Social Worker I/II - Child Protection Investigator

Social Worker I/II - Child Protection Investigator

Salary

$70,720.00 - $96,470.40 Annually

Location

Government Center, MN

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

26-00126

Department

Community Services Dept

Division

Social Services Childrens Division

Opening Date

06/10/2026

Closing Date

6/21/2026 11:59 PM Central

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

JOB SPECIFICS

Washington County is hiring for a Child Protection Investigator position. This position would be temporarily located on a training team until there was a vacancy on the investigations team. The Child Protection Investigator is responsible for assessing reports of child maltreatment, ensuring child safety, engaging families, and connecting children and caregivers with services and supports. This position conducts thorough investigations, collaborates with community partners, and utilizes strengths-based, trauma-informed practices to promote child safety, permanency, and well-being. The investigator balances child protection responsibilities with family engagement to achieve positive outcomes for children and families.

This position requires work in office, community, home, school, hospital, and court settings. The position may involve exposure to challenging family situations, crisis intervention, and occasional after-hours response. Frequent travel within the county or service area is required. Our Child Protection team is committed to strengthening families, ensuring child safety, and supporting positive outcomes for children. We value collaboration, professional development, innovation, and a strengths-based approach to serving families and communities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Receive and respond to reports of alleged child abuse, neglect, and maltreatment
• Conduct child protection investigations and family assessments in accordance with state statutes, county policies, and best practices
• Interview children, parents, caregivers, collateral contacts, and other involved parties
• Assess child safety and risk factors and develop safety plans when necessary
• Make determinations regarding maltreatment findings and child safety
• Complete home visits and field contacts in a variety of settings
• Document case activities, assessments, findings, and recommendations in the agencys case management system
• Collaborate with law enforcement, schools, medical professionals, mental health providers, and community organizations
• Prepare reports and provide testimony for court proceedings as needed
• Identify family strengths and needs and connect families with community resources and supportive services
• Participate in multidisciplinary teams and case consultations
• Maintain compliance with state and federal regulations, agency policies, and professional standards
• Respond to crisis situations and emergencies involving child safety

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of child development, family systems, trauma, abuse and neglect dynamics, and child welfare practices
• Ability to assess child safety, risk, and protective capacities
• Strong interviewing, engagement, and conflict resolution skills
• Ability to establish rapport with children, families, and community partners
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to make sound decisions in complex and emotionally charged situations
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet required timelines
• Proficiency with case management systems and technology

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE:

• Experience working with children, families, or vulnerable populations
• Child welfare or child protection experience
• Experience using SSIS
• Experience conducting investigations, assessments, or case management
• Paid work experience with and providing services to individuals from a variety of cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds

SELECTION TECHNIQUE: Your training and experience will be rated based on the required application material submitted and the top-scoring candidates will be forwarded to the hiring department for further consideration.

HOURS / DAYS: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Work schedules (hours and days) and location are subject to change based on department needs.

ANTICIPATED HIRING RATE: $70,720.00 - $96,470.40 Annually (May be hired at the Social Worker II level depending on qualifications)

E-Verify Participation: Washington County participates in the federal E-Verify program. This means that Washington County will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employees Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. If the Government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Washington County is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact DHS and/or the SSA before taking adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants and may not limit or influence the choice of documents you present for use on the Form I-9.

E- Verify Participation Poster

Right to work Poster

JOB SUMMARY

The Social Worker I is an entry level position responsible for identifying and assessing complex individual, family and community problems and strengths, selecting case work, group methods or community resources and implementing plans to protect vulnerable people, promote independence and prevent abuse or neglect.

A Social Worker I may be assigned duties in any of the following units: Family/Children, Licensing, Chemical Health, Adult Mental Health, Development Disabilities, Adult Family Services, Adult Protection, Minnesota Family Investment Program/WorkForce Center or Housing.

EMPLOYMENT CRITERIA

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: This position requires a Bachelors Degree in social work or related field, or equivalent. There may be additional requirements based on area of assignment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: A Masters Degree in Social Work or related field and one year of related experience as a Social Worker is highly desirable.

CORE COMPETENCIES, JOB SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED FOR SUCCESSFUL JOB PERFORMANCE

Core Competencies outline essential business and professional traits necessary to perform this job.

• Support and prioritize a welcoming and respectful workplace that fosters diversity and encourages contributions from all individuals.
• Provide inclusive and equitable service to all members of the community with dignity and respect.
• Demonstrate support for the County's diversity, equity and inclusion program.
• Promotes a culture of continuous quality improvement in the workplace.
• Demonstrates knowledge of, or ability to learn, quality/continuous improvement.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles, techniques, practices and ethics of Social Work.
• Demonstrates knowledge of interviewing techniques and skills at conducting interviews.
• Demonstrates knowledge of relevant laws, policies and resources.
• Demonstrates knowledge of social and economic problems and family systems.
• Demonstrates knowledge of legal and court proceedings.
• Demonstrates ability to assess vulnerabilities and strengths of individuals and families.
• Demonstrates ability to develop clear and reasonable services and plans.
• Demonstrates ability to coordinate implementation of services and plans with families, other agencies and the community at large.
• Demonstrates ability to counsel and offer supportive services to individuals and families including those in crisis.
• Demonstrates ability to apply previously acquired knowledge and skills to complex situations.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinate client intake.
• Receive referrals, conduct interviews and investigate to identify and assess problems or need for intervention/service.
• Develop, write, implement and monitor strength-based individual and family service plans to correct/eliminate identified problems.
• Determine appropriate resources and referrals to community-based care and services.
• Develop and implement abuse prevention plans to address vulnerabilities.
• Determine and implement intervention services.
• Assess risks to self and others (abuse or neglect and dangerousness).
• Intervene in crisis situations.
• Coordinate and secure emergency services.
• Negotiate and resolve conflicts.
• Provide client case management.
• Collaborate and consult with others (professional staff and community agencies) regarding clients, community services or programs.
• Open and maintain client case records and files according to established standards and timelines.
• Prepare necessary correspondence, required narratives, eligibility reviews and other incoming/outgoing communication about the client.
• Provide appropriate information regarding case openings, closings, and denials.
• Provide testimony or written recommendations in county or district court or in administrative appeal hearings regarding client cases.
• Advise clients of possible resources, rights and responsibilities under programs or services.
• Develop, coordinate and deliver program information to the general public, special interest groups and professional organizations.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Essential functions: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Semi-sedentary involving office and outside field work. Lifting requirement may include lifting up to 20 pounds. Exposures may include but not be limited to disagreeable odors, communicable diseases, bodily fluids and behavior challenges. Use of general office equipment to include telephone, cell phone, pager, personal computer, laptop computer, electronic recorder, calculator, etc. Additional physical/mental requirements that occur may not be listed above but are inherent in performing the positions essential functions.

This job description is intended to describe the kinds of tasks and level of work difficulty being performed by people assigned to this classification. The list of responsibilities is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. The County retains the discretion to add or change the contents of this job description at any time.

Washington County offers a comprehensive benefit package including paid time off, holidays, medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance.

For a more detailed overview of our AFSCME exempt (salaried ) benefit package, click here.

For a more detailed overview of our AFSCME non-exempt (hourly) benefit package, click here.

01

This position requires a Bachelors degree in Social Work, Human Services, Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice, or a closely related field. Please indicate below whether you possess these minimum qualifications?

• Yes
• No

02

If you indicated meeting the minimums by having an equivalent combination of education and experience, please briefly describe the combination and explain why you feel it is equivalent. (If you answered "No" to the above question, enter "NA" in the text box.)

03

Do you have experience working with children, families, or vulnerable populations?

• Yes
• No

04

If you answered "Yes" to the above question, you must provide a brief summary of your experience and the name of the employer(s) where you gained that experience. (If you answered "No" to the above question, enter "NA" in the text box.)

05

Do you have child welfare or child protection experience?

• Yes
• No

06

If you answered "Yes" to the above question, you must provide a brief summary of your experience and the name of the employer(s) where you gained that experience. (If you answered "No" to the above question, enter "NA" in the text box.)

07

Do you have experience using SSIS?

• Yes
• No

08

If you answered "Yes" to the above question, you must provide a brief summary of your experience and the name of the employer(s) where you gained that experience. (If you answered "No" to the above question, enter "NA" in the text box.)

09

Do you have experience conducting investigations, assessments, or case management?

• Yes
• No

10

If you answered "Yes" to the above question, you must provide a brief summary of your experience and the name of the employer(s) where you gained that experience. (If you answered "No" to the above question, enter "NA" in the text box.)

11

Do you have paid work experience with and providing services to individuals from a variety of cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds?

• Yes
• No

12

If you answered "Yes" to the above question, you must provide a brief summary of your experience and the name of the employer(s) where you gained that experience. (If you answered "No" to the above question, enter "NA" in the text box.)

Required Question

Employer Washington County (MN)

Address 14949 62nd Street North

Stillwater, Minnesota, 55082

Phone 651-430-6081

Website https://www.washingtoncountymn.gov