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What is a Conservatorship?

In cases of child abuse and neglect, the court appoints Child Protective Services to be something called a "conservator" of the child. In that role, CPS has legal responsibility for the child's welfare. A conservatorship worker is responsible for monitoring children's care while they are in CPS conservatorship.

Positions under Conservatorship:

  • CPS Specialist: Conservatorship or CVS Worker, Legal Unit Worker, Subcare Worker, Family Moderate or Intensive Reunification Worker; handles child’s substitute care, family’s substitute care, and family’s reunification stages.
  • CPS Supervisor, who generally oversees a unit of 7 to 9 CPS Specialists and one or more support staff..

Sounds good, but what kinds of things will I really be doing?

  • Receive cases from Investigation Workers when children are removed from their homes and placed in out of home (substitute) care in temporary managing conservatorship of the department.
  • When a case is received, assess the child’s needs and obtain whatever testing, evaluations, records, or further assessments are needed.
  • Request or conduct home assessments of potential kinship providers for a child.
  • Place children with parents, kinship providers, or identified foster care placements.
  • Make requests to the Placement Team for foster care placements as needed.
  • Develop a Child’s Service Plan to summarize the identified needs and indicate what plans have been established to address those needs; review the plan on a regular basis; coordinate the development and review of the plan with the appropriate persons, including the child; participate in department staffings and permanency conferences and in facility staffings that are held on the case.
  • While the case is in temporary legal status, meet with the family, extended family, and or other identified fictive kin to identify and set up the Family Service Plan; this may involve working with a Family Group Decision Making Coordinator/Facilitator and participating in a Family Group Decision Making conference that is held at a time and place convenient for the family members.
  • While the case continues in temporary legal status, meet with the family at least monthly to assess risk/safety issues related to abuse/neglect issues, the family’s progress in addressing the Family Service Plan that has been identified and presented to the court.
  • If needed, search for potential kinship providers.
  • Visit with the child monthly or more often as needed to monitor the child’s needs, wishes, adjustment and progress while in care, and to help the child prepare for the identified permanency goal.
  • Attend court hearings related to the child and family; this includes contacting the parties in the legal case prior to the hearings, preparing court reports, giving testimony in court about the child’s needs, the family’s progress in addressing the department’s family service plan and court orders, and the department’s efforts to assist the family; if the department has permanent managing conservatorship of the child, the hearings focus on the child’s progress in care, the department’s efforts to pursue the identified permanency goal for the child, and alternatives to the department continuing as the managing conservator for the child
  • Keep the child’s court-appointed attorney and guardian ad litem(s) informed about the child’s circumstances and significant events.
  • If court hearings are contested, work with the attorney representing the department to prepare for such hearings.
  • Make referrals for testing, evaluations, and therapy as needed and as requested; work with the clinicians and therapists as needed to ensure that children and families receive the care they need.
  • Work with kinship caregivers and foster caregivers to ensure that they have the information, authorization, and support they need to care for the youth placed with them; this means keeping them informed about developments in the case, returning phone calls, and being available 24 hrs a day / 7 days a week to assist as needed and as appropriate.
  • Work with children and their caregivers when problems develop that threaten the placement; if the placement breaks down, work with kinship providers or the Placement Team to identify a new placement; place the child in the new placement.
  • When children are returned to parents, monitor and assist the family as needed and as appropriate during the supervised period before legal responsibility is returned to the parents.
  • Supervise adoptive placements in the ADO stage until consummation can take place or until the case can be transferred to an adoption worker.
  • Use effective time-management skills to ensure that all key casework activity takes place;
  • Make use of supervision to set workload priority and use of time.
  • Find ways to delegate and engage the various parties, professionals, and caretakers in assisting in carrying out the plans identified in the Child’s Service Plan.

What are the job qualifications?

To be a conservatorship worker you must have a 4-year bachelors degree, but it doesn’t have to be specifically in social work.  Prior CPS caseworker experience is preferred especially working with older youth transitioning from foster care to adult living.

What would my salary be?

This position may be filled at any level from a CPS Specialist II to a CPS Specialist IV.  The starting salary range is $2,689.43 to $3,029.64 per month and will be based on the qualifications of the selected applicant.

I think I could do this job, but will I get specifically trained on what to do?

YES!  You will have lots of great training before beginning your job. Though you will be doing visits to clients on your own you will have ongoing support from your co-workers and supervisor any time you need it. 

Are their opportunities for career advancement?

YES!  You will receive ongoing training to prepare you for career progression. There are various levels of certification. For more information about certification go to http://www2.uta.edu/ssw/ccw/psti/fps.html

Condition of Employment

Must possess and maintain a valid Texas Motor Vehicle Operator's License.  CPS will also request a Criminal Background Check and CPS History check on all applicants.