Protective services intake specialists are the first line of defense to helping children and adults throughout Texas who are at risk of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. They experience human nature at its best and worst. They need to remain detached from very stressful situations.
Statewide Intake (SWI) operates a 24/7/365 centralized call center. Intake specialists are hired as teleworkers across the state. In accordance with state law and established policy and procedure, they process phone calls, internet reports, faxes, and mail, and refer each report to the correct program.
Sounds good, but what will I really be doing?
- Receiving phone calls and written reports regarding children, people who are elderly, and adults with disabilities in vulnerable situations.
- Staying calm and professional during intense and emotional situations.
- Working with little or no down-time between calls.
- Understanding all DFPS programs and following all policies and procedures.
- Quickly processing, assessing, and prioritizing reports as they come in.
- Processing an acceptable number of calls each day while producing high-quality reports.
- Completing all reports handled, daily. This is done no matter how long it takes.
- Providing callers with referrals for services outside DFPS.
- Documenting all relevant information and completing all required forms in a short amount of time.
- Working with a remote team in a supportive telework environment with periodic required onsite days at an office established given your location within the state.
- Attending trainings that support your development as an Intake Specialist and your growth within the agency.
Do I need a college degree?
To be an intake specialist, you must have:
- an accredited Bachelor's degree
- or an accredited Associate's degree plus two (2) years of relevant work experience
- or a combination of accredited college credit hours and relevant work experience as specified in the intake specialist job posting.
What would my salary be?
The starting salary for an intake specialist depends on your experience and qualifications and can be found in the intake specialist job posting. As you advance to Intake Specialist II, III, or IV, you may be eligible for a salary increase with each advance.
Will I get specific training on what to do?
Yes! New intake specialists receive classroom and on-the-job training. Supervisors and peers also provide ongoing mentoring and help.
Are there opportunities for career advancement?
Yes! In addition to three non-competitive career ladder upgrades available to intake specialists, there are many positions available at SWI to which an intake specialist can competitively apply for lateral career development or promotion.
Intake Specialists have the unique opportunity to master information from all DFPS programs, as well as other social services agencies including Health & Human Servicesand State Health Services.
When you join the Statewide Intake team, the doors to your social services career are wide open!
Conditions of Employment
Like all DFPS employees, you will have a criminal background check and a DFPS history check. You also must be able to type and have basic computer skills.