DSS Internal CWS Team Leader - Investigations

This is a South Carolina Department of Social Services Internal Position. Only current South Carolina Department of Social Services employees are eligible for this position. Job Duties The CWS Team Leader - Investigations provides direct supervision to case managers in the Child Welfare Service area of Investigation. Ensures accountability of case managers by conducting case consultations, coaching, training and providing support in accordance with DSS Policy, Agency Mission and GPS Practice Model. Ensures initial investigations are conducted timely, safety and risk concerns are addressed, and services are offered to children and families who may have experienced and/or are at risk of child maltreatment. Performs on‑call duties and provides support to on‑call staff. Promotes safety, permanency and well‑being by ensuring fidelity to policy and procedures and conducting case consultations and case reviews, facilitating meetings, reviewing data reports, monitoring policy changes, and ensuring staff attendance in mandatory trainings. Ensures timely completion of the comprehensive Family Advocacy and Support Tool (FAST) according to time frames established by DSS policy. Ensures CAPSS reflects up‑to‑date case information and quality documentation. Ensures timely referrals for services and uses least intrusive interventions with families to address needs identified during investigations and maintain the safety of children. Ensures case manager participation in initial child and family team meetings. Authentically engages and works collaboratively with child welfare staff, families and other professionals with empathy, respect and leadership. Ensures concerted efforts to locate non‑custodial parents and ongoing kinship support. Responds timely and professionally to constituent inquiries. Ensures legal actions are initiated timely when risk and safety concerns require removal to foster care or non‑emergency removal. Monitors adherence to court orders, identifies and addresses legal barriers that impact legal proceedings, and ensures court packets are submitted timely. Provides case managers with EPMS planning and evaluation plans. Participates in hiring and training of all new employees, promotes equal opportunity, develops a diverse workforce, and gives fair opportunity to all staff. Completes performance and practice evaluations on direct reports biannually and upon request for level ascension, and submits evaluations for level ascension in a timely manner. Maintains child welfare certification. Completes 20 hours of training yearly to include required certifications. Maintains an active routine of self‑care and pursues support when necessary to minimize the threat of secondary trauma to physical and mental health. Understands the impact of trauma on families and secondary trauma on child welfare staff and applies principles to support families and staff. Ensures personal identifying information (PII) is properly used, accessed, gathered, shared and disposed. Protects the agency networks and applications by safeguarding systems, equipment and data. Performs Red Cross shelter duty or other emergency shelter duties/services as directed. Other duties as assigned. Qualifications Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Behavioral Science, or Social Science. or a Bachelor's Degree in any other field and one (1) year experience in a related field. Must possess a valid driver's license, be able and willing to drive and transport children and adults, and be able to lift children and interact with children and adults in a positive manner. May require overtime hours to include weekends and work during natural disasters or State‑issued emergency responses. Benefits Health, Dental, Vision, Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse, and Children. 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year. 15 days sick leave per year. 13 paid holidays. Paid Parental Leave. State Retirement Plan and Deferred Compensation Programs. Location & Division Human services / Greenville County Salary Information With the recent implementation of the Child Welfare salary plan funded by the General Assembly beginning in July 2021, front line case managers and team leaders (supervisors) will not only earn higher starting salaries when joining DSS than in previous years, but will also enjoy supplements to their starting salaries upon completion of training and competencies, attainment of BSW/MSW degrees for front line case managers, annual increases for years of continuous service, and salary increases upon attainment of established competencies/certifications for moving into Level 2 and Level 3 salaries. New Child Welfare case managers will earn a starting salary of at least $45,721 during initial certification, depending on education level and degree type, with up‑front starting salary supplements of 2.5% ($46,865) and 5% ($48,006) for candidates holding a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, and 10% ($50,293) for team leaders (supervisors), respectively. Following completion of training certification, assignment of caseloads with one year of completed experience, quarterly adjustments will be made to move successful trainees into the Level 1 salary bracket and will receive at least a 15% salary increase (adjusting their salary to $52,843, $54,165 or $55,400 depending on degree type), and $58,125 for team leaders (supervisors) at that time. Annual salary increases of up to 0.50% per year will be awarded on a quarterly basis for each consecutive year a Level 1 case manager remains in his/her class/position. In January of 2022, DSS rolled out additional opportunities for case managers to progress from Level 1 to Levels 2 and 3, with increases in salary averaging 2.5% for each increase in the case manager’s level of expertise under the salary plan. Level 2 and 3 child welfare staff will also see accelerated annual increases of 1% to 1.5% per year awarded for each continuous year served in his/her class/position. Progression from Level 1 to Levels 2 and 3 requires completion of specified requirements in the Advancement Pathway which include additional training, skill development, and practice model aligned competencies that increase in complexity as the career path progresses. Case reviews, data compliance reviews, field observations and employee self‑assessments are used by supervisors to evaluate eligible employees’ demonstration of competencies and skills prior to approval to advance to the subsequent level. #J-18808-Ljbffr