The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is committed to protecting and exercising the inherent inalienable sovereign rights of the Tribe and Individuals in the interest of the Medicine Creek Treat Territories, as stewards to ensure preservation of our cultural and environmental integrity for common good and prosperity for all.

Close:            Open Until Filled 

Department: Children’s Services     
Reports To:  Assistant Director      
Hours:           40 Hrs/ Wk – Full Time                  

Position Summary:

To develop, implement and evaluate case plans to enrolled Puyallup Tribal children who are found to be children in need of care through the Puyallup Tribal Court.  Facilitates family reunification or other permanent placement planning as deemed necessary by the Tribal Court.  Initiates life-changing decisions based solely on the best interest of the children.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Initiates, facilitates and assists in obtaining referrals to outside agencies and professional providers in establishing services necessary to achieve case planning goals.
2. Performs case consultation and collaboration with court personnel, professional therapists, medical personnel, school officials, legal professionals, and other community agencies for optimal outcomes of case plans.
3. Stays informed of all court proceedings (i.e. Children in Need of Care, reviews, etc.), pertaining to children of assigned cases and provides expert opinion to the court.
4. Supports and encourages children, parents, and extended family members to participate in achieving documented case plan.
5. Arranges and supervises (when necessary) visitations between children, parents and extended family members to evaluate whether parents can demonstrate learned skills and to maintain familial bond.
6. Also responsible for administration of financial support records, service agreements, service episode information, tribal affiliation and enrollment.
7. Actively participates in departmental staff meetings.
8. Prepares case summaries to staff with team case reviews, casework supervisor and the Local Indian Child Welfare Advisory Committee when needed and applicable.
9. Maintains and ensures extreme level of confidentiality regarding client issues.
10. Prepares and submits motions and orders to be approved by Tribal Court.
11. Conducts home visits/inspections with clients and placement providers to Completes foster care rate assessments to determine compensation for children placed in their home.
12. Initiates and maintains appropriate documentation for financial, medical and educational services for children and families.
13. Manages crisis situations as they arise.
14. Ability to prioritize workload based on client emergency situations.
15. Responsibility for transporting clients to and from appointments.
16. Completes and prepares in-depth home studies for the purpose of adoption, guardianship and relative/kinship placements of children.
17. Ability to adapt and be flexible to constant changes in Tribal and State Children’s Services systems.
18. Determine suitable and safe living conditions for children and their families.
19. Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

 

Qualifications and Requirements

Education and/or Experience

Minimum requirement of a Bachelor's degree (B. A.) from four-year college or university in Social Services Field; and at least two years related experience in case management and/or training. Work with Native American children and their families is preferred. Or equivalent combination of additional education and less experience. Internship hours completed in a social work setting may count as experience.

Note: Part-time work is prorated in crediting experience (e.g., if you work 20 hours per week for a 12-month period you will be credited with 6 months of experience).

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.  Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.  Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.  Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

 

Reasoning Ability

Must possess independent decision making skills, have or be willing to learn de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques.  Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Licenses Or Certificates

Current First Aid and CPR certification and HIV/AIDS training certificate.

Must pass Washington State Department of Social and Health Services criminal history and CPS background inquiry every two years unless otherwise indicated.

Must have valid Washington State driver’s license and proof of insurance.

Willing to attend training for professional development.

Other Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of legal requirements of Puyallup Tribal Court- Children’s Code, and U.S. Federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.

Knowledge of Native American family dynamics.  Sensitive to and familiar with the social/cultural needs of Tribal children and their families.

Must pass tuberculosis test.

Knowledge of DCFS systems and procedures.

Willing to travel with little or no notice.

Physical Demands

• Requires the ability to operate a typewriter, personal computer, multi-line telephone, calculator, facsimile and photocopier.
• Requires the ability to read, write, communicate, and interpret information accurately in English.
• Requires the ability to concentrate and consistently produce accurate work.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required talk or hear.
• The employee is frequently required to sit.
• The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; reach with hands and use hands to finger, handle and feel.
• The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

• The noise level is low to moderate.
• The physical exertion is low to moderate.
• Work is performed in an office setting with some occasional outside travel.
• There are frequent employee contacts and interruptions during the day.
• Position may be stressful at times due to the sensitive or confidential issues being addressed.
• Requires local travel using employee’s personal transportation.

 

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises. This position description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

 

Indian Preference Employer as Required by Law

 

Native American preference applies and job placements are given on a competitive basis, using job related factors.  Because of the large number of applications received and limited job positions, your application will not guarantee employment.