Sr. Manager, Child Welfare Operations (53724)

Position Summary:

The Senior Manager of Child Welfare Operations serves as a key operational leader for the child welfare program, supporting the day to day functioning of the program. This role provides direct supervision of the Intake Manager and the Youth Success Manager, with other assignments as directed, and serves as a primary resource and operational partner to the Director of Case Management and the program's other directors in ensuring service quality, documentation integrity, and adherence to practice standards. The Senior Manager is accountable for compliance with the Citrus Family Care Network contract, vendor contracts and fee agreements, budget management and expenditure control, and the resolution of compliance matters as they arise. The Senior Manager also serves as the program liaison to Human Resources and Recruitment on hiring, employee relations, and staffing needs, working to keep the teams fully staffed and well trained. This is a highly visible role that is vital to the functioning of the program, requiring sound independent judgment, the ability to move between strategic planning and hands on problem solving, and the credibility to represent the agency with contract partners, funders, courts, providers, and the community.

 

 

Essential Job Functions:

• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, building trust and consensus among staff, directors, and external partners; work collaboratively and respectfully with others, model a positive, solution-focused attitude, and resolve conflict constructively to keep teams aligned and moving forward.
• Serve as an operational leader for the child welfare program, supporting the effective day to day functioning of assigned teams.
• Provide direct supervision to the Intake Manager and the Youth Success Manager, and to other units as assigned.
• Serve as a primary operational support to the Director of Case Management, partnering closely on caseload management, practice quality, documentation integrity, and the removal of barriers that slow the case management teams.
• Act as the primary point of contact for operational matters, coordinating across case management, clinical services, quality assurance, finance, human resources, and administrative support.
• Provide the same operational support to the program's other directors, and identify barriers across teams, developing workflows, standard operating procedures, and accountability structures to resolve them.

• Oversee Intake operations, including referral acceptance, eligibility and benefit verification, case assignment, and timely transfer of cases to the assigned case management team.
• Oversee Youth Success Management, ensuring independent living services, educational advocacy, and transition planning for older youth are delivered and documented consistently.
• Ensure full compliance with the Citrus Family Care Network contract, including performance measures, reporting deadlines, monitoring reviews, and corrective action requirements.
• Partner with Quality Assurance on case file reviews, documentation audits, KPI tracking, and monitoring of critical timeframes, and translate findings into coaching and practice improvement.
• Lead the agency response to compliance matters, including incident reports, quality improvement referrals, investigations, and corrective action plans, ensuring timely resolution.
• Ensure compliance with state and federal child welfare regulations, the Florida Child Welfare Practice Model, CCWIS documentation standards, HIPAA, Medicaid, and agency policy.
• Use Stabilify and related data systems to monitor performance across programs and maintain compliance with critical timeframes.
• Prepare operational reports and outcome analyses for executive leadership, contract partners, funding sources, and external stakeholders.
• Manage vendor contracts, fee agreements, and service authorizations, ensuring services are properly procured, documented, and delivered as contracted.
• Monitor vendor performance, resolve service delivery and billing issues, and recommend renewal, renegotiation, or termination as warranted.
• Support development and management of the program budget, monitor expenditures against budget, and flag variances with recommended corrective action.
• Review and approve operational expenditures within delegated authority and ensure purchasing and reimbursement practices comply with agency and funder requirements.
• Serve as the program liaison to Human Resources, coordinating hiring, employee relations, corrective action, and separation in partnership with HR staff.
• Partner with Recruitment to maintain a pipeline of qualified candidates and reduce time to fill for critical positions.
• Work alongside the Director of Case Management on complex cases, escalations, and Citrus inquiries, ensuring responses are timely, complete, and consistent with practice standards.
• Ensure staff complete required training, certification, and credentialing within regulatory timeframes and coordinate ongoing professional development
  

• Provide coaching, performance evaluation, and development for assigned managers, building staff engagement, bench strength, and succession within the operations teams.
• Promote a positive, accountable, and supportive work environment across the operations teams.
• Serve as a liaison with Citrus Family Care Network, the Department of Children and Families, the courts, Citizen Review Panels, legal services, behavioral health providers, schools, and community partners.
• Represent the agency in operational meetings, contract monitoring reviews, site visits, and audits.
• Ensure that services align with trauma informed care principles and culturally responsive practice, and support permanency, placement stability, and family well-being.

Qualifications

Essential Qualifications:

Certifications/Licensures:

• Certification as a Certified Case Manager (CBHCM or CWCM) in good standing by an agency approved and recognized by the Florida Certification Board is preferred.

 

 

Education:

• Master’s degree in social work or a related field, with at least five (5) years of experience in human services or child welfare programs, including at least two (2) year in a managerial or supervisory role; or
• Bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field, with at least seven (7) years of experience in human services or child welfare programs, including at least four (4) years in a managerial or supervisory role.

 

Experience and Competencies:

• Five years of previously supervised work experience in child welfare related field.
• Bilingual is preferred.
• Physical required prior to hire; paid by agency
• Expertise with the Florida Child Welfare Practice Model and knowledgeable in Child Welfare electronic system of record (FSFN or CCWIS).
• Possess strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Availability to work a flexible schedule as required by the department, including nights and weekends.
• Oversee Intake operations, including referral acceptance, eligibility and benefit verification, case assignment, and timely transfer of cases to the assigned case management team.
• Oversee Youth Success Management, ensuring independent living services, educational advocacy, and transition planning for older youth are delivered and documented consistently.
• Ensure full compliance with the Citrus Family Care Network contract, including performance measures, reporting deadlines, monitoring reviews, and corrective action requirements.
• Partner with Quality Assurance on case file reviews, documentation audits, KPI tracking, and monitoring of critical timeframes, and translate findings into coaching and practice improvement.
• Lead the agency response to compliance matters, including incident reports, quality improvement referrals, investigations, and corrective action plans, ensuring timely resolution.
• Ensure compliance with state and federal child welfare regulations, the Florida Child Welfare Practice Model, CCWIS documentation standards, HIPAA, Medicaid, and agency policy.
• Use Stabilify and related data systems to monitor performance across programs and maintain compliance with critical timeframes.
• Prepare operational reports and outcome analyses for executive leadership, contract partners, funding sources, and external stakeholders.
• Manage vendor contracts, fee agreements, and service authorizations, ensuring services are properly procured, documented, and delivered as contracted.
• Monitor vendor performance, resolve service delivery and billing issues, and recommend renewal, renegotiation, or termination as warranted.
• Support development and management of the program budget, monitor expenditures against budget, and flag variances with recommended corrective action.
• Review and approve operational expenditures within delegated authority and ensure purchasing and reimbursement practices comply with agency and funder requirements.
• Serve as the program liaison to Human Resources, coordinating hiring, employee relations, corrective action, and separation in partnership with HR staff.
• Partner with Recruitment to maintain a pipeline of qualified candidates and reduce time to fill for critical positions.
• Work alongside the Director of Case Management on complex cases, escalations, and Citrus inquiries, ensuring responses are timely, complete, and consistent with practice standards.
• Ensure staff complete required training, certification, and credentialing within regulatory timeframes and coordinate ongoing professional development.
• Possess a current Background Clearance Screening Letter as required by DCF.
• Valid Florida driver’s license and ability to obtain and maintain WestCare’s vehicle insurance is required;
• The ability to identify and evaluate an individual’s strengths, barriers, problems, and needs for the development of a Wellness and Recovery Plan
• The ability to write assessments, progress notes, discharge summaries, and other consumer related data
• Knowledge of the inter-relationship among substance use, mental health, and primary care disorders
• Knowledge and application of developmental theories