The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), formerly part of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), announced vast vacancy improvements to the Child Protective Services (CPS) and Youth Services (YS) workforce within its Bureau for Social Services (BSS).
Governor Jim Justice outlined the improvements in his Friday
briefing.
"The work that our new West Virginia Department of Human Services has done to recruit and hire more CPS workers is unbelievable," Gov. Justice said. "We're really trying to get those vacancies down because there are folks who really need us, and they need us badly. So congratulations, Cynthia, and congratulations, Jeff, on the success. Keep sawing the wood and doing the good work for all of us."
As of November 30, 2023, there were 79 vacant CPS Worker (CPSW) positions out of 458, marking a more than 47% vacancy reduction from the previous year, which saw 150 vacant CPS worker positions, out of 455 on November 30, 2022. Youth Services Worker (YSW) positions also saw an 80% vacancy reduction with nine vacant positions out of 124, compared to 45 vacant positions out of 127 from the previous year.
“We stand at a pivotal moment for child protection in our state, and I am pleased to share that through the strategic efforts of Governor Justice and commitment of the DoHS leadership, we have achieved significant enhancements in our Child Protective Services and Youth Services workforce,” said Cynthia Persily, Ph.D., Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Human Services.
DoHS’s BSS increased its workforce to better respond to an increasing number of child welfare abuse and/or neglect referrals. BSS’s Centralized Intake received roughly 40,000 referrals in 2023.
“We are committed to ensuring the well-being of our children and youth, and these improvements reflect our dedication to building a strong and capable workforce which serves as the backbone of our mission,” said Jeff Pack, Commissioner of DoHS’ Bureau for Social Services.
To view and apply for career opportunities to support West Virginia families, visit
https://dhhr.wv.gov/Pages/Career-Opportunities---Social-Services-and-Health-Facilities.aspx.