Child Protection Specialist
Position Overview
Under direction of the team supervisor, receives and investigates reports of child abuse and neglect within mandated time limits; assesses immediate safety of children and initiates appropriate levels of protection needed; conducts home evaluations, observing family situations relating to allegations of abuse and neglect; interviews clients and professionals to obtain information for the purposes of making a finding and determining protection and service needs; conducts service assessments; on a rotating basis, assigned to 24 hour “on call” duty in addition to normal assignments; prepares investigation reports; selects, summarizes, and presents case material for transfer to permanency caseworker or community agencies; determines the need for and coordinates the placement of children in substitute care facilities.
Job Responsibilities
- Receives and investigates reports of alleged child abuse/neglect within mandated time limits.
- Prepares investigation reports for assessing validity of reports of allegations.
- Selects, summarizes, and presents case material for transfer to permanency caseworker or community agencies.
- Determines the need for and coordinates the placement of children in substitute care facilities.
- Attends multi-disciplinary diagnostic and technical staff conferences to assess needed services.
- Transports clients when taking protective custody, when placing them in substitute care, and when changing placement location; transports clients to appointments (i.e., court hearings, medical appointments, counseling sessions, police station, etc.) and to necessitate the delivery of client services.
- Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.