School of Social Work

Opening Date: October 21, 2021

Job Class Code: 5077

Grade: 22

Salary: $26.35 – $31.27/hr.* (Employees in this classification begin at Step 3 of the PayScale)

* Hourly rate includes a $5.00/hr. recruitment and retention stipend

Want to make a real difference in the lives of Maine children? The Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) within DHHS is looking for people committed to protecting the rights and well-being of children by providing professional case management services for our clients throughout the State of Maine. As a Child Protective Services Caseworker, you will develop investigative and case management skills and build extensive contacts within the judicial, law enforcement, educational, and social services communities. If you’re in search of a career that is professionally and personally rewarding, offers exceptional training and educational opportunities, and supports children and families in Maine, this could be your next career opportunity.

We have current vacancies in our Augusta, Skowhegan, Portland, Lewiston, Rockland, Biddeford, Bangor, Ellsworth, and Caribou offices.

Agency Information:

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State’s population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers. The Office of Child & Family Services (OCFS), within DHHS is responsible for ensuring the safety, permanency and well-being of children and families through community networks, local resources, and life-long family connections throughout Maine.

As a Child Protective Services Caseworker, you will:

• Perform professional social work in the areas of child protection, children’s services, and adoption.
• Engage families to assess child safety and make plans which best meet the safety, well-being, and permanency needs of their children.
• Create a team for each family consisting of family, staff, and community resources to support safe solutions for children.
• Reach factually supported safety decisions in a timely and thorough manner, with input from parents, children, extended family, and community stakeholders to assure child safety.
• Assess:
• child safety, abuse, and neglect, and signs of danger.
• family strengths and capabilities.
• family functioning.
• Separate dangerous caregivers from children in need of protection when court action is required to make children safe.
• Make appropriate plans for children, focusing on their safety needs, preservation of family relationships, reunifying children when appropriate, or achieving a permanent placement in another family if needed.
• Maintain accurate case records of assessments, activities, and plans; summaries; reports; letters and memos.
• Follow federal and state laws, mandates, policy, and timeframes to achieve child safety, well-being, and permanency. Perform case planning and when needed, petition for protective custody and placement of children

Successful candidates will be:

• detailed oriented
• able to effectively manage and meet deadlines.

Work requires frequent overtime, emergency standby coverage, and regular travel within the geographic area served by a District Office.

Minimum Qualifications:

In order to qualify, you must have a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited education institutions in Social Work/Social Welfare, or a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited educational institution in a field related to social work/social welfare* as determined by the Maine State Board of Social Work Licensure.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: Applicants must have or be eligible for conditional or full licensure at the Licensed Social Worker (LSW) level as issued by the Maine State Board of Social Work Licensure. An LSW requires an earned BA/BS in social work/social welfare. An LSW-Conditional requires an earned BA/BS in a field related to social work/social welfare.

*Chapter 10 of the Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure regulations defines a field related to social work or social welfare as including but not limited to: “behavioral science, social and behavioral sciences, childhood development, education and human development, mental health and human services, psychology, psychology/educational psychology, rehabilitation services, and sociology.”

The board will consider degrees in other areas on an individual basis. For additional information on degree requirements, contact the Maine Board of Social Work Licensure at (207) 624-8603.

Application Information:

For additional information about this position please contact Lisa Bullard, Recruitment and Retention Specialist at (207) 561-4240 or by e-mail at Lisa.M.Bullard@maine.gov. To apply, please upload a resume and state your degree information as identified in the Minimum Qualifications Section.

To request a paper application, please contact Ashley.Smith@Maine.gov .

BENEFITS

Benefits are vital to your health and well-being. We get it. Here’s what the State of Maine offers:

• growth – build your career
• health, dental, and vision insurance – take care of yourself
• retirement savings – financially independent, even after you stop working
• flexible spending accounts – manage out-of-pocket healthcare and/or daycare costs
• Living Resources (employee assistance program) – overcome difficult situations with support
• paid holidays – twelve each year
• federal public loan forgiveness program – for qualifying loans and payments
• statewide locations – from Kittery to Madawaska
• training – develop knowledge, skills, and understanding

The bi-weekly dollar values of some State-paid benefits for full-time employees include: $14.60 for dental insurance; 13.16% of employee’s pay towards retirement; and, depending on the employee’s annual pay, at least 85% ($412.23) of health insurance premiums (more information is available here). Participation in the Health Premium Credit Program can decrease the employee’s cost of health insurance by 5%.

Maine State Government is an Equal Opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Apply by: No close date