What does a child protective specialist do?
A Child Protective Specialist is a social worker who handles suspected cases of abuse and neglect in children. They focus on performing research and investigation, conducting home visits and inspections, interviewing families and potential witnesses, gathering evidence, and reaching out to hospitals or schools to collect and analyze data. Through the findings of their investigation, a Child Protective Specialist draws conclusions and develops recommendations for the children's safety and welfare. Moreover, there are instances where they conduct interventions, refer families to other agencies, or coordinate with law enforcement.
Child protective specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real child protective specialist resumes:
- Provide comprehensive case management to DCFS clients and their families to achieve case goals as outlined in the client service plan.
- Provide comprehensive case management to DCFS intact families by assessing family functioning.
- Perform related adoptions and supervisory visits for state adoptions.
Child protective specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 24% of Child Protective Specialists are proficient in Social Work, Social Services, and Mental Health. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Emotional skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Child Protective Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Social Work, 24%
Initiate social work and investigative skills to work investigations/safety interventions in response to allegations of abuse and or neglect.
- Social Services, 9%
Conducted ongoing and in-home caseworker services in coordination with other social services agencies.
- Mental Health, 8%
Assisted Mental Health Evaluation Program with coordinating responsibilities.
- Protective Services, 7%
Maintained collaboration with child protective services and law enforcement officials, medical professionals, and judicial/legal resources.
- District Court, 7%
Provide services to children who have been placed in the legal custody of the State by a district court judge.
- Child Protective, 7%
Discussed referrals and recommended child protective interventions to a multidisciplinary team.
Common skills that a child protective specialist uses to do their job include "social work," "social services," and "mental health." You can find details on the most important child protective specialist responsibilities below.
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a child protective specialist to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "clients talk to social workers about challenges in their lives." Additionally, a child protective specialist resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "referred impaired adults for community services.accomplishments:i improved the communication between adult protective services and community partners. "
Interpersonal skills. This is an important skill for child protective specialists to perform their duties. For an example of how child protective specialist responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "social workers must be able to work with different groups of people." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a child protective specialist: "focus on repairing relationships, interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, and problem solving. ".
Problem-solving skills. child protective specialist responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "social workers must analyze their clients’ complex situations and develop practical solutions." This resume example shows what child protective specialists do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "created child protective strategies and resolutions deemed most beneficial and the least detrimental to a child. "
The three companies that hire the most child protective specialists are:
- State Of Montana23 child protective specialists jobs
- State Of Illinois - Illinois Student Assistance Commission2 child protective specialists jobs
- CARE1 child protective specialists jobs
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Compare different child protective specialists
Child protective specialist vs. Family counselor
A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a child protective specialist are more likely to require skills like "social services," "district court," "child maltreatment," and "foster care." On the other hand, a job as a family counselor requires skills like "poc," "family support," "family therapy," and "dod." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Family counselors earn the highest salaries when working in the professional industry, with an average yearly salary of $40,967. On the other hand, child protective specialists are paid more in the professional industry with an average salary of $52,380.family counselors tend to reach higher levels of education than child protective specialists. In fact, family counselors are 14.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Child protective specialist vs. Case planner
Case planners are social workers who provide assistance to children and their families to improve their social and psychological functioning as well as maximize the well-being of families. These planners are required to design service plans that address the safety, behavioral, education, and permanency needs of families and adolescents. They must identify potential child abuse and report any suspected abuses to the appropriate authorities. Case planners must also facilitate counseling to domestic violence victims and assist families in obtaining protection orders from victim service nonprofit organizations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real child protective specialist resumes. While child protective specialist responsibilities can utilize skills like "protective services," "district court," "child protective," and "criminal justice," case planners use skills like "child abuse," "address safety," "permanency planning," and "ftc."
On average, case planners earn a lower salary than child protective specialists. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, case planners earn the most pay in the professional industry with an average salary of $42,477. Whereas child protective specialists have higher pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $52,380.case planners earn higher levels of education than child protective specialists in general. They're 5.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for child protective specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Lesley Casarez Ph.D.
Director, Quality Enhancement Plan Program Coordinator, M.S. Professional School Counseling Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Angelo State University
Child protective specialist vs. Youth worker
Youth workers specialize in handling and providing support to young individuals with behavioral difficulties. They are primarily responsible for devising recreational projects, handling the budget, producing progress reports, managing intervention programs, and counseling troubled youth while keeping their information confidential. There may be instances where one must also search for opportunities and apply for funding or sponsorship. Furthermore, as a youth worker, it is vital to assess an individual's condition to determine their needs and ensure that they will receive the proper treatment.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, child protective specialists are more likely to have skills like "social work," "social services," "protective services," and "district court." But a youth worker is more likely to have skills like "direct supervision," "cpr," "at-risk youth," and "youth development."
Youth workers earn the highest salary when working in the education industry, where they receive an average salary of $32,651. Comparatively, child protective specialists have the highest earning potential in the professional industry, with an average salary of $52,380.Most youth workers achieve a lower degree level compared to child protective specialists. For example, they're 12.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Child protective specialist vs. Case worker
Caseworkers are social workers who watch over the welfare of underprivileged individuals and at-risk families by counseling and providing them with assistance. Usually employed under the government or a local non-profit organization, a caseworker must conduct a thorough interview and house visits to determine the needs of the family. They then refer them to any programs or agencies that can give them the specific care and help needed. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify neglect and abuse signs, reporting them to the authorities right away.
Types of child protective specialist
Updated January 8, 2025
