ADULT PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATOR-MIAMI - DADE COUNTY

Requisition No: 858449 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: ADULT PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATOR - 60024693

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 60024693 

Salary:  $37,000.08 annually / $1,423.07 bi-weekly 

Posting Closing Date: 08/14/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Adult Protective Investigator

Department of Children and Families

Miami - Dade County, Florida

Open Competitive

This posting will be used to fill position vacancies in OPS or Career Service.

Current employees will be compensated in accordance with the DCF salary policy.

How you will make an impact:

This professional position investigates allegations of abuse, neglect, self-neglect and financial exploitation against vulnerable adults and the mitigation of the risk factors involved. Clients served include those residing in the community and alternative care facilities. Vulnerable adults in crisis need quick action from strong, compassionate individuals dedicated to ensuring their safety. This demanding and challenging career could be your opportunity to speak for those adults who cannot protect themselves and fight to help ensure their safety and independence.

What you will do:

• Be part of a team dedicated to protecting Florida’s vulnerable adults by meeting Florida’s nationally leading standards for Adult Protective Services’ investigations and protections for vulnerable adults.
• Your first priority will be the vulnerable adult’s safety.
• To assess safety concerns and mental capacity, you will meet with the vulnerable adult in person within 24 hours of receiving a report.
• When necessary, you will coordinate emergency services including medical evaluations, temporary placement, and court intervention when the person cannot make decisions for themselves.
• Investigate allegations of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation and work to prevent it from reoccurring.
• Gather critical information about vulnerable adults and others involved in the case through interviews, observations, and analysis of criminal history, prior APS involvement, and records uncovered during the investigations.
• Coordinate with state agencies, law enforcement, and prosecutors to provide justice for vulnerable adults.
• Connect vulnerable adults with agency and community resources to wrap around services needed to improve their quality of life and often saving them from the worst outcomes.
• Build relationships with organizations involved with adult protective investigations such as community services, advocacy groups, law enforcement, medical personnel, and other community resources.

Growth Opportunities:

At the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), we believe in investing in our highly skilled workforce. Through our Career Ladder program, you will have the opportunity to increase your salary by completing a series of targeted courses designed to enhance your knowledge and expertise in Adult Protective Services and professional development. After one year of successful employment, you will be eligible to participate and upon completion, receive a salary increase.

With 12,000 employees across the state DCF promotes opportunities and training for all.  Our jobs are among the most challenging, complex, and difficult in State government. They are also among the most rewarding. All employees are encouraged to take advantage of available Department opportunities for advancement and professional development.

Qualifications:

• A high school diploma or GED equivalent and four years of law enforcement experience or active military service (honorably discharged or status that current service reflects serving honorably); or
• An associate degree or 60+ credit hours from an accredited college or university and two years of professional work experience (see examples below) or two years of law enforcement experience or active military service (honorably discharged or status that current service reflects serving honorably); or

Examples of professional work experience could be, although not limited to: 

Guardian Ad Litem or similar child advocate role 

Family Support Worker  

Group Home Worker 

Teacher's Assistant/Aide 

Daycare Provider/Worker 

Therapeutic Assistant 

Behavioral Health Technician 

Family Intervention Specialist  

Home Health Aide 

Nurse (LPN or RN) or similar profession 

Nursing Facility Assistant  

EMT 

Other welfare, education or medical professional jobs that occur in high-paced, high-stress environments that require critical decision-making to occur.

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

An official letter from the college/university registrar or unofficial transcriptions with anticipated graduation dates and credits earned must be provided for all diploma/degree requirements. 

Proof of conferred degree such as official transcripts or copy of diploma/degree must be provided within 30 days of hire as a condition of employment.

• Valid Driver License; and
• Must possess operational private vehicle for use in the performance of daily work activities. Selected candidates are required to provide proof of vehicle registration and documentation of the appropriate insurance coverage within 30 days of employment as a condition of employment. The Department provides a Vehicle Insurance Allowance to assist with the cost of insurance coverage due to the use of private vehicle for work purposes.
• Ability to attend a 6-8-week mandatory training course.

Special Notes:

• Language proficiency may be considered in the selection process as determined by Agency needs at the time of selection.
• May require successful completion of pre-interview assessment or work sample to be eligible for interview.

Additional Information/Requirements

• This position will require night, weekend, and holiday work.  It has also been designated as an essential position. 
• Incumbents are expected to work during emergency situations or natural disasters and may be required to work before, during and beyond normal work hours/days.
• Incumbents may be exposed to possible hazardous conditions in the field.

BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUIREMENT:  It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any candidate being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment, and also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and, if applicable, Chapter 408, F.S.  Employment may be terminated based on the background investigation results if the candidate begins employment before the background results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Department.  

Background investigations shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and national criminal records check through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.  Employees will be retained in state and national rap back program, providing real-time arrest hit notifications.   

SELECTIVE SERVICE:  Male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS) before their 26th birthday or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS.  Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.  For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Following policy and procedures, managing time, assessing, planning, intervening, evaluating, documenting, engaging, teaming, taking appropriate actions related to domestic violence, mental health, and/or substance abuse, establishing effective relationships with colleagues, professional competencies.