Child Protection Specialist

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has a career opportunity within the Child and Family Services Division.

As a Child Protection Specialist, you will play a critical role in enhancing the well-being of Montana families. You will engage directly with families facing a wide range of challenges, investigating child abuse, providing support, advocacy, and connection to vital resources. This role is both rewarding and demanding. You will navigate complex, sometimes hostile, situations that require empathy, resiliency, and a deep understanding of social systems. While the path is not always easy, the difference you make is invaluable in Keeping Children Safe and Families Strong.

Essential Functions: This is intended to describe the position but does not cover every function or task that may be required.

• Conducts timely assessments of reports of child maltreatment, in accordance with requirements of state and federal statutes and agency policy, using standardized safety assessment tools and decision-making guides. 

• Carries a caseload and keeps all case file documentation current.

• Works collaboratively with law enforcement, other welfare professionals, and agencies.

• Prepares for and testifies in court, preliminary hearings, multi-disciplinary team meetings, family partnership meetings, and court hearings.

• Places child(ren) in out-of-home care, when necessary, and ensures that the placement is safe and complies with statutory and policy preferences and is in the best interests of the child(ren).  Identifies available resources and connects families and children to these resources.

• Assures child(ren) is evaluated and assessed to determine medical and psychological needs throughout the case.

• Prepares assessments, designs case plans, evaluates the progress of participants, and makes and monitors appropriate placements.

• This role requires frequent travel and conducting in home visits and interviews, and may include out-of-state travel, which will require the willingness to have appropriate travel documents.  

• While you have a standard schedule, there will be times when critical business needs will require work during evenings, weekends, or holidays. Please note that as part of your job responsibilities, you will be assigned a rotating on-call schedule.

Why Join DPHHS

Our mission at DPHHS is serving Montanans in their communities to improve health, safety, well-being, and empower independence. By joining our department, you will have the opportunity to perform meaningful work in public service to our state and its residents.

The State of Montana's comprehensive benefits package includes healthcare coverage, retirement plans, paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, work/life balance, and eligibility to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. In addition, DPHHS is the largest state agency with a wide range of advancement opportunities whether you are joining the workforce or have several years of experience.

Minimum Qualifications for this Career Opportunity

·       Required bachelor's degree in social work, human services, psychology, or related degree.

·       Two years of social services work experience, or directly related work experience, working with children and families in difficult and sometimes volatile situations.

·       Preferred:

o   Experience working with tribal government entities and/or other organizations of native peoples.

o   Knowledge of child development, child maltreatment prevention and treatment, and family centered social work practice.

Candidates that will be successful in this role possess the following knowledge, skill, and abilities on the first day of work:

• Stress Tolerance: Deals calmly and effectively with high stress situations (for example, tight deadlines, hostile individuals, emergency situations).

• Self-Management: Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.

• Decision Making: Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.

• Advocacy: Develops and presents the client's, youth's, and/or customer's interests in all matters.

• Teamwork: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, fosters commitment and works with others to achieve goals.

• Ability to make critical decisions, based on integration of information from multiple sources that may be discrepant, in high-stress situations.

• Ability to engage children and families, under difficult circumstances, to gather sufficient information to make accurate and precise decisions.

• Ability to remain calm when being confronted and to develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, even those who do not share the same point of view and may be violent or angry and maintain them over time.

• Ability to operate a personal computer and general office equipment as necessary to complete the essential functions of this position, including using spreadsheet, word processing, database, email, internet and other computer programs.

How to Apply

To be considered for a DPHHS position, submit the following required documents with your application on the State of Montana Careers website. When submitting the required documents, you must check the "relevant document" box to ensure your attachments are uploaded correctly to your application for this position.

• Cover Letter - Please explain why you are passionate about this line of work and why you are interested in this particular position.

• Resume

Successful applicants will be subject to background checks relevant to the position and must pass reference checks before an offer will be extended. DPHHS is an equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For a copy of the full job description or if you need a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process, contact DPHHS Human Resources listed below.

Additional Information

This position may be eligible for partial telework within the state of Montana. Specific conditions will be provided by the supervisor and must adhere to state policy.

This position supports the Child and Family Services Division Region 2 which includes the following cities: Great Falls, Conrad, Cut Bank, and Havre. Work locations will vary depending on availability and community needs.

This position is open until filled with frequent screening of applicants.

This position may be eligible for a statutory $1.00 an hour base pay increase effective July 1, 2026.