Our Mission: Arapahoe County Department of Human Services (ACDHS) builds strong communities by promoting the safety, independence and stability of individuals and families.

Our Vision: To end the cycle of poverty and prevent abuse and neglect of children and vulnerable adults (using an integrated Two-Generation approach)

ACDHS uses an integrated Two-Generation (2Gen) approach to address all of the basic human services needs of the entire family unit. The 2Gen approach begins with a mindset focused on family-centered program design, continues with the alignment of services and resources within the department as well as across multiple organizations, resulting in coordinated services to children and adults together (family) in order to create long term stability and sustainability.

The 2Gen approach builds well-being for families by focusing equally and intentionally on high-quality services in five areas of focus: early childhood education, adult education and employment pathways, economic security, health and well-being and social capital. This approach will help us achieve our core mission of breaking the generational cycle of poverty, preventing neglect and abuse and building strong communities.

This position includes Foster Care Placement Coordinator duties for the Collaborative Foster Care Program of Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties.

As a member of the Collaborative Foster Care Program, the Foster Care Placement Desk Coordinator position is primarily responsible for effectively and strategically matching children and youth in need of emergency and planned temporary care with certified foster families. This position acts as a liaison between Child Placement Agencies (CPAs), CFCP foster families, casework staff, and other professionals.

• Collaborating with the assigned caseworker of the child(ren) to effectively identify and secure foster care homes for children needing temporary care. Effective collaboration includes, but is not limited to:
  1. Attending and providing consultation at facilitated family meetings.
  2. Attending emergency and planned meetings to determine foster care placement options for a child or youth.
  3. Attending and providing consultation at staffings of an existing placement with the goal of returning the child home, reducing the level of care, and/or identifying a more stable/appropriate home for the child(ren).
  4. Attending and providing consultation at facilitated professional meetings.
  5. Embedment at the main offices of Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties to provide in-person accessibility to caseworkers.
• Efficiently managing emergency and planned Placement Desk Referrals through the use of the Integrated Case Management (ICM) System.
  1. This includes consulting with caseworkers to collect pertinent and accurate information regarding the child(ren).
  2. This includes thorough documentation of placement search efforts.
• Provide clear documentation of all placement search efforts.
• Rotates primary responsibility for emergency placement requests.
• Working directly with CFCP foster homes and Child Placement Agencies to identify placement options for children needing foster care, establishing strong partnerships with both.
• Organizing and facilitating Pending Placement Review (PPR) Meetings and Semi-annual Child Placement Agency Meetings.
• Generating placement contracts for initial and existing foster care placements.
• Review Institutional Abuse Referrals reported to the Department to determine the appropriateness of a provider hold.? This includes referrals that were screened out and referrals accepted for assessment.?
• Manage provider holds which temporarily or permanently suspend the placement of children into identified foster homes through the Collaborative Foster Care Program and it's partnering agencies.
• Continually evaluating program placement search processes in order to identify the most effective approach to identifying and securing foster care placement for child(ren).
• Generating referrals for childcare assistance.

• All members of the team are cross-trained and may be responsible for certification casework responsibilities, ensuring requirements are met to achieve/maintain certification, providing support to families to ensure their ability to care for children in foster care, yearly completion of home study updates intended to provide continual assessment of the family's ability to care for foster children while maintaining compliance with Volume 7 requirements.

Skills, Abilities and Competencies:

• Knowledge of theories, principles, and concepts of social casework practice related to child protection.
• Knowledge of casework principles and methods of human needs and behavior pertaining to child development, parenting, attachment, and separation. Knowledge of social group work principles and methods.
• Knowledge of the laws dealing with child abuse, neglect, and other dependency conditions.
• Knowledge and skill in interviewing techniques, crisis intervention methods and relevant treatment modalities.
• Knowledge of community resources, of agency rules, regulations and procedures related to child protection issues.
• Ability to independently analyze complex situations, formulate plans and make quick decisions as needed.
• Ability to establish and maintain harmonious professional relationships with other employers, outside agencies, and the public.
• Use of the Trails database system, the Caseworker Application Timesaver (CAT) and the Integrated Case Management System (ICM)
• SAFE (Structured Analysis Family Evaluation) training is required or must be obtained after hire

Behavioral Competencies (these are required for all positions at ACG):

A bachelor's degree in social work or a human behavioral science field from an accredited institution with a minimum of thirty (30) semester credit hours or (45) quarter hours in a human behavior science field* and at least one (1) year of professional casework, case management, or human services experience in a public or private human services agency or (1) year of volunteer and or internship in child welfare or human services working at least 20 hours per week or a successfully completed 16 hour/week internship in a child welfare county department.

OR

A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in an unrelated field (such as biology, physics, geology, etc.) with a minimum of fifteen (15) semester credit hours or (25) quarter hours in a human behavior science field* and a minimum of two (2) years of professional experience in casework, case management, or human services in a public or private agency.

OR

A master's degree from an accredited institution in social work or a human behavioral science field* with no experience.OR

A master's degree from an accredited institution in an unrelated field (such as biology, physics, geology, etc.) with a minimum of fifteen (15) semester credit hours or (25) quarter hours of coursework in a human behavior science field*, coursework taken during bachelor's degree will meet this education requirement *and a minimum of one (1) year of professional experience in casework, case management, or human services in a public or private agency.

* In order to meet the minimum educational requirements of a human behavioral science degree, the applicant must have a degree with major course work (equivalent to 15 semester credit hours or 25 quarter hours) in either development of human behavior, child development, family intervention techniques, diagnostic measures or therapeutic techniques such as social work, psychology, sociology, guidance and counseling, and child development.

Categorically Eligible Degrees:

For the purposes of meeting minimum educational requirements, the following degrees obtained from an accredited university will be considered "categorically eligible". Bachelor of Arts and/or Master of Arts degree in the following areas of study.

Areas of study that will be considered to meet the minimum educational requirements as outlined in Volume VII:
1. Psychology

2. Sociology

3. Social Work

4. Counseling

5. Child Development

6. Criminal Justice courses relevant to child welfare: This includes courses covering topics in juvenile justice, family law, family conflict, general court procedures, interviewing techniques, dispute resolution, and mediation.

7. Foreign language courses

8. Anthropology courses relevant to cultural development and history, linguistic development, and communications. Physical anthropology courses do not count toward minimum requirements.

9. History courses relevant to family and cultural development.

Examples of relevant work experience include, but are not limited to:

• Educator/Teacher and or Para-professional Work: Providing support to underserved children in communities where services are essential, including engaging with families of learners.
• Refugee/Migrant Support: Offering aid and advocacy to refugees and/or migrants facing unique challenges.
• Residential Care/PRTF: Experience with children, youth or adults in residential care, day treatment or detention centers, emphasizing hands-on engagement with families.
• Domestic Violence Case Manager: Direct experience in managing cases related to domestic violence and supporting clients.
• Clinical Experience: Experience working with vulnerable/underserved children and families utilizing therapeutic tools or interventions.
• Medical Professionals: Ex. Nurses who have worked in the field with underserved populations providing public health education to families who are vulnerable and need assistance accessing services.
• Victim's Advocate: Experience working with children and families in the community providing support and resources.
• Probation Officer: Experience providing case management services to individuals, both youth and adults.
• Law Enforcement: Experience working in underserved communities, being called in the field to mitigate risk/de-escalation of citizens struggling with mental health, working with adults/youth in the community. Connecting with families in the community experiencing traumatic life events.
• Internships and Volunteering: Experience gained through internships or volunteering in any of the categories with a commitment of 20 hours per week or more (or 16 hours if internship was within child welfare county department).

Pre-Employment Additional Requirements:

• Must successfully pass pre-employment testing which includes an acceptable motor vehicle record (MVR) and background check.
• Possession of a valid Class "R" Colorado Driver's License or the ability to obtain one within two weeks of appointment.

Post-Employment Requirements:

• Will require fingerprinting and a Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) background check.
• Must have already successfully completed the Colorado Pre-Service Training Academy program or if hired must successfully complete and pass all required State of Colorado training in order to be certified as a caseworker. Maintain Child Welfare Certification through 40 or more hours of yearly training.
• Work locations and facilities are subject to change based on business need.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Work is generally confined to a standard office environment and staff are required in office a minimum of 3 days per week.
• Work could involve a considerable period of time (20-40%) away from standard office environment, much of which consists of driving to and from home visits, collateral contacts and in transporting children and clients. At times more than normal physical exertion is required in transporting children. Work my occur in situations in which incumbent is threatened with physical harm by hostile/angry clients.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The following are some of the physical demands commonly associated with this position.

• Spends 80% of the time sitting and 20% of the time either upright or walking.
• Occasionally lifts, carries, pulls or pushes up to 20 lbs.
• Occasionally uses cart, dolly, or other equipment to carry in excess of 20 lbs.
• Occasionally climbs, stoops, kneels, balances, reaches, crawls and crouches while performing office or work duties.
• Verbal and auditory capacity enabling constant interpersonal communication through automated devices, such as telephones, radios, and similar; and in public meetings and personal interactions.
• Constant use of eye, hand and finger coordination enabling the use of automated office machinery or equipment.
• Visual capacity enabling constant use of computer or other work-related equipment.

Below, please list any special physical demands associated with this position. For instance, exposure to hazardous environments, blood borne pathogens, extreme heat/cold, use of power equipment or machinery, wearing of PPE (personal protective equipment).

Occasionally: Activity exists less than 1/3 of the time.

Frequently: Activity exists between 1/3 and 2/3 of the time.

Constantly: Activity exists more than 2/3 of the time.

Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information, go to:

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