Indian Child Welfare Social Worker

VACANCY ANN. #: STOI-25-033

TITLE: INDIAN CHILD WELFARE SOCIAL WORKER

DEPARTMENT: HHS/CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES

LOCATION: WELLPINIT, WA

SUPERVISOR: DCFS DIRECTOR

STATUS: REGULAR, FULL-TIME, NON-EXEMPT

RATE OF PAY: $24.09 - $27.85 / PER HOUR

OPENING DATE: APRIL 1, 2025, REVISED

CLOSING DATE: OPEN UNTIL FILLED

INTRODUCTION:

The primary goal of the Spokane Tribal Indian Child Welfare department of children and family

services is to prevent the breakup of Spokane tribal families and to prevent the permanent

removal of Tribal children from the custody of their parents. Spokane Tribe DCFS strives to

empower families in our community to keep children safe by investigating alleged child abuse,

neglect, and/or abandonment. It is Spokane Tribe's DCFS desire to offer culturally responsive

services to each child and family represented on caseloads. This position will provide case

management to children and families in need, while promoting healthy lifestyles and developing

service plans and early interventions to prevent child abuse and/or neglect and to prevent out of

home placement. ICW Social worker will provide social work services and case management to

Indian children and familied served by the DCFS department. The worker must be able to

establish and maintain excellent working relationships/partnerships with internal and external

stakeholders in order to meet the needs of the population served. The worker will be required to

attend and testify at court hearings on a frequent basis.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform investigations of alleged abuse, neglect and/or abandonment of children within the Spokane Tribe Jurisdiction, per the youth code.
• Ensure all placements follow guidelines by the Spokane tribal Youth Code, WICWA, and ICWA.
• Determine if abusive or unsafe conditions exist and take appropriate action to ensure the safety of the children.
• Determine suitable and safe living conditions for children and families by conducting home visits/inspection with clients and placement providers.
• Arrange and supervise visits between children, parents and extended family members (when appropriate).
• Develop safety plans, as necessary.
• Provides case management.
• Maintains regular contact with children and families.
• Attends tribal and state court hearings where Spokane tribal children are involved in dependency proceedings and provides testimony as needed.
• Provides written reports regarding family's progress on case plans and court ordered services and makes recommendations to Spokane Tribal Court.
• Maintains and ensures an extreme level of confidentiality of all information regarding child abuse and/or neglect cases.
• Maintains efficient management of case files and be highly organized.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills. · May be required to be on call 24 hours per day for one week per month.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Ability to meet with the children, families, the public and co-workers in a courteous and professional manner, using tact, diplomacy and mature judgement in alignment with program standards.
• Ability to treat people with respect, keep commitments, inspire trust of others, work ethically and with integrity and uphold the Spokane Tribe's and DCFS organizational values.
• Ability to demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness and complete work in a timely manner.
• Knowledge and experience working with children and families involved in the child welfare system due to child abuse and/or neglect issues.
• Ability to collect, organize and evaluate information to develop logical conclusions.
• Knowledge of case management principles and practices.
• Knowledge of applicable federal, state, and tribal laws, rules and regulations, including the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Washington State Indian Child Welfare Act (WICWA).
• Knowledge of the judicial systems of state and tribal courts, basic courtroom etiquette, terminology and procedures.
• Knowledge of Spokane tribal culture, customs, resources and tradition and/or willingness to learn.
• Knowledge of the Spokane Tribal Youth Code.
• Ability to prepare and proofread various reports and documents.
• Prepare and maintain accurate and up to date documentation for case files.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain confidence in co-workers, supervisors, management, Tribal Council, and community.
• Ability to sufficiently exchange or convey information and receive verbal and written work instruction.
• Ability to prioritize workload, work independently, and manage crisis situation as they arise with minimal day-to-day supervision.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of social work, child development stages, and emotional and physical and mental needs of abused and/or neglected children.
• Ability to attend relevant and ongoing training.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• AA in Social Services or related field and two years of experience in Indian Child Welfare Services, Child Protection, and/or Social Services.
• Must complete Regional Core Training with Alliance for Child Welfare Excellence within 6 months of hire.
• Possess a comprehensive understanding of the Federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.
• Valid Washington State Driver's License and good driving record.
• Safety Sensitive Background- Requires a higher standard of performance and behavior.
• Indian Preference Applies- Indian Preference grants preference to any enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe.
• FBI Background- Positions involving regular contact with, or control over, Indian Children in accordance with the Federal Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act, Public Law 101-630

Contact: Sabrina McCoy or Kammi Rosenbaum

(509) 458-6583, or (509) 458-6527, Fax: (509) 458-6556

e-mail: hrfrontdesk@spokanetribe.com

Applications Must Be Received In The Human Resources Department By 4:30 PM On The Closing Date

The Spokane Tribe Reserves The Right To Hire According To Its Indian Preference Policy

All Applicants Will Be Subject To A Pre-Employment Drug Test

All Positions With The Tribe Are Subject To A 90 Day Orientation Period