Child Protective Investigator - Civil Service Examination Announcement

Department

Department of Children, Youth, and Families

Division

Social/Human Services

Salary

$71,457.00 - $82,727.00

Job Profile

Child Protective Investigator- Civil Service Examination Announcement

Scheduled Work Days & Work Hours

Scheduled Hours and Days of Work to be Determined.

• Applications MUST be submitted online via the APPLYRI application system. Mailed or hard copy applications will NOT be accepted.
• Additional information regarding the civil service examination process can be found at: CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

After submitting an application, it will be required to sit for and pass the Civil Service Exam before being offered an interview for the position

This examination is being offered to establish a civil service list that will be in effect for up to four years per RI General Law 36-4-20.

EXAMINATION WEIGHT: 100% WRITTEN

WHEN TO APPLY

Apply within the application period as shown on this announcement.

MINIMUM REQUIRED RATING

The minimum required final earned rating shall be 70. Whenever two or more competitors have equal final earned ratings, their names shall be arranged on employment or promotional lists in the order of their performance on the written tests; provided, however, that when such arrangement fails to resolve a tie, the order on the lists shall be the same as the order in which their applications were time-stamped in the Division of Human Resources or by seniority within state service. Where practical, determination by seniority shall have preference.

DEFINITION OF VETERANS CREDIT (RIGL § 36-4-19)

The names of all persons attaining the minimum final earned rating established by the personnel administrator shall be placed upon the employment list in the order of their ratings; provided, however, that there shall be added to the final earned ratings of examinees who are veterans in competitive tests for entrance into the classified service, but not for promotion in the service, who receive at least the minimum required final earned rating as stated in the public notice, service credits amounting to five (5) points for veterans or service credits amounting to ten (10) points for disabled veterans. On all employment lists, the letter "V" shall be placed opposite the name of each veteran as defined in chapter 3 of this title, who, by reason of his or her final earned rating, is entitled to have his or her name placed on an employment list, and the letters "DV" shall be placed opposite the name of each disabled veteran, as defined in chapter 3 of this title, who, by reason of his or her final earned rating is entitled to have his or her name placed on the list.

"War veteran" means any veteran of any conflict war, undeclared war or contingency operation who has earned a campaign ribbon or expeditionary medal for his or her service, in these operations, as noted on acceptable military documentation. The war veteran must have been honorably or generally discharged from the armed forces of this nation.

"Veteran" means a person who served on active duty for other than training for a period of more than thirty (30) days and was discharged or released there from with other than a dishonorable discharge; or was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability; or served as a member of the national guard or reserve forces and served a minimum of twenty (20) years of honorable service in the national guard or reserve forces, has received a certificate of retirement and has been honorably or generally discharged from the national guard or reserve forces.

LOCATION OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS

A class specification describing the duties of the position and the minimum qualifications is available on the Division of Human Resources' website: www.hr.ri.gov. Click on "Classification and Compensation- Job Specifications."

INVESTIGATION

The Division of Human Resources reserves the right to investigate all statements made on your application and to require proof of such statements when deemed necessary.

PROMOTIONAL EXAMINATIONS (RIGL § 36-4-22)

A person is eligible for promotional examination provided the employee is currently employed in the classified, unclassified, or non-classified service as of the official closing date of the examination announcement or twenty one (21) calendar days prior to the administration of the first phase of the examination, whichever is later, and meets one or more of the following requirements; (a) any employee who holds or within three (3) years has held permanent status in the classified service; (b) any employee who is serving in a probationary period as of the official closing date of the examination announcement; (c) a minority (as currently defined in federal employment law as Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians including Alaska Natives, and Asians including Pacific Islanders) who is a qualified exam applicant seeking entry to a classification where there is a manifest imbalance in the job category; or (d) any employee who has served twelve (12) months service in the classified, unclassified, or non-classified service and, in addition, meets the minimum requirements established in the class specification. Promotion lists shall remain in effect for a period of three (3) years or until exhausted or until combined with or replaced by a more recently prepared list. This section shall not apply to the Rhode Island State Police or the Legislative Branch of state government. An employee who is not on the promotional list shall be eligible to take the promotional examination for the position the employee occupies.

ADDITIONAL POINTS (RIGL § 36-4-31)

Any employee who holds temporary or provisional status for at least twelve consecutive months in the class in which (s)he is serving and who takes the appropriate examination for the position shall receive in addition to his/her test score five additional points for each year of state service, which shall be added to his/her test score, provided however, that in no case shall an employee receive credit for more than four years of service. An employee who holds temporary provisional status for at least twelve consecutive months in the class in which (s)he is serving and is found to be reachable for certification to the position (s)he holds shall be appointed to the position unless the appointing authority certifies to the Personnel Administrator that said individual's service has been unsatisfactory.

Job Requisition Number

JR102565 Child Protective Investigator- Civil Service Examination Announcement (Evergreen) (Open)

Pay Grade

C00A26 A

Classification

Child Protective Investigator- Civil Service Examination Announcement

Class Definition

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES: To receive, screen, evaluate, investigate and assess child safety in response to reports alleging child abuse and/or neglect; take the necessary steps as required to ensure child safety and well-being and to complete related work as required.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Works under the general supervision of a superior with some latitude for the exercise of initiative and independent judgement in performance of investigations; work is reviewed and monitored in process, through telephonic device or other similar means, and upon completion through submitted reports and conferences for results obtained in conformance to accepted professional investigative standards, principles, practices and techniques with an emphasis on child protective services, as well as federal and state laws and departmental policies, procedures and goals.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: As required, may supervise the work of clerical and data entry staff assigned to assist.

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF WORK PERFORMED:

• To receive, screen, evaluate, investigate and assess child safety in response to reports alleging child abuse and/or neglect; take the necessary steps as required to ensure child safety and well-being and to complete related work as required.
• To receive calls and conduct phone interviews and review records to obtain critical information and apply the criteria for a CPS investigation in order to determine the disposition of CPS reports to the Child Abuse Hotline.
• To clearly document all referrals/complaints in accordance with DC YF policies and procedures related to the processing of CPS reports.
• To effectively engage children/families, community partners and others through face-to-face contact in the field, written correspondence, and phone contact in order to gather information in accordance with DCYF' s Vision and Mission, Policies, Practice Model and procedures related to Child Protective Investigations.
• To effectively interview families, providers, and collateral participants to gather critical information.
• To apply the information to make accurate determinations relative to child safety and well-being.
• When appropriate, to develop viable safety plans by effectively engaging families and their supports to mitigate identified safety threats.
• To make referrals to community-based prevention services as needed.
• To identify behavioral changes needed to achieve child safety and well-being and make referrals to community services as appropriate.
• In addition to engaging with children and families, this position requires collaboration with medical personnel, schools, community service providers, law enforcement, RI Courts, other divisions of DCYF and other state agencies.
• To provide and prepare documents for submission to RI Family Court and law enforcement, to provide testimony before the Court to support safety decisions and findings.
• To perform related work as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPOINTMENT:

KNOWLEDGE. SKILLS AND CAPACITIES: strong engagement, interview and assessment skills and the ability to apply these skills effectively to gather critical information from children/families and other sources. The ability to de-escalate situations; strong communication skills with the ability to engage children/families in their homes and in the community to gather accurate information to inform child safety decisions and to clearly articulate these safety decisions to families, supervisors, RI Family Court and other stakeholders; strong writing skills to document investigative findings, assessments and court documents as required. Ability to effectively work as a member of a team; the ability to be flexible and manage unanticipated emergencies. Knowledge of child development, behavioral health and disorders including but not limited to substance use disorders and domestic violence; a familiarity of the principles, practices, and techniques of social work including Child Welfare and Child Protection. Familiarity with community services and systems; the ability to maintain the confidentiality of all investigations; Experience and skills related to computer, internet, and data entry to search data bases and enter case notes; the ability to accept and seek direction, identify critical information and accurately share information with supervisors; experience, knowledge and sensitivity related to diverse populations, cultural competency and race equity; related capacities and abilities. The position requires the ability to effectively manage high risk situations and work independently; shift assignments could include nights and weekends.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Education: Possession of a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Human Services, Criminal Justice and;

Experience: 2-3 years of full-time employment in a private or public agency in the field of human services casework with experience assessing and working with families and providing direct services in the community related to child welfare, child safety and child well-being.

Condition of Employment: Must possess and maintain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator's license. Subject to background clearances.

Supplemental Information

Benefits

For information regarding the benefits available to State of Rhode Island employees, please visit the Office of Employee Benefits' website at http://www.employeebenefits.ri.gov/.

Also, be advised that a new provision in RI General Law 35-6-1 was enacted requiring direct deposit for all employees. Specific to new hires, the law requires that all employees hired after September 30, 2014 participate in direct deposit. Accordingly, any employee hired after this date will be required to participate in the direct deposit system. At the time the employee is hired, the employee shall identify a financial institution that will serve as a personal depository agency for the employee.