Community Care Worker

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

Opening Date: September 21, 2022  

Closing Date: October 4, 2022 

Job Class Code: 5088
Grade:  21 (Pro & Tech. Svcs.)
Salary: $18.97 – $25.53/hr.

Position Number: 02022-0651

Agency information:

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers. The Office of Child & Family Services (OCFS), within DHHS is responsible for ensuring the safety, permanency and well-being of children and families through community networks, local resources, and life-long family connections throughout Maine.  We have a current vacancy in our Biddeford office.

Core Responsibilities:

As a Community Care Worker you will ensure resource family home applicants meet required standards to be approved as a licensed resource family capable of providing foster, adoptive and/or permanency guardianship services to children in care of the Department.  With the Department’s focus on prioritizing placement of children with kinship families, you will be expected to explain the resource approval process to placement families and actively support these families through the steps to become an approved resource. Your duties will include:

1. You will conduct home studies using a strengths-based approach consistent with the OCFS Practice Model.
2. You will conduct foster home investigations to determine possible licensing violations.
3. You will conduct kinship assessments for relatives and fictive kin focusing on the safety and permanency of the placement.
4. You will assist in securing placements for youth entering care through OCFS utilizing available resources and best placement practices.
5. OCFS expects that Family Team Meetings will involve all significant participants. You will play a key role in providing information to teams about strengths which an approved resource family can contribute toward meeting the needs of a specific child.
6. You will provide ongoing support to resource family applicants and approved resource families throughout the application and renewal process in identifying the family’s strengths and needs in relationship to meeting the safety, well being, and permanency needs of children in care.
7. You will recruit and provide training and support to Resource Families.

Minimum Qualifications:

In order to qualify, you must have a Bachelor’s Degree in a Social Services or a Behavioral Science area -OR- a four-year combination of education, training, and/or professional experience providing services to and working directly with children and/or families. Experience must demonstrate proficiency in public contact work, information gathering, analysis, documentation, and collaboration. The background of well-qualified candidates will demonstrate the following competencies:

1. Knowledge of motivational interviewing and information gathering methods and techniques.
2. Proven ability to gather and analyze information, reach valid conclusions, and make sound recommendations (please provide specific examples representative of your experience).
3. Ability to develop and conduct recruitment and training workshops and meetings.
4. Strong oral and written communications skills.

Application Information:

 Please submit all documents or files in a PDF or Word format.

 For additional information about this position please contact Angela Burgess at 286-2492. To apply, please upload a recent resume (if available) and cover letter addressing each of the two preferred skills/experience areas above. 

 To request a paper application, please contact Ashley.Smith@Maine.gov .

Benefits

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including: 

• Work-Life Balance – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3 weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave. 
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($10,150.80-$11,345.04 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.  

• Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements. 

• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($350.40 annual value). 

• Retirement Plan – The State of Maine contributes 13.16% of pay to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.  
• Gym Membership Reimbursement – Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense. 
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts – Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses. 
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness – The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office. 
• Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program. 

• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receive four weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.  
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation – Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions. 
• Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness. 

Maine State Government is an Equal Opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.