CWS Case Manager - Permanency / 61016290

About the Department

Do you have a passion to provide meaningful work in the community? Would you like to be part of an organization whose central mission is helping to protect, stabilize and strengthen the lives of children, families, and vulnerable adults? Then the South Carolina Department of Social Services has the right job opportunity for you. 

Job Duties:

• The CWS Case Manager - Permanency perform specialized case management in the area of child welfare services including but not limited to the areas of adoptions, adoptive applicants, family recruitment, licensure, and treatment services for children and families.

• Provide continuous family assessment to carry out the family service plan which may include permanency planning, assessing parenting capacity, preparing children for adoptive placement, group counseling and therapeutic services, coordinating and planning joint case services with other child welfare staff.

• Make home visits as required by agency policy and applicable law(s). 

• Conduct home studies for purpose of evaluating family functioning, relationships, and ability to care for adoptive children which may include home visits, references, fire and health inspections and other requirements as indicated by agency policy or law. 

• Coordinate the selection of adoptive families. Make refferals for specialized recruitment / placement. Coordinate Pre-Adoptive or Adoptive Placement. Provide post placement services to children and families. Provide supervision to adoptive families including referrals to community resources. Make emergency placements.

• Plan and implement recruitment programs to increase the number of adoptive families, provide information, and participate in community outreach.  

• Train adoptive applicants through group or individual sessions regarding roles and responsibilities.

• Remove children from abusive and neglectful homes to place them in a protective environment. Assist Law Enforcement / Family Court in emergency removal of children and 
  placement in a protective environment.

• Participate in appropriate staffings and legal proceedings as it relates to adoption services. Prepare necessary summaries, home studies, judicial reviews, petitions, and makes recommendations as needed. Represent the agency in Court which may include testimony.

• To ensure that personal identifying information (PII) is properly used, accessed, gathered, shared and and disposed. To protect the agency networks and applications by safeguards systems, equipment and data.

• Perform Red Cross shelter duty or other emergency shelter duty / services as directed.

Position Duties

Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Behavioral Science, or Social Science. 

Bachelor's Degree in any other field and one (1) year experience in a related field. 

Master's Degree or higher may be substituted for all or part of the work requirements.

Other Qualifications

This application for employment with the SC Department of Social Services must be completed in its entirety. A resume may be included; but shall not be substituted in lieu of the completion of this application in part or in whole. "See Resume" is not acceptable information for the completion of any part of the requirements of this application. If such is submitted, this employment application will be considered incomplete and may not be forwarded as eligible for consideration to hiring managers.
  
 Must possess a valid driver's license and have access to and be able to operate a motor vehicle. Individuals must comply with necessary field work assignments.  
  
 If you certify, by completion and submission of this application, that you possess educational credentials that qualify you for the available DSS positions, you will be required to provide a certified official transcript, if you are selected for job offer.

The South Carolina Department of Social Services offers an exceptional benefits package that includes:

• 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

DIVISION: Child Welfare Services / Florence County 

*Important 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 $46,635 during initial certification, depending on education level and degree type, with up-front starting salary supplements of 2.5% ($47,802) and 5% ($48,966) for candidates holding a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, and 10% ($51,298) 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 $53,899, $55,248 or $56,508 depending on degree type), and $59,287 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.

Benefits

Supplemental Questions

Required Question

Agency Information

EmployerState of South CarolinaAgency Department of Social Services Address 1535 Confederate Avenue Extension

Columbia, South Carolina, 29201 Phone803-898-7315 ext. 2