Job Description

Job Description and Duties

The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) is a multi-purpose tool that identifies strengths and needs; supports decision-making, including level of care and service planning; and allows for monitoring and outcome measurement of services and supports. When used as part of the Child and Family Teaming (CFT) process, the IP-CANS tool helps guide conversations among CFT members about the well-being of children and youth, identify their strengths and needs, inform and support care coordination, aid in case planning activities, and inform decisions about placement. For more information, please visit:

The IP-CANS and CFT processes are foundational to California's new Foster Care Tiered Rates Structure, which implements in July 2027. As such, fidelity monitoring and support of IP-CANS and CFT processes is critical to ensure that children and youth receive the foster care rate and support to address their needs. For more information about California's new Foster Care Tiered Rates Structure, please visit:

The SSM I will supervise members of the CANS Fidelity Support Unit and work with other CDSS staff, stakeholders, county partners, community providers, Tribal partners, and CANS experts to develop and refine the CANS fidelity case review tool and process. This tool and process is a critical component of the suite of activities and tools to monitor and support fidelity of the IP-CANS and CFT processes.

The SSM I will supervise members of the CANS Fidelity Support Unit and work with other CDSS staff, county partners, community providers, and Tribal partners to conduct reviews of completed IP-CANS for children and youth in foster care to gather data and to understand strengths and challenges counties and providers are experiencing with their IP-CANS and CFT processes and practices.

The Family Teaming and Care Coordination Section seeks a diverse pool of applicants including those from historically marginalized groups or those who have lived experience in the child welfare system. We encourage all interested applicants to apply.

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You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Training and Development assignments may be considered based on the availability of eligible candidates and are subject to approval by the Hiring Authority prior to appointment. Training and Development assignments are temporary in nature and shall not exceed twenty-four (24) months.

Candidates who reside outside of the State of California may be admitted to the job interview, but they must provide proof of residence in California prior to being eligible for appointment. 

This work location is very convenient! The CDSS is located two blocks from the light rail and public transportation: within walking distance to the State Capitol, parks, restaurants, farmer’s markets and the Golden 1 Arena. Our building has easy access to I-5, Highway 50, and Highway 80. 

This position is eligible for hybrid work in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order N-22-25 and at the sole discretion of the Department of Social Services under California Government Code Section 14200. All telework schedules are subject to change and may be re-evaluated at any time. The incumbent will be expected to report for in office work and attend work related in-person events as deemed operationally necessary. Telework does not change the terms and conditions of employment, the essential functions of job duties, or required compliance with the CDSS policies. 

Special Requirements

• The position(s) require(s) a Background Investigation be cleared prior to being hired.

Please Note: A Statement of Qualifications or Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted along with your application in order to be considered for this position.

Do not include any confidential information on any documents (i.e., application, resume, or transcripts) you submit for this job vacancy. Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents include but is not limited to: Social Security Number (SSN), birthday and/or age, photos , student/other ID number, driver’s license number (unless required), basis of eligibility, exam results, LEAP status, and marital status. Confidential information submitted via a CalCareer Account (electronic application) is automatically redacted upon submission. 

Your application package must include a STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS (SOQ), which answers the four questions below. 

The Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) are read and serves as a documentation of your ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing.

Your SOQ will be considered the first interview for this position. If your qualifications are competitive, you will be invited to an on-site or virtual interview. Applications received without the SOQ will not be considered.

Clearly label the Statement of Qualifications, re-state each question, and organize a detailed response directly under each numbered question. 

For each question please include: 1) places of employment or personal/lived  experience; 2) pertinent dates; and 3) duties performed and/or experience gained.

The SOQ should be no longer than two pages, single-spaced. Please use a 12-point font.

Please note: References to other materials such as resumes or applications will not be considered.  Incomplete or missing responses to the information requested may negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications.

Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) questions:

1. Please describe how you meet the qualifications for this position. Include any specific experience with the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool and/or child and family team (CFT) meetings/processes.

2. Please describe your experience working within the child welfare, juvenile probation, and/or behavioral health systems. Include any specific experience with the CANS tool and/or CFT meetings/processes.

3. Please describe your experience facilitating groups and/or leading meetings.

4. Please describe your experience serving in a lead/supervisory role where you were responsible for overseeing the development, modification, and maintenance of a project, program, or assignment.

Visit CalHR's "State Hiring Workshops" YouTube video series for writing a strong Statement of Qualifications and for tutorials related to job application processes with the State of California: 

You are required to complete employment history on the application form (STD 678). You may be disqualified from the hiring and selection process if the employment history is inaccurate or incomplete. Resumes will not take the place of employment history.

If you are meeting minimum qualifications with education, you must include your unofficial transcripts for verification. If selected, you may be required to provide official transcripts at the time of hire. 

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

We encourage applications regardless of whether you think you meet 100% of these skills below. Please highlight your knowledge, skills, and experience related to the below desirable qualifications in your application package.

• Ability to and experience with leading, supervising, and directing the work of other people in a manner that fosters and inspires independence, initiative, positive morale, collaboration, and creativity
• Ability to exercise initiative, good judgment, honesty, and make timely decisions while maintaining positive and trusting working relationships
• Ability to plan, organize, communicate, and adapt to changing assignments and priorities, and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines
• Excellent analytical skills with demonstrated ability to work independently, think logically and creatively, apply a range of analytical and research tools, identify gaps and opportunities for improvement, make sound recommendations, and develop business requirements based on the recommendations
• Experience leading large meetings and using strong verbal and written communication skills to present information to all levels of stakeholders, including management, business and technology staff, and solution partners, to prepare and present written recommendations, and to report project information accurately and timely
• Experience working in a team environment
• Knowledge and understanding or willingness and ability to learn CDSS organization, business program areas, technology architecture, and processes
• Strong working knowledge and experience in business process improvement and project management technical skills
• Experience gathering, identifying, and analyzing business, functional, and technical system requirements
• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft Teams, Visio, and SharePoint, and data visualization tools such as Tableau
• Knowledge of, and experience with, child and family team (CFT) meetings/processes and the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool
• Knowledge of, and experience with, the Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS)

Knowledge and experience can come in many forms including, but not limited to, direct practice experience, lived/personal experience, educational experience, and/or policy experience.

Benefits

There are many benefits to joining our team!  The State of California has a generous benefits package that includes medical coverage, CalPERS pension upon retirement, two weeks paid vacation per year, two weeks paid sick leave per year, two paid Professional Development Days, one paid Personal Holiday, pre-tax parking fee program.

TRANSPORTATION REIMBURSEMENT

• Public transit (mass transit) passes.
  • 100 percent discount on public transit passes sold by state agencies, up to the monthly exclusion amount provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
  • 100 percent reimbursement on public transit passes purchased by state employees, up to the monthly exclusion amount provided by the IRS.
• Vanpool drivers and riders
  • 100 percent reimbursement on the monthly fee, up to the monthly exclusion amount provided by the IRS.

Benefit information can be found on the website and the website.

Personal Leave Program (PLP) 2025

Salaries do not reflect reductions from the Personal Leave Program, please see the applicable for additional information on the length and percentage of reductions. 

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Statement of Qualifications - (SOQ) IS REQUIRED . Please see the Special Requirements section of this job advertisement for detailed instructions for the SOQ submission. 

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, Temporary work, Work at office, Remote work, Trial period,

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