Experience

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

• United States
• Individual and Family Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• CVS Specialist I

  • May 2014 - Present

  •Taking cases from caseworkers after children are removed from their homes, placed in CPS conservatorship, and placed in care outside their homes. •Determining each child’s needs and getting whatever testing, evaluations, records, or further assessments they need. •Placing children with parents, family friends, or in foster homes. • Participate in meetings and conferences. •Visiting the child at least monthly to monitor the child’s needs, wishes, adjustment, and progress while in care and to help the child prepare for a permanent living arrangement. •Going to court hearings about the child and family. This includes contacting the parties in the case before hearings, preparing court reports, and testifying in court on the child’s needs, the family’s progress, and the department’s efforts to assist the family. If CPS has permanent managing conservatorship of the child, the hearings focus on the child’s progress, setting a goal for a permanent living arrangement, and progress toward achieving that goal. This could include adoption or other alternatives to a long-term stay in state care. •Making referrals for testing, evaluations, and therapy as needed and working with the clinicians and therapists as needed to ensure children and families get the care they need. •Working with kinship caregivers and foster parents to ensure that they have what they need to care for the child or youth placed with them. This means keeping them informed about developments in the case, returning phone calls, and being available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. •Working with children and their caregivers when problems develop and, if necessary, working with kinship providers or the Placement Team to find a new place to live for the child. •Monitoring and helping families when children go home during the period before legal responsibility is returned to the parents. •Using effective time-management skills to make sure all key tasks are done. Show less