Within SWORPS, the Tennessee Child Support Employment and Parenting Program (TCSEPP) Regional Coordinator builds a strong evidence-informed and trauma-informed practice that assists, supports, and advocates for non-custodial parents involved with the child support system. The Regional Coordinator, based in East Tennessee, assists non-custodial parents with overcoming barriers to employment in order to become stable, obtain employment, pay child support, become self-sufficient, and be an active parent in their child(ren)’s lives. The Regional Coordinator works with non-custodial parents to promote trust and communication between them and the systems with which they interact, as well as, when possible and appropriate, with the children and custodial parents. The Regional Coordinator also weaves together a supportive network of formal and informal community-based resources for non-custodial parents and provides outreach and education to non-custodial parents and the community-at-large.

This position reports to a TCSEPP Manager and is responsible for providing coverage and program continuity in counties where a TCSEPP Coordinator is temporarily unavailable (e.g., due to leave or vacancy). The Regional Coordinator will cover assigned counties within their region as needed in support of TCSEPP operations.

Hiring multiple positions.

This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon the continued funding of the grant.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree
• Experience: Two years of customer/client direct service (case management) experience. In lieu of a degree, candidates with two additional years experience will be considered.
• An automobile at his/her disposal; a valid driver’s license and a current automobile liability policy with continuous coverage.
• Must live within two hours of all the assigned coverage area.
• Must be willing and able to travel frequently across their assigned region of Tennessee to provide short-term program coverage.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: Ability to assess participant needs; Ability to develop positive & trusting relationships with participants and offer emotional support; Ability to positively interact with partners including child support, court, attorneys, etc.; Ability to promote the program to potential participants, partners, and employers; Ability to advocate for participants; Ability to work independently and within a team setting; Ability to travel to multiple counties to serve participants ; Ability to be flexible with respect to changing needs of the project; Excellent oral communication skills; Proficiency with Microsoft Office; Ability to work independently and in team settings; Experience with data management systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience:
  • Experience working with non-custodial parents and/or Employment programs.
  • Experience working with community groups and/or social service organizations.

Work Location

• Location: This position is hybrid and requires travel throughout East Tennessee.

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR07
• Anticipated hiring range: Around midpoint of the range
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

Applications will be reviewed as received and interviews can begin as soon as 7 days from posting.

Interested individuals should provide the following:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 Professional References

About The College/Department/Division

The Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS) is an applied research center of the University of Tennessee College of Social Work (CSW). We are a dynamic and close-knit interdisciplinary team of individuals with a shared vision of thriving communities with equitable outcomes for all. We do that by building partnerships that leverage research, technology, and human connection to improve lives in Tennessee and beyond.

Over the past fifty years, SWORPS has worked with local nonprofits such as the United Way of Greater Knoxville, University of Tennessee departments and faculty researchers, state agencies such as the Tennessee Department of Human Services, and federal agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Our annual portfolio consists of 25-40 sponsored projects spanning a wealth of different content areas, but one common thread -each project contributes one more building block for thriving communities with equitable outcomes for all.

Learn more about SWORPS and some of our programs and resources by visiting our webpage: https://www.sworps.tennessee.edu/

The TCSEPP Regional Coordinator responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Determine participant eligibility.
• Properly assess participants' barriers and make appropriate referrals for identified barriers.
• Develop individual action plans for participants.
• Provide one-on-one mentoring and emotional support and encouragement to participants to assist them with job readiness activities.
• Maintain accurate records of all participant interactions in appropriate places, i.e. TCSES, Apricot, Excel spreadsheet, etc.
• Monitor participants' child support eligibility & payments; program involvement & compliance, and employment.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with local agencies to assist participants with barriers to employment.
• Attend community interagency meetings to learn about and share available resources and information.
• Participate in partner meetings.
• Provide regular updates to manager for Child Support staff and attorneys on participant progress.
• Maintain a court presence to foster a positive relationship with the Child Support legal system and to recruit and/or enroll potential participants.
• Participate in job/resource fairs.
• Communicate with the manager about county specific issues encountered during coverage to support smooth transitions when permanent staff return.
• Documentation of participant progress.
• Fiscal tasks including but not limited to One Card reconciliation and uploading & documenting receipts, monthly gift card reconciliation, and travel reports.
• Other duties as assigned which may include but not limited to participating on new hire search committees and participating in testing for new processes/forms.