Children and Family Service Specialist

"You have the passion; we have the opportunities – let’s make a difference for Nebraskans!"

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) hires dedicated individuals for Children and Family Service Specialist (CFSS) positions. These roles directly impact our mission of Helping People Live Better Lives through the provision of critical family services, supporting families as they build their future & ensure the safety and well-being of children.

CFSS roles are rewarding, yet challenging, as they provide opportunities, services, and programs that promote a healthy, safe, and stable environment for children/youth in our communities with their caregivers. CFSS work closely with families that need child welfare intervention because of abuse and/or neglect. CFSS will sometimes work with the legal system toward permanency goals. Case managers are trained on resources necessary to help children and families heal from trauma in their lives, and on the importance of promoting community safety. 

In Children & Family Services, we aim to provide the least disruptive services when needed, for only the amount of time necessary to give children the opportunity to succeed, live with dignity and respect and help families care for themselves. This will result in healthier families and safer, more prosperous communities. 

Benefits include 12 days of vacation and sick leave, 13 paid holidays, agency-backed retirement match, and much more! 

Work Schedule: M-F, 8-5 during training. Upon completion of training, flexible hours are available with some evening/weekend/holiday/on-call rotations required. This position may be eligible to work hybrid (combination of remote and office) once training is successfully completed. 

Pay starts at $20.936 with an increase to $24.552 after successfully completing training. Bilingual staff are welcome. Numerous internal promotion opportunities are available. Start your career with Nebraska today!

To learn more about this position, please view the following link for a Realistic Job Preview: https://youtu.be/bJM9TcaFo3s . 

Hiring rate of position
$20.936 per hour upon hire. You will be promoted to $24.552 per hour after successfully completing training (6-8 weeks)

Job duties:

In this position, you will serve as a case manager for families referred to the Department of Health and Human Services.

As a Child and Family Services Specialist, you will:

• Advocate for families
• Respect the individuality of each child and family served
• Respect each child’s family and culture
• Implement family-centered practice principles into case management to ensure the inclusion of children and families in the decision-making processes that impact their lives
• Promote normalcy in the lives of children in care
• Adhere to principles and procedures of Structured Decision Making as a tool that will support keeping children and families safe
• Understand and commit to utilizing evidence-based practices that focus on least-restrictive and family-centered approaches
• Identify and makes appropriate referrals for formal and informal interventions based on the family’s needs
• Write clear, concise, and descriptive reports in a timely manner that will be shared with legal entities and the court system

REQUIREMENTS:

A Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, sociology, counseling, human development, mental health care, education, criminal justice, or other closely related area. Consideration will be given to applicants who are enrolled in the final semester of their Bachelor’s degree. Promotion to the Child and Family Services Specialist classification is contingent on successful completion of degree requirements and required training.

PREFERRED:

Experience in child welfare, juvenile justice and/or case management experience, internships with human services/child welfare agencies will also be considered.

OTHER:

Valid driver's license is required.
 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of: the principles and practices of social work, psychology, sociology, counseling, human development, mental health, education, criminal justice or related area of the applied social/behavioral sciences; the principles and processes of direct case management; family life issues and dynamics; community services; child adolescent and adult behavior; and basic understanding of juvenile delinquent behavior and vulnerable adult issues.

Skill in: interviewing customers to collect and elicit essential information and assess customer needs and progress; openly and honestly discussing concerns with others in a non-judgmental way; using a keyboard.

Ability to: learn the importance of commitment to individuals and families; learn the importance of families/individuals having normal life experiences that are consistent with age, gender, culture and community setting; learn the value and importance of families/individuals having the right and ability to make decisions; protect confidential information; communicate electronically, on paper or in person with customers, co-workers, supervisors and staff to exchange case information and assessments; listen to and understand communication; work effectively with community service providers, law enforcement, the court and legal systems and vulnerable adults' families and/or advocates; organize and maintain case records; learn and apply the principles and practices of direct case management including assessment, analyzing critical information, plan development and implementation in setting up individual case/treatment plans; treat people with dignity and respect regardless of behavior; respond flexibly and adapt to new or changing circumstances; manage time and workflow to work independently and meet deadlines; exhibit a sense of fairness; be available to children, families and vulnerable adults through regular and predictable work attendance; demonstrate professionalism and operate basic computer software and hardware.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive package of pay, benefits, paid time off, retirement and professional development opportunities to help you get the most out of your career and life. Your paycheck is just part of your total compensation.

Check out all that the State of Nebraska has to offer! Benefit eligibility may vary by position, agency and employment status. For more information on benefits, please visit: https://statejobs.nebraska.gov/index.html#benefits

Equal Opportunity Statement

The State of Nebraska values our teammates as well as a supportive environment that strives to promote diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We recruit, hire, train, and promote in all job classifications and at all levels without regard to race, color, religion, sex. age, national origin, disability, marital status or genetics.

Current employees of the State of Nebraska should NOT apply on this external career. Instead go to Workday and access the Jobs Hub - Internal Apply app from your home