employees must apply through their employee profile in Workday. 

• In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information. 

Applications are reviewed for minimum qualifications listed in the qualifications section of the job bulletin, and applicants are contacted directly by the hiring team if selected. To view the status of your application, please log into your candidate portal.    

For more details on the recruitment process, please visit: https://www.jeffco.us/1860/FAQs 

Questions? Contact the Jefferson County Recruitment Team at 303-271-8420 or CareerTalent@Jeffco.us