Practice Specialist, Child Intervention

Role Responsibilities

Children and Family Services in Alberta's North Region is recruiting a Practice Specialist in Child Intervention with a focus on quality assurance. We are seeking a passionate, innovative leader who is committed to advancing child intervention practice and improving outcomes for children, youth, families, and communities.

As a Practice Specialist, in the quality assurance unit, you will provide leadership in practice implementation, coaching, mentorship, and knowledge sharing to strengthen child intervention practice across Alberta's North Region. You will support provincial priorities, workforce development, and high-quality service delivery while promoting culturally responsive practice that honours Indigenous cultures, diverse perspectives, and the unique strengths of the children, families, and communities we serve.

As a Practice Specialist, you will:

• Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of child intervention practice initiatives and provincial priorities.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, consultation, and training to strengthen staff practice, skills, and cultural responsiveness.
• Support complex casework through practice consultation and hands-on mentorship.
• Champion and integrate practice approaches such as the Child Intervention Practice Framework, Signs of Safety, Intentional Search and Exploration, and trauma-informed practice.
• Act as a regional subject matter expert on legislation, policy, and child intervention practice under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act.
• Collaborate with leaders, Quality Assurance, and provincial partners to identify trends, address practice gaps, and promote service excellence.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and foster collaborative relationships that support effective service delivery and positive outcomes for children, youth, families, and communities.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong coaching, mentoring, and leadership skills.
• Extensive knowledge of child intervention practice, including the Child Intervention Practice Framework, Casework Practice Model, Signs of Safety, and trauma-informed practice.
• A commitment to culturally responsive practice and experience working collaboratively with Indigenous peoples and communities.
• The ability to design and facilitate both formal and informal learning opportunities that build staff capacity and confidence.
• Strong critical thinking, consultation, and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional relationship-building and collaboration skills with diverse stakeholders.
  
  

Perks of living in the north are:
Northern Allowance – additional allowance of $241.38 for each bi-weekly pay period served.

Attraction Bonus – Fort McMurray and positions above the 57th Parallel - 25% of based salary paid out in the first year of employment (2-year return service agreement)

Retention Allowance - annual retention bonus of $6,000 ($3000.00 paid out in March and $3000.00 paid out in September) for positions between the 55th and 57th Parallel.

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

Qualifications

Preferred Education:

• Bachelor of Social Work preferred. Equivalencies considered include:
• Master of Social Work with 1-year related experience
• Related university degree with 4 years related experience
• Related diploma with 5 years related experience
• Related certificate with 6 years related experience

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years' experience in Child Intervention, child welfare, or a related human services field.
• Strong knowledge of the Child Intervention Practice Framework (CIPF), Casework Practice Model, Signs of Safety, trauma-informed practice, and relevant legislation, including the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act.
• Experience coaching, mentoring, consulting, and supporting staff and leaders.
• Skilled in facilitating training, presentations, and learning opportunities.
• Experience providing consultation on complex casework and supporting quality practice.
  Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships, lead practice improvements, manage change, and deliver outcomes-focused services for children, youth, and families.

Assets:

• Demonstrated understanding of Safety Phase Workflow.
• Experience working with Indigenous children, families, communities, and service providers, with knowledge of Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing.
• Experience advancing culturally responsive and anti-oppressive practice.
• Leadership, supervisory, or specialist experience within Child Intervention.
• Advanced expertise in the Child Intervention Practice Framework (CIPF), Casework Practice Model, Signs of Safety, and trauma-informed practice.
• Experience using and analyzing data, quality assurance findings, and practice trends to drive service improvements and practice innovation.
• Understanding and experience conducting of the internal and administrative review process. 

Minimum recruitment standards  outline the minimum education and experience required for appointments to a job classification.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process

This link will assist you with understanding competencies:
https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

In addition to the APS Competencies, the following practice competencies are essential for success in this role:

• Advanced Child Intervention Practice: Demonstrates advanced proficiency in Child Intervention Practitioner competencies and applies the Child Intervention Practice Framework to support and guide staff practice.
• Mindfulness and Self-Reflection: Practices self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and reflective decision-making to support effective leadership and professional growth.
  Outcome-Focused Leadership: Leads with a focus on Child Intervention priorities and outcomes, demonstrating accountability, sound judgment, and commitment to achieving positive results for children and families.
• Relationship Building and Engagement: Builds trust-based relationships that inspire, support, coach, and empower staff while fostering collaboration and positive workplace culture.
• Continuous Improvement and Innovation: Identifies opportunities for improvement, embraces change, and supports the implementation of organizational initiatives with flexibility and creativity.
• Coaching and Development: Promotes learning, self-reflection, and professional growth by strengthening the skills and practice of others.
• Effective Communication: Demonstrates strong verbal and written communication skills, active listening, and respectful, solution-focused engagement with staff and stakeholders.

Notes

We are currently recruiting to 1 permanent position.

Hours of Work: Monday to Friday, 36.25 hours per week. (The role may require additional hours beyond the regular workday, including weekends, on-call duties, and travel as necessary.)

Location: Preference will be a location within the North Region.

Preference would be for the successful candidate to reside in the North Region. Relocation support will be considered. The successful candidate will be required to frequently travel to the designated office location they will be supporting as part of their role responsibilities.

Role Requirements:

• This role requires that you have a valid Class 5 Driver's License and access to a reliable vehicle.
• The ability to travel within the region is required.
• As per the Health Professions Act successful applicants must: be registered and maintain their registration with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).
• Must hold current delegation or have been previously delegated under the Alberta Child and Youth Family Enhancement Act.
• Internal Candidates must have completed or be in the process of completing the Foundations, and Relationship and Culture pathways in the Ministry’s ICUF to be considered for the role. You may be asked to confirm training completion as part of your application.

Application Requirements:

• Complete all pre-screening questions.
• A cover letter outlining why you are applying for this role and how your experience relates to the qualifications is required.
• In your resume, please include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. For example, January 2006 – June 2009 (part-time). This example is provided for illustrative purposes only. Applicants are encouraged to present their information clearly and thoroughly, using a format that best conveys their experience.
• Candidates will require a clear Criminal Record Check and Intervention Record Check (if applicable) to be considered for the role (if not currently in the Child Intervention Delivery Services Branch).
• Please be advised that your current supervisor and manager will be contacted as references.

 
The final candidate for this position will undergo appropriate pre-employment checks and provide suitable security screening.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

• Working for the Alberta Public Service
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP)  OR Management Employee Pension Plan (MEPP)
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information
• Professional learning and development
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.