Lead Child Welfare Specialist

Lead Child Welfare Specialist

Remote

ICF is seeking a Lead Child Welfare Specialist to support the Childrens Bureaus (CB) child welfare monitoring and improvement efforts through the federal Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR). CFSRs are designed to determine states compliance with Titles IV-B and IV-E of the Social Security Act and to evaluate child welfare system performance and require states to make improvement in outcomes for children and families. We seek a Lead Child Welfare Specialist to work with federal staff to support all aspects of these monitoring strategies. This position will be assigned to the CFSR Unit as a state lead and will work collaboratively with CB Regional Offices and jurisdictional child welfare agencies to monitor state child welfare performance and achieve improvement goals.

This position will require approximately 25% travel or less.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assisting CB in implementing all aspects of the CFSR in assigned states including:
• preparing states for participation in reviews
• conducting case reviews and secondary reviews in states
• reviewing and providing feedback on assessments progress reports and correspondence
• interviewing agency staff partners and stakeholders to assess system functioning and improvement
• supporting states in the development implementation and monitoring of their Program Improvement Plan (PIP)
• Using and analyzing assigned states CFSR data indicators context data case review data and other available data to assist CB and the state in understanding the states performance planning for onsite reviews developing their PIP and monitoring and adjusting their improvement strategies
• Supporting states in conjunction with CB in the development or improvement of their Continuous Quality Improvement systems including their case review processes and accurate application of the federal Onsite Review Instrument (OSRI) and the meaningful engagement of stakeholders in their process particularly those with lived experience in the states child welfare system
• Coordinating facilitating and supporting collaboration among CB state agency staff state legal and judicial partners tribal communities CB training and technical assistance providers grantees and others on CFSR-related work
• Assisting the CB in developing or revising content and supporting the delivery of CFSR-related trainings and participating in federally required and self-directed training and learning activities
• Assisting the CB in developing improving or revising all aspects of the CFSR process and materials such as instruments manuals briefs or guides and communications such as information memoranda technical bulletins or program instructions
• Supporting CB by identifying regional or national trends or technical assistance needs by analyzing child welfare programs gathering research on promising practices and preparing reports briefings or presentations on those as required
• Promoting national consistency in the CFSR monitoring activities and ensuring fluid communication among the CFSR Unit the CB Regional Offices and assigned states

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum of 8-12 years relevant experience in child welfare or a related field
• Bachelors degree in social work or a related field
• 8 yrs of CFSR-related child welfare programs including work experience in a federal state or local public child welfare program
• 5 yrs of experience with CFSR and PIP process including experience accurately applying the federal OSRI
• 5 yrs of experience with synthesizing and analyzing information and data and communicate those findings
• Ability to pass a federal background check to serve in a position of public trust

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters degree in social work or a related field
• Experience using managing analyzing interpreting and reporting public agency administrative child welfare data to drive continuous quality improvement
• Direct experience in administering the CFSR process PIP development and/or implementation or similar Continuous Quality Improvement or Quality Assurance processes at the federal state or local level
• Experience in public child welfare agency practice and/or policy management
• Experience working in a federal contracting environment

Required Professional Skills:

• An understanding of and responsiveness to diverse cultural linguistic and socioeconomic contexts
• Ability and willingness to apply racial equity lens to all areas of work
• Ability to promote and contribute to an equitable and inclusive organizational culture and environment
• Strong analytical problem-solving and decision-making capabilities with ability to analyze situations identify existing or potential problems and recommend solutions
• Superior interpersonal skills including courtesy professionalism and a cooperative attitude
• Ability to manage multiple tasks under critical time frames
• Ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical state and regional staff
• Ability to manage and adapt to competing priorities perspectives and stakeholder needs
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to exercise good judgment discretion tact and diplomacy

#Indeed

Working at ICF

Pay Range - There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position including but not limited to relevant work experience skills certifications and competencies that align to the specified role geographic location education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position.

The pay range for this position based on full-time employment is: