Child/Adult Protective Services Specialist These positions are located in the Child Welfare Services Branch (CWSB) of the Department of Human Services. The CWSB provide services for child protection, foster care, adoption, independent living skills, case management foster home recruitment and licensing and contracted support and treatment services to prevent and remedy abuse and neglect. Positions in this class are distinguished by the critical, predominantly investigative work they do to identify and confirm reports of alleged child/dependent adult abuse/neglect, and develop primary treatment plans. Work is frequently crisis-oriented and confrontational, and may involve challenging family members and other person directly in their treatment of children and dependent adults, and performing assessments of situations, where, because of the danger of imminent harm, children or dependent adults may be immediately removed, using police assistance as necessary. Because of the serious nature of allegations being investigated, Child/Adult Protective Services (C/APS) Specialist frequently find themselves in extremely volatile situations particularly in on-site visits where they may encounter a high degree of hostility from family members. Minimum Qualification Requirements To qualify, you must meet all of the following requirements: Legal Authorization to Work: The State of Hawaii requires all persons seeking employment with the government of the State shall be citizens, nationals, or permanent resident aliens of the United States, or eligible under federal law for unrestricted employment in the United States. Basic Education: Graduation from an accredited four (4) year college or university with a bachelor's degree which included a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in courses such as counseling, criminal justice, human services, psychology, social work, social welfare, sociology or other behavioral sciences. Specialized Experience: One and one-half years of progressively responsible professional work experience which involved helping individuals and their families find satisfactory ways of identifying their problems, coping with their conditions, and functioning effectively within their environments. Protective Services Experience: One year of professional social or human service work which primarily involved conducting investigations in order to identify and confirm cases of child/dependent adult abuse/neglect, and developing and implementing primary treatment plans, including termination of parental rights as necessary. Substitutions Allowed: Relevant substitutions as described in the Minimum Qualification Requirements, will apply.
Driver's License:
A valid driver's license is required for some positions. For these positions, a valid driver's license is required at the time of appointment. The information provided above represents a summary of the complete Minimum Qualification Requirements. To view the Requirements in their entirety, CLICK HERE (Download PDF reader).
Benefits:
The State of Hawaii offers its employees who are members of the civil service a range of benefits. Some benefits are offered as a result of collective bargaining agreements and changes may occur. A summary of these benefits, which is based on full-time employment, is listed below.
Note:
Benefits for NON-CIVIL SERVICE appointments will be provided by the hiring department at the time of interview. With Civil Service modernization, effective July 1, 2002, employees appointed to temporary positions may also gain membership in the civil service upon satisfactory completion of an initial probation period of at least six months. As a temporary member of the civil service, you will be eligible to apply for promotion and transfer opportunities to permanent as well as other temporary positions. You may also enjoy other rights and benefits afforded to members of the civil service, with the exception of return rights and placement rights associated with a reduction-in-force of a permanent member of the civil service. Paid Holidays: You may be eligible for 13 paid holidays each year; 14 holidays during an election year. Paid Vacation: You may earn vacation leave at a rate that other employers find tough to match – 21 days each full year from the FIRST year of employment. This compares to an average of 10 days offered by private companies. You may accumulate up to a total of 90 days (720 hours) of vacation. Paid Sick Leave: You may earn sick leave at the same rate as vacation – 21 days per year from the FIRST year, and there is no limit on the amount you can accumulate. Expectant mothers may also use sick leave for pre-natal or post-natal check-ups or any illness related to pregnancy. Plus, unused accumulated sick leave may eventually be used to increase your retirement benefits in certain situations. Other Leaves: Reasonable time off with pay may be provided for jury or witness duty, a death in the family, some military duty, and donation to the Blood Bank. Leave sharing donations may be granted to eligible employees who have serious personal illnesses or injuries or need to care for a seriously ill or injured family member. Various leaves without pay may also be granted with full re-employment rights. Health Insurance: The State pays a part of the premiums for each employee's enrollment in a State sponsored Medical, Drug, Vision, and Dental Plan. For more information, visit the Employer Union Trust Fund website www.eutf.hawaii.gov for coverage and options. Group Life Insurance: The State provides a free life insurance policy for employees. Retirement Plan: The State contributes to a retirement plan for eligible employees. Generally, employees under the Hybrid Plan with 10 years of credited service and who have reached 65 years of age or have 30 years of credited service and have reached 60 years of age may retire and receive benefits. To find out more about the options you have, go to http://ers.ehawaii.gov. Premium Conversion Plan: Participating employees may increase their take-home pay by having the State deduct the cost of health care premiums before payroll taxes are withheld. Flexible Spending Accounts: Eligible employees can reduce their federal and state income taxes and social security taxes through a tax-savings benefit program called Island Flex. This program allows employees to set aside money from their paychecks to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and eligible dependent care expenses on a BEFORE-TAX basis.
Transportation Benefits:
Participating employees may increase their take-home pay by having the State deduct qualified transportation expenses (i.e. eligible parking fees, monthly bus passes for TheBus, fare coupons for The Handi-Van, Vanpool Hawaii participation fee, etc.) through pre-tax payroll deductions. Deferred Compensation: The State offers employees a voluntary pre-tax retirement savings plan designed to give employees a tax break today and an opportunity to build a retirement nest egg through voluntary payroll deductions. Several types of investment options are available. Temporary Disability Insurance: Qualified employees may be eligible to receive benefits for a disability caused by a non-work related injury or illness under this program. Social Security: As an employer, the State also contributes to an employee's social security account. Promotions & Transfers: For employees with membership in the civil service, the State offers promotion and transfer opportunities throughout the State Executive Branch. Training & Continuing Education: The State supports developmental activities related to an employee's work. In many departments there are numerous in-service training opportunities available. Sabbatical leaves with pay are available for qualified employees. Travel Expenses: The State may pay for certain business related travel expenses including mileage reimbursement for use of a personal car during work, airfare, meals and lodging expenses for trips to neighbor islands or out of state. Incentive & Service Awards: The State has a program that recognizes employees for their years of service and provides cash awards for their superior accomplishments and other contributions that improve State operations. Union & Collective Bargaining: Employees have the right to join the union for collective bargaining with the State and employee representation. Some employee unions provide discounts, insurance and other opportunities. Employees may also decide not to join a union, however, employees are required to pay union service fees unless the employee's job is excluded from collective bargaining. The above information is solely intended as a summary of the benefits available to State of Hawaii employees and is subject to change. Whether or not you are entitled to a particular benefit will depend on your specific appointment and employment status (included, excluded, exempt, non-exempt). Please refer to the appropriate collective bargaining agreement or executive order and all applicable laws, rules, policies, or plan documents for further details. Nothing herein shall be deemed as creating an employment contract, promise of employment, promise of continued employment, or obligation of any kind on the part of the State of Hawaii.
