Come expand your career with an organization that values and supports you to learn, grow, and develop. Join our collaborative, supportive, and results-driven team. This role provides the opportunity to bring your whole self to work, engage, lead, and drive your own learning and growth within the organization. La Crosse County leaders are committed to provide a supportive and inclusive work environment. We are also dedicated to your learning and development to grow in an organization that is deep in talent.

This is a salaried, professional, and supervisory position in the Family and Children’s Services Section of the Human Services Department. This position is designed for a highly motivated, creative, collaborative, and compassionate individual who has good communication skills and can effectively lead a team. The primary responsibility of this position is the direct supervision of social workers and paraprofessional staff who provide services and supports to children and families who are in the child welfare system. Supervisory positions within the section are in the following units: Access, Initial Assessment, Ongoing, Permanency Resource, and Social Service Specialists/Family Interaction. Oversees that service provision meets program, agency and state expectations and is consistent with the overarching child welfare goals of ensuring child safety, permanence, and well-being. This also includes administrative direction and professional development of assigned staff. This is a full-time position working Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm primarily in person with flexibility for remote work on occasion.

We will be accepting applications until the right person is hired.

Essential Leadership Functions:

Acts with integrity and builds trust through demonstrated respect, humility, and honesty. Treats others with dignity. Encourages open communication. Acts in the interest of La Crosse County. Respects and preserves confidentiality. Accepts personal responsibility and admits mistakes. Models open and honest communication.

Demonstrates capability to think with vision and strategy to drive positive results by leading with clear County business priorities, goals, objectives, and desired outcomes. Seeks out new opportunities to drive results with innovation and creativity. Evaluates, monitors, and holds self and others accountable for results.

Actively listens to learn and understand despite personal setbacks. Demonstrates open-minded thinking and willingness to accept other’s points of view. Engages and builds relationships with stakeholders and effectively collaborates for mutually beneficial outcomes. Demonstrates the courage to speak out appropriately with leaders and peers even when your point of view is unpopular.

Demonstrates ability to be flexible while informally influencing others through coaching, motivation, and inspirational leadership. Effectively leads high performing teams to arrive at solutions that provide positive outcomes for all stakeholders. Takes ownership of own and team development to improve performance and strengthen teams to be more effective in their roles.

Demonstrates critical, strategic, and agile thinking while understanding the dynamics of the organization and public influence and perception. Uses analytical skills, experience, and input from others to make critical decisions.

Takes intelligent risks and leads the organization through change. Demonstrates perseverance by pushing through difficult and challenging situations. Models emotional intelligence and agility during setbacks.

Essential Job Functions:

Provides supervision and administrative direction for assigned social workers who provide intake, assessment, case planning and case management, and on-going direct services to children and families referred to the Child Welfare System. Ensures staff effectively employ a strength-based approach utilizing evidence-based and best practices.

Provides supervision and administrative direction to a team of specialists responsible for a variety of tasks related to supporting families and staff within the section. 

Responsible for hiring, supervision, training, motivation, evaluation, providing performance feedback, scheduling and layout of work of departmental personnel.

Provides ongoing consultation to staff on cases and the need for agency and community services appropriate for that population and to ensure continuity and the effectiveness of services in conformity with state laws and mandates and with agency policy and procedures.

Reviews and approves assessments, case plans, and other required reports and documentation in compliance with the current agency policy, state standards, evidence-based and best practices.

Coordinates, monitors and evaluates contracted program outcomes. This includes monitoring the budget, yearly report, statistics, and consultation.

Prepares required statistics and reports for the Health and Human Services Board, committees and other agency units as requested.

Prepares grant proposals and other funding requests to be submitted to local, state and federal funding resources.

Participates in review and development of agency program, policy, and procedures. Serves as agency representative on community committees and service-related activities.

Works collaboratively with the entire FCS management/supervisory team to develop and enhance CPS case practice and teaming within the Access, Initial Assessment, Ongoing, and Permanency Resource Units.

• Sets clear goals and objectives.
• Demonstrates effective problem-solving skills and is solution focused.
• Comprehensive knowledge of social work principles and methods in the field of child protective services, family dynamics, individual and group behavior.
• Considerable knowledge of laws, standards and mandates relating to child protective services, and the legislative intent of Chapters 48, 56 and 58.
• Thorough knowledge of current social and economic problems and the way in which these problems affect families and individuals.
• Knowledge and proven experience in effective interventions including trauma informed practice, motivational interviewing and other evidence-based practices.
• Comprehensive knowledge of community agencies and health resources and ways in which these resources may be available to people in need.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate a variety of service delivery systems, to achieve program objectives most effectively. 
• Ability to direct and supervise the work of others.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships. 
• Ability to stimulate staff growth and development and to give effective casework consultation.
• Ability to compute and analyze statistical information.
• Ability to present concise oral and written reports.
• Ability to monitor and manage program budgets.
• Ability to facilitate effective meetings and engage others in the process of collaboration and effective teamwork.

•Graduation from accredited college or university with a master’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, or related field. May consider a bachelor’s degree with five years of relevant experience. 

•May consider other equivalent combination of training and experience. 

•Valid driver's license and access to personal transportation, or other reliable means of transportation, for countywide travel. 

•Passing criminal record check under the Wisconsin Caregiver Law.