DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY

The Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) is a social and human services agency whose mission is to successfully engage children and families to ensure safety, strengthen families, and achieve permanency. DCS has field office locations located throughout the state of Arizona, with its central office located in Downtown Phoenix. DCS employs over 2,800 employees who share the common vision of ensuring children thrive in family environments free from abuse and neglect.

Address: 1 N. MACDONALD
MESA, ARIZONA 85210

Salary: $27.8125 

Grade: 20

Closing Date: 1/16/2024

This position will perform duties associated with community resource coordination and outreach. This position will assist with raising public awareness of the Department’s mission and issues related to child welfare in order to enlist community organizations, churches, educational institutions, businesses, and individuals to support DCS through donations and volunteer activities. This position is primarily responsible for helping cultivate ongoing community support for Region by helping the Department build a network and database of community contacts, resources, and supportive volunteers to assist in the health, safety, and well-being of children and families.

Builds relationships with community groups, businesses, and individuals through networking to develop resources that support the Department’s mission to protect children and provide for their well-being .
Attends community functions and activities designed to introduce the public to Region and the Department to increase community support .
Regularly visits all field sections to determine needs of staff, children in out-of-home care, and coordinates and assists with Regional morale building events and activities
Works with staff from other Regions to assist in planning and coordinating annual events for children and youth in care and other events as tasked by Program Administrator
Coordinates employee training on emerging social issues affecting child welfare.
Develops campaigns and resource donation drives for Region to give back to the community
Reviews DCS cases to understand effect of community and social issues on child welfare.

Knowledge of:
Community outreach and event coordination/planning
Policies, standards, and procedures of Arizona Child
Welfare Services with particular emphasis on the DCS GUARDIAN system.
Sound management principles
Concepts and techniques and their practical application
Effective business communication with specific emphasis on written correspondence and report generation
Statistical gathering and evaluation techniques
All hardware and software associated with DCS GUARDIAN system wide area network
Software products such as Microsoft Office products
All state and federal reporting requirements and Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS)
Skill in:
Building relationships with community groups, businesses, and individuals through networking to develop resources
Gathering, organizing, and analyzing facts and drawing logical conclusions (e.g. data extraction and trend analysis)
Interpreting complex inter-related data screens in the DCS GUARDIAN system for resolution or user problems and payment processes
Conducting one-on-one and group training Identifying problems, identifying trends to include data collection and monitoring
Interpreting system
improvements/recommendations, and analyzing impact to system/programs
Presenting information, verbalizing, and speaking in front of large groups of people
Writing summaries and providing recommendations based on data gathering information
Verbal and written communication
Ability to:
Create network and database of community contacts, resources, and supportive volunteers
Interact with a vast population within DCS and the community
Analyze/evaluate information for accuracy and error, identify trends, track data reliability/integrity
and provide training as necessary
Estimate, implement, and complete assigned tasks/projects in accordance with established schedules
Provide excellent customer service
Write effective documents that provide clear, coherent objectives with proper grammar, spelling, and syntax
Work independently and/or collectively with colleagues and team members
Adapt to changing environments and new technologies
Assist in the development of policy/procedures and identify/correct exceptions/errors in data

The ideal candidate will have experience as a DCS Specialist for at least 18 months.

Master's or Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university
OR
Three (3) years of combined DCS Specialist Trainee / DCS Specialist experience
OR
Three (3) years of combined DCS Specialist Trainee / OCWI Investigator experience.
Must be able to secure and maintain clearance from the CPS Central Registry.
Employment is contingent on the selected applicant passing a background investigation.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

As an employee of the Department of Child Safety you will be entitled to a comprehensive benefits package that can become effective as soon as two weeks after starting!
Benefits include:
- Paid sick leave.
- Paid vacation that includes ten (10) holidays per year.
- Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
- Competitive health and dental insurance plans.
- Life insurance and long-term disability insurance.
We also offer optional employee benefits that include:
- Vision coverage.
- Short-term disability insurance.
- Deferred compensation plans.
- Supplemental life insurance.
- Employee wellness plans
Bi-Lingual Stipend
In an effort to better serve our communities, DCS offers a Bi-Lingual Stipend to all interested and eligible DCS Employees who successfully complete a language proficiency exam. Qualifying employees will receive a $500 annual stipend paid in equal increments.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

Positions in this classification participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS).
Enrollment eligibility will become effective after 27 weeks of employment.

Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by contacting 602-255-2903.
Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation. The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.