Taylor Schwartz

Ph: 405-***-****

ad2wir@r.postjobfree.com

Schedule “A” non-competitive hiring authority eligible candidate.

OBJECTIVE: Dedicated and detail-oriented professional looking for opportunities to continue personal growth and to make a positive difference by helping to improve and encourage a diverse and equitable work environment.

EDUCATION:

Bachelor of Social Sciences 2006 to 2011

Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK

Degree: Bachelors of Science - Sociology Graduation Date Dec 2011

JOB EXPERIENCE:

Oklahoma Child Welfare Specialist III and IV – Lead Worker for Comprehensive Unit: Child Protective Services - Investigations, Family Centered Services, and Permanency Planning Unit.

Supervisor: Lacey Burks – p: 870-***-**** // w: 580-***-**** ad2wir@r.postjobfree.com Contact: Yes

Oklahoma Department of Human Services 01/21 to Current

Hours Worked: 40-60+ Per Week

Supervision Experience:

*Supervised, mentor, and train new employees on engagement skills and conduct as they align with agency policies and procedures. Established individual training sessions to ensure each staff are successful in the performance of their job duties and to identify prioritization of work duties.

*Supervised established and new workers to assure that all agency rules, regulations, and accepted conduct becoming of a Child Welfare Specialist are observed while engaging families in crisis

*Performed duties as supervisor on-call for after hour and crisis investigations during emergency situations. Ensured the safety of workers during late hours and early morning work duties. Collected information and safety concerns in order to make an informed and policy supported safety decision for crisis management.

*Participated as a member of leadership for my district in numerous trainings, in-person/virtual meetings, and informative surveys with the Director of Child Welfare for the State of Oklahoma-Dr. Deborah Shropshire and Director of The Oklahoma Department of Human Services- Samantha Galloway. All meetings are focused on identifying the progress and potential weaknesses identified by field staff which could affect their ability to provide family focused and best practice job performance.

*Provided reviews on investigations submitted, email correspondence, official court reports, and case documentation that were submitted by field staff for supervisor approval. Corrected documentation and writing errors, inaccurate information and provided resources for research as needed.

*Met with county leadership in monthly Safety Consultations to discuss cases of involvement and their associated treatment plan to determine if continued involvement is needed, necessary, or follows DHS Policies requiring supervision. Prepared leadership and field staff involved in Facilitated Meetings of treatment plan contract effectiveness and discussed negotiations for restructuring when needs warrant a change.

*Submitted information obtained during employee shadow observations to Child Welfare training staff with a recommendation or denial for official Child Welfare Specialist certification of new employees within the Department of Human Services – Child Welfare.

*Reviewed investigations in addition to monthly case progress reports, updated assessments of Child Safety reports, monthly parental and child contact reports, behavioral health screener reports, and updated court reports for information consistency, documentation in required formats, timely conduction of safety assessments, and compliance with agency guidelines on report submissions. Addressing any safety or documentation concerns discovered in the report while also providing necessary workflow examples.

*Supervised and instructed staff on how to research, accurately prepare, proof read for consistency and professionally present detailed information in accordance with agency wide established formats and guidelines.

*Assisted workers and supervisors in developing a treatment plan that includes assistance and referrals for services based on the needs of a family with the goal to address all reasonable accommodation policies to allow for success while assuring all necessary policies, procedures, and mandated guidelines are followed.

*Coordinated the execution of monthly District Court hearings. Maintained client presentation, time management, order structure, and Court Official organization of the Court Docket proceedings and modified its execution to maximize efficiency and productivity each month.

*Conducted Bi-Weekly one–on-one case consultations with each unit member under my supervision. Consultations preformed with the intent to review case data and address behavioral based barriers to case progress, set attainable goals for success, outline manageable to-do lists for employee accountability, and discuss alternate plans to meet the overall case plan goal for the future.

*Provided feedback on the review of case documentation for initial contact, case status, court documentation, legal information research results, barriers to completion, and timely closure while assuring individual support of all reasonable accommodation for each family involved.

*Advised staff on ways to ensure child safety without hindering individual client’s rights in accordance with agency policies,

*Trained staff on way to encourage positive behavioral based treatment compliance and subsequent behavior change by promoting the treatment of concerning actions through the use of specialized professionals and reinforcement of desired outcomes.

Investigation / Case Management Experience:

*Reviewed investigative reports, applications for court involvement, progress reviews, court summaries and all supporting documentation of lower level workers and other staff to assure accuracy, compliance and completeness of the documentation. Trained newer staff on the execution of this task for future needs.

*Conducted and supervise the regular contact and safety assessment interview of all children involved with Department of Human Services – Child Welfare. This included face to face visits to biological homes, safety plan placements, foster homes, and shelter placement for each child. Addressed any concerns for the care or living environment each child is placed.

*Ensured the care and treatment for children who are legally free and without parental custody (Regulation 4 - Unaccompanied and legally free children) conform to policies and regulations for appropriate and safe care.

*Assisted clients that have been identified to have concerns for Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, poverty, food insecurities, housing instability, communication and relationship concerns, childhood/adult trauma, and parenting concerns. Provided resources and referrals for mental health professionals in order to meet the needs of the children and families affected.

*Provided documentation and explanation to biological families during court and foster parents at the signing of placement papers of their rights to file grievances based on Department of Human Services Biological and Foster Parents Grievance rights policy

*Used investigative techniques to collect information needed for the recommendation of a behavioral treatment plan based on the findings for the safety assessment. Collection of numerical and behavioral information in order to document an accurate analysis of behavioral performance management techniques from internal resources and external community resources.

*Identified as an expert witness by two Assistant District Attorney's employed within Oklahoma District 17 for a number of judicial hearings regarding adolescent maltreatment of abuse and/or neglect. Providing “under oath” testimony on sensitive information obtained about each case and incident with authoritative confidence and detailed case facts.

*Attended Pre-trial conferences, court staffing’s, and all adjudication, disposition, status review, termination hearing, and criminal hearing in regards to cases. For each instance I provided up to date case information, legal documentation, Court and criminal research findings, and mental health reports to be utilized as exhibits for trial.

*Assisted State Legal Counsel, State District Attorney, defense counsel, and guardian ad litem attorney with case information, completion of treatment plan contracts, adherence of case plan goals in regards to state statute timelines for permanency as outlined by Agency policies and State Law.

*Timely submission of case review reports, investigation determination reports, termination summaries, and adoption reports to progress proceedings through stipulation, adjudication, disposition, review status, termination petitions, and adoption decrees as determined by treatment plan progress or lack of safety behavioral change.

*Investigated and research new allegations of behavioral misconduct involving abuse and neglect in accordance with Child Protective Service policy and procedure.

*Compiled facts and evidence found in the investigative process to develop a personalized treatment plan contract focusing on the correction of concerning negative behavior and providing a unique individualized Service Plan for each individual and family supported by State Agency policy and guidelines for safety.

*Completed detailed reports based on the information researched and collected from the investigation in order to submit a summary of complete facts to the District Attorney for review and possible court intervention. Reports submitted were often utilized as exhibits and evidence in criminal and deprived court proceeding.

Onboarding and Human Resources Experience:

*Reviewed data spreadsheets regularly throughout the month in order to assure that deadline goals, documentation accuracy and contact requirements are met for each member in my unit. Data is retrieved from multiple internally generated data bases.

*Ensured the safety of each unit member is addressed frequently by staffing safety threats to workers and clients prior to case contact. Addresses safety measures and protocol with each new employee, Assured leadership has up to date contact information and location information. Conducted safety briefings during individual sessions with new and established workers.

*Trained new staff on how to submit travel claims due to the utilization of their personal vehicle in the course of work duties. This was done through a specialized program and required specific documentation needs including the understanding of state budget allotment for each trip and documentation for repayment of personal funds used.

*Trained staff on the procedure necessary to obtain travel status reimbursement and per diem when work time falls within the allowed guidelines. This included obtaining hotels when on travel status, how to submit for state payment on hotels, fuel reimbursement for personal vehicle use, and per diem for food when on work status. Assisted in troubleshooting errors when reimbursement is denied.

*Trained new staff on how to submit timesheets on Workday Management Program, locate and interpret leave balances, how to submit leave requests and the appropriate time code option, locate and interpret pay slips, procedure to change essential information in the administrative database, how to log hours worked daily and documentation of overtime approved.

*Trained new and on-boarding staff on the “Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan”. The Pinnacle plan is a multi-step agency wide improvement model which was designed to satisfy Federal Policy and Outcome Mandates. Improvement expectation are for wide spread reform on the policies, procedures, work practices, and outcomes for all Child Welfare Agency Employees and associated children and families.

*Provided suggestions and recommendations regularly to immediate Leadership and State Office Leadership for improvements in workflow standards and practices. The intent for obtaining the information was to assure field staff are satisfying the goals set by Federal Improvement Mandates. Data collected on job performance is regularly reviewed by a Co-Neutral Compliance Board.

*Member of the State of Oklahoma Union and routinely advise new staff and established workers of their rights and the benefits of membership into the Union. Researched union allowances and policies as the situation calls for it with members of lower field staff and upper leadership.

*Submitted regular suggestions to the Director of the Department of Human Services, as requested, for changes in labor policies and procedures for staff, compensation through pay and bonuses, and workload standards in order to promote a positive work environment and increase employee retention.

*Advised staff on changing policies in labor relations. As a result of the recommendations for change all of Child Welfare staff have received Bi-Annual bonuses for meeting “successful” performance rating, a 5% raise in pay to make compensation more competitive, and on – call bonuses to compensate for working after hours crisis situations.

*Ordered necessary documentation from the State of Oklahoma Printing Office, ordered individuals business cards with personalized worker information, and other required equipment for new staff. Instructed staff on methods in which to conduct this purchase procedure independently in the future.

*Conducted multi-state and extensive detailed criminal background check and required home study on clients in referrals, potential placement providers, and third party individuals in order to assess the safety of children in the home, suitability for approval of child placement in a home, or denial of the candidate based on factual findings.

*Coordinated with new onboarding staff and potential Safety Plan Monitors to have their finger prints taken and background information collected. This was done for the completion of OSBI and FBI level criminal check completed in a timely manner.

*Participated in the interviewing, vetting, and assessing of potential employees who are being hired for vacant Child Welfare positions within the District. Review the transcripts, resume, and qualifications for each candidate and select the most qualified person for the position. Present recommendations for selection to the District Director for job offer based on provided documentation of eligibility for the position, merit status for promotion, or the recommendation that the position needs additional candidates in timely manner in order to fill positions quickly with quality candidates.

*Attended specialized training for new hire interviewing process to fill vacant positions within the agency. This required understanding and utilization of a standard rating scale for employment, merit system promotion eligibility, and qualification based on announcement description. Additionally, allows for the use of full benefit and position bargaining to obtain quality staff candidates.

*Addressed concerns for employee misconduct with upper leadership and used investigation to obtain information on the misconduct in question. Advised on the information and facts found during the investigation and recommend on corrective action needed.

*Assisted employees in understanding violated policies and procedures leading to the need for an establishment of a corrective action plan and oversee the implementation of the plan to prevent future violations.

*Managed conflict resolution conversations between Supervisor, Worker, Safety plan monitors, and families in escalated team meetings in pre-grievance mediation. Discussed any misunderstandings in communication and conflict resolution in order to produce positive and productive communication between all parties yielding forward progress in case planning.

*Consulted upper- level staff on interactions with workers if there is a need identified that would fall under Federal laws, State and Federal regulations, Agency policies, or necessary procedure changes to allow for Reasonable Accommodation and Personal Assistance Services program availability.

*Provided guidance to new and established workers on being a successful employee in a hybrid work environment where staff are expected to be productive and accountable while in a home office part time and part time in a local office. Provided a high level of virtual support and an “in-person” presence for mentoring and guidance to meet the needs of each worker.

*Attended and participated in monthly leadership conferences to develop an understanding of employee and labor relations laws, regulations for the treatment of employees, and agency policies for employee management. Provided instruction on how to conduct extensive internal and external research for the resolution of complex and often controversial work life problems.

Collaboration Experience:

*Worked closely with the Native American population that reside in the State of Oklahoma. I have been extensively trained in Cultural Competence and understand the value of Tribal Relations and coordination.

*Worked closely with multiple departments within the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Missouri Tribe of Choctaw, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Creek Nation of Oklahoma (Formerly Muscogee/Creek Nation), Apache Nation of Oklahoma in order to coordinate necessary services, apply cultural competencies to placements, and allow for children to be brought up in the Faith, Family, and culture that is outlined buy each tribe.

*Attended monthly meeting as a member of the county Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT). This is a Federal and State Grant funded 501c3 organization which is comprised of a committee including essential workers, county and city first responders, medical staff, mental health professionals, court officials, and tribal workers who meet specifically for comprehensive case consultations, determination of funds utilization, new grant development and acquisition, and case staffing on open abuse and neglect cases requiring interagency collaboration.

*Co-Coordinated the Holiday Hope Program for McCurtain County. Facilitated the acquisition and distribution of gifts, food, and financial support for all 100+ children and family’s involved with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services – Child Welfare in McCurtain County. Organized and executed the enormous task of planning and coordinating annual celebrations and distribution of donations from community members, personal essential items, gifts, furniture, clothing, and meals to families in need.

*Engaged with tribal child welfare and Native American resource staff to address concerns and treatment needs. I am well versed in the Indian Child Welfare Act requirements for notification, treatment, and cooperation with culture, family, and traditions. I have worked with numerous different Federally Recognized tribes due to Oklahoma child welfare involvement with an enrolled or eligible adult and child.

*Participated in monthly case briefings with community resources involved with families. Collected data on coordination with services, cooperation of clients, effectiveness of treatment planning, and alterations to the complete treatment plans in the absence of progress.

*Coordinated with neighboring counties on maintaining out of county assignments, attend District Court as the expert on the case information, and assign specific resources for the success of the family involved.

*Coordinated with community partners for a successful and inclusive statewide holiday program for over 120 families involved with the agency locally. This required organization, collection, and distribution of items and funds donated by outside 200 plus benefactors that totaled more than $10,000 yearly in donated monetary resources and gift donations for youth.

Child Welfare Specialist II – Specialized Services: McCurtain County Meetings Facilitator.

Supervisor: TW Tucker – p: 918-***-**** // w: 580-***-**** - ad2wir@r.postjobfree.com Contact: Yes

Oklahoma Department of Human Services. 06/19 to 01/21

Hours Worked: 40-50+ Per Week

Meeting Facilitation / Coordination:

*Participated in the pilot program for the implementation of a successful Family Team Meeting Continuum which tracked the progress for hundreds of cases involving behavioral misconduct for abuse and neglect. Developed time lines, workflows, trainings, and regular staffing’s to alter procedure as determined by workload demand.

*Developed policies, procedures, trainings, presentations, and meeting regulations for this pilot program at the beginning of a global pandemic. Environmental limitation required the immediate transition from in – office / face to face engagement to completely virtual. Worked in essential staff status that required the continued assessment of safety in the home of every family investigated.

*Documented all meeting information and quantitative details in shared spreadsheets for the tracking of data and collecting information. This was required in order to keep accurate and detailed analytical evaluations on meeting types, frequency, attendance, and content for all meetings held in order to provide a report on the qualitative analyses that are seen throughout and where improvement can be made.

*Managed conflict resolution conversations between Supervisor, Worker, Safety plan monitors, and families in escalated team meetings in pre-grievance mediation. Discussed any misunderstandings in communication and conflict resolution in order to produce positive and productive communication between all parties yielding forward progress in case planning.

*Participated in numerous trainings, in person/virtual meetings, and informative surveys with the Director of Child Welfare for the State of Oklahoma – Child Welfare. All meetings are focused on the progress and weaknesses that have be identified by field staff that affect workers ability to preform family focused and best practice job duties.

*Utilized a wide variety of automated systems to carry out administrative functions in order to provide excellent client service. This often required the use of spreadsheets for documentation of meeting, multiple excel data sheets with live statistics regarding client cooperation, use of email to provide effective correspondence, Power Point use to present data and provide staff trainings for changing workflows, and the understanding on how to use a full range of office equipment in order to keep accurate records.

*Scheduled monthly case meetings based on policy time lines and frequency requirements in order to assess progress or areas of concern more accurately for all clients involved with Oklahoma DHS. This required extreme organization for time management and knowledge of the meeting requirements for several different classifications of cases. Scheduled meetings for up to 20 employees and all the cases on their caseload.

*Conducted continuing assessments in accordance with agency policy and procedural guidelines for the safety of children involved in CPS Investigations and Permanency Planning cases.

*Implemented investigative questioning during facilitated meetings to fully articulate the presence or absence of a safety threat and assess the threat effects on the well-being of a child.

*Provided recommendations for treatment based on facts found during investigative questioning after behavioral misconduct involving abuse and /or neglect with the eventual goal of successful reunification.

Collaboration:

*Met monthly with a committee of staff to discuss the information gathered for this Continuum and advised on strategies to improve the productivity and manageability of an increased number of meetings.

*Attended monthly meeting as a member of the county Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT). This is a Federal and State Grant funded 501C-3 organization which is comprised of essential workers, county and city first responders, medical staff, mental health professionals, court officials, and tribal workers who meet specifically for comprehensive case consultations, determination of funds utilization, new grant development and acquisition, and case staffing on open abuse and neglect cases requiring interagency collaboration.

*Worked closely with the Native American population that reside in the State of Oklahoma. I have been extensively trained in Cultural Competence and understand the value of Tribal Relations and coordination.

*Assisted clients that have been identified to have concerns for Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, poverty, food insecurities, housing instability, communication and relationship concerns, childhood/adult trauma, and parenting concerns. Provided resources and referrals for mental health professionals in order to meet the needs of the children and families affected.

*Worked closely with multiple departments within the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Missouri Tribe of Choctaw, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Creek Nation of Oklahoma (Formerly Muscogee/Creek Nation), Apache Nation of Oklahoma in order to coordinate necessary services, apply cultural competencies to placements, and allow for children to be brought up in the Faith, Family, and culture that is outlined buy each tribe.

*Engaged with tribal child welfare and Native American resource staff to address concerns and treatment needs. I am well versed in the Indian Child Welfare Act requirements for notification, treatment, and cooperation with culture, family, and traditions. I have worked with numerous different Federally Recognized tribes due to Oklahoma child welfare involvement with an enrolled or eligible adult and child.

*Participated in monthly leadership consultations of involved families to discuss progress, barriers for obtaining goals, and determination of continued involvement based on each case. Provided recommendation for the necessity of continued involvement with a family after using investigative questioning to assess the presence or lack a safety threat.

*Participated in monthly case briefings with community resources involved with families to collect data on coordination with services, cooperation of clients, effectiveness of treatment planning, and alterations to the complete treatment plans in the absence of progress.

Training/Supervising:

*Analyzed current procedures on the workflow and administration of Facilitated Meetings in order to provide feedback on areas for improvement. Documentation and data on improved case participation or areas of concern were able to provide direction for the developing standards and practices of the program. Recommended changes in administration and collection of meeting dad aimed to assure the goals set by Federal Mandates are in compliance.

*Met with county leadership monthly to discuss cases of involvement and their associated treatment plan to determine if continued involvement is needed, necessary, or follows DHS Policies requiring supervision. Prepared leadership involved in Facilitated Meetings of treatment plan contract effectiveness and facilitated negotiation for restructuring when needs warrant a change.

*Provided monthly feedback for meeting efficacy and issues encountered to improve the workflow and needs for improvement for the continuum to be inclusive for all family structures and to be successful for all counties staffing set up.

*Trained staff on way to encourage positive behavioral based treatment compliance and subsequent behavior change by promoting the treatment of concerning actions through the use of specialized professionals and reinforcement of desired outcomes.

*Addressed concerns for employee misconduct with upper leadership and used investigation to obtain information on the misconduct in question. Advised on the information and facts found during the investigation and recommend on corrective action needed.

*Assisted employees in understanding violated policies and procedures leading to the need for an establishment of a corrective action plan and oversee the implementation of the plan to prevent future violations.

*Advised staff on ways to ensure child safety without hindering individual client’s rights in accordance with agency policies and procedures.

*Trained new on-boarding staff on the “Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan”. The Pinnacle plan is a multi-step agency improvement model which was designed to satisfy Federal policy and outcome mandates with the expectation of wide spread improvement on the policies, procedures, work practices, and outcomes for all Child Welfare Agency employees and associated families.

*Mentored and trained new workers on all agency policies and procedures set forth to guide personnel in the performance of their job.

*Trained new facilitators and Child Welfare Staff on the pilot program policies and guidelines in order to assist in the understanding and execution of the practice standard.

*Participated in monthly leadership consultations of involved families to discuss progress, barriers for obtaining goals, and determination of continued involvement based on each case. Provided recommendation for the necessity of continued involvement with a family after using investigative questioning to assess the presence or lack a safety threat.

Child Welfare Specialist I and II – Child Protective Services: Investigative Unit

Supervisor: Miranda McKinney – p: (580) 579- 5651 // ad2wir@r.postjobfree.com Contact: Yes

Oklahoma Department of Human Services. 09/15 – 06/19

Hours Worked: 40-50+ Per Week

Investigation / Case Management:

*Investigated reports of child abuse and neglect within policy timeframes established by state statute and law.

*Made safety decisions based on interview information gathered from children, parents, collateral references, medical professionals and their reports, Law Enforcement, and school officials.

*Assisted clients that have been

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