Job Title: Child Line Caseworker (Exp with Child abuse and Child Protective Service Law)
Location: Harrisburg, PA 17110
Duration: Contract 6+ Months
Job Mode: On-Site
Pay rate: $26.00/hour on w2 without benefits
Shift hours: Monday through Friday from Regular hours
Job Description:
- A contractor in this position receives, processes, and transmits reports of suspected child abuse and neglect to the appropriate investigative agency. Work involves receiving verbal and electronic referrals from the ChildLine hotline; obtaining and reviewing information about alleged child abuse and well-being concerns; categorizing referrals consistent with the Child Protective Service Law (CPSL); and expeditiously transmitting referrals to the appropriate county children and youth agencies (CCYA) or the regional Offices of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF), law enforcement offices, and other public licensing agencies.
- Work includes informing mandated reporters of their duties and rights under the CPSL; providing callers with referral and contact information for community social service agencies; retrieving any previous inquiries related to current referrals and transmitting the information to the investigative agency; and updating case outcomes in the database.
- Work is performed independently under an administrative supervisor for achievement of program outcomes and adherence to established laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
- Caseworkers typically field incoming hotline calls back-to-back for the duration of their assigned shift. Additionally, other hotline-related priority tasks may be assigned as needed during a Caseworker's shift.
- Incumbents in this position must be able to type quickly and accurately while actively listening to callers and asking clarifying questions. The time between phone calls is limited and caseworkers must work with a sense of urgency, while meeting quality assurance expectations.
- Verbal and electronic referrals of suspected abuse to ChildLine often include disturbing content, included but not limited to physical abuse, sexual abuse, extreme neglect, and the death of a child.
- Caseworkers are expected to be able to utilize coping skills and self-care strategies to be able to manage this type of information.
Caseworkers shall:
- Receive verbal and electronic reports of suspected child abuse or child welfare concerns from mandated reporters and members of the public.
- Collect, document, and verify information relevant to the report.
- Determine whether reported allegations meet criteria under the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL).
- Transmit reports to the appropriate County Children and Youth Agencies (CCYA), regional Offices of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF), law enforcement entities, and licensing agencies as appropriate.
- Inform mandated reporters of their legal obligations and rights under the CPSL.
- Provide callers with referrals to community social service resources when appropriate.
- Review investigation outcomes submitted by investigative agencies for completeness and accuracy.
- Search and retrieve prior reports related to current referrals when requested by authorized agencies.
- Maintain accurate documentation within the ChildLine data system.
- Inform callers of their legal rights and responsibilities and explain that all referrals are treated confidentially.
- Exhibit professionalism, empathy and compassion when dealing with emotional, anxious, or reluctant callers to alleviate their concerns regarding their suspected child abuse/neglect referral
- Interview callers to determine the nature and facts of the referral
- Search the statewide database for previous referrals of child abuse/neglect
- Apply the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL), Rules and Regulations, and administrative policies to render referral related decisions
- Analyze and refer child abuse and/or neglect reports from mandated and non-mandated reporters to the appropriate investigative agency
- Review investigation outcomes for completeness and accuracy prior to final approval in the statewide database
- Assist callers in obtaining appropriate contact information for social service agencies
- Perform data entry of information while effectively communicating with the person providing the information
- Participate in special projects and assignments as directed
- Perform other related duties as assigned
Minimum Qualifications:
- Possession of a bachelor's degree, or
- An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- Candidates who are within three months of obtaining a qualifying degree may be considered.
All personnel must:
- Meet Pennsylvania residency requirements.
- Demonstrate the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.
- Possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform duties associated with professional case intake services.
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