Human Services Supervisor

Welcome to La Crosse County — Where Your Work Truly Matters Every day, our unique teams contribute to our vision of a community that is vibrant, safe, and resilient. Whether you're supporting families, safeguarding natural resources, maintaining infrastructure, or delivering essential services, your work here creates real impact for the people who live, work, and visit our county.

What You’ll Gain by Joining Us A Future You Can Count On: Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), one of the most respected pension programs in the nation. Reliable, Affordable Coverage: Countywide insurance plans plus growing access to local, no-cost care options for everyday health needs. Time Off That Works For You: You’ll have two dedicated banks of vacation and sick time, giving you the freedom to plan real downtime when you need it—and the peace of mind to take care of yourself when you’re under the weather.

Start earning vacation and sick time your very first day Bank up to 2× your annual vacation accrual Build up to 150 sick days as a full time employee A Place Where Everyone Belongs We believe our workforce should reflect the community we serve. We’re committed to fostering a culture of respect, inclusion, and belonging—because diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes for everyone.

Overview

Exempt. This is a supervisory position in the Economic Support Section of the Human Services Department. Employee works within the multi-county Western Region for Economic Assistance Consortium. Employee in this class is responsible for the administration of Income Maintenance, Wisconsin Shares and related programs by overseeing consortium staff in adhering to county, state and federal rules and regulations.

Employee works under moderate supervision and exercises considerable independent judgment in interpretation of policy, procedures and applications. Employee is selected by the Economic Support Manager, Assistant Manager and Human Services Director. Essential Leadership Functions Act with Integrity and Build Trust Demonstrate mutual respect, humility, and honesty in all interactions Speak up appropriately, even when expressing unpopular viewpoints Actively listen and remain open-minded to diverse perspectives Drive for Results Set clear goals and objectives to motivate self and others to achieve outcomes Seek new opportunities to improve processes and drive sustainable results Hold self and others accountable through consistent evaluation and monitoring Develop Talent and Effective Teams Foster a collaborative environment that encourages knowledge sharing and growth Provide mentorship and support to help self and others reach full potential Recognize and leverage diverse strengths within self and team Lead with Vision and Strategy Understand and communicate a compelling vision that aligns with organizational goals Develop and execute comprehensive strategies to achieve long-term objectives Connect daily work to the bigger picture, inspiring self and others to contribute meaningfully Lead with Paradoxical, Critical, and Agile Thinking Navigate complex situations by considering multiple perspectives Adapt quickly to changes and uncertainties in the work environment Make critical decisions using analytical skills, experience, and input from others Build and Maintain Effective Relationships Communicate and collaborate effectively with stakeholders across the organization Influence others through coaching, consulting, and team-minded thinking Develop and sustain partnerships that create positive outcomes for all stakeholders Cultivate Community Engagement and Provide Excellent Service Understand and address the needs and concerns of the community Incorporate community perspectives into decision-making processes Drive initiatives that create positive impacts beyond the organization Demonstrate Emotional Intelligence Show self-awareness and manage emotions effectively in challenging situations Seek and respond constructively to feedback, even in the face of setbacks Balance empathy with accountability when leading self and working with others Essential Job Functions Directs and supervises staff and day-to-day operations to ensure the consortium offers efficient and effective services that meet all county, state and federal rules and regulations.

Provides program supervision to Economic Support Specialists within assigned team/s. WREA Consortium. WREA teams are responsible for program service delivery. The teams consist of Family Related Program Services, Wisconsin Shares, Elderly and Disabled, Long Term Care, Training and Technical Assistance, and Program Integrity & Benefit Recovery.

Supervises the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) and staff, upon assignment. May provided backup supervision as needed. Utilizes the Cares Worker Web Workload Dashboard tool, Contact Center Anywhere software and State report systems. Distributes and monitors the consortium's work and adherence to required state and federal performance standards.

Responsible for successfully implementing program, policy, staffing and operational changes as needed. Tracks and shares monthly performance reports with consortium management and Board of Directors. Prepares reports and attends monthly county board and committee meetings as appropriate. Supervises staff's review of DHS and DCF online handbooks.

Educates staff on local work rules, practices and procedures. Trains assigned staff on Consortium workflow model. Monitors that staff follows established Consortium policies and processes, to ensure operational consistency among all consortium counties. As a member of the consortium's supervisory team, explores and makes recommendations for changes to improve the Consortium's performance.

Interviews, hires, supervises, evaluates and coordinates work of consortium staff and recommends them for advancement, retention or disciplinary action. Provides on-site and virtual staff support and supervision for staff of all other counties within the consortium. Coordinates with other consortium supervisors to complete performance evaluations for assigned staff.

Advises where work is inadequate and recommends training plans to overcome identified deficiencies, when appropriate. Regularly communicates with community stakeholders; seeks feedback to improve consortium operations. Oversees and acts as coordinator of distance-based new worker training provided by the Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Department of Children and Families.

Plans and develops WREA new worker training, ongoing training for experienced ES Specialists, and individualized training as needed. Regularly communications with contracted services providers to coordinate services and to ensure provider meets expectations under the contract. Participates in state meetings and represents the WREA Consortium on state committees and workgroups.

Presents oral and written reports relative to programs administered by the WREA Consortium. Prepares agendas and facilitates meetings and trainings for WREA, community partners and stakeholders. Employee is expected to report to work when scheduled, with minimum use of sick leave, to build up sick leave balance for income protection for unexpected illness.

This is a public service position, and employee is required to be courteous, cooperative and respectful at all times, with the public and clients. Also establishes and maintains a courteous, cooperative and respectful working relationship with other employees, supervisors, and public officials. Physical demands: Large percentage of time is spent sitting at desk, using oral communication, judgment, hearing, near vision, fingering for keyboarding and calculators, reading, writing.

Handles papers and manuals, etc., lifts files, copy paper and other office materials. Sits, stands, bends and reaches intermittently throughout the day. Regularly moves about the office building and travels to other offices or sites for meetings. Drives vehicle. Related Job Functions May be required to work nights, weekends, or during community emergencies and/or disasters, when work may vary from normal job responsibilities.

This job description is not intended to encompass every job duty or responsibility, but is only illustrative. This position is required to perform other duties as may be assigned or required. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Considerable knowledge of public assistance programs, Wisconsin and other federal public welfare programs and applicable rules and regulations governing these programs.

Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of employee supervision, and ability to effectively supervise staff. Knowledge of administrative techniques in the delegation of responsibility and coordination of various functions in an efficient and effective manner. Knowledge in the evaluation and analysis of employee performance and techniques of training.

Ability to use Call Center software and Cares Worker web reports to assess workflow and evaluate staff performance. Ability to create and maintain positive working relationships with County officials, the public and agency staff. Ability to effectively supervise the work of others. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Ability to clearly explain and train staff regarding complicated program regulations. Ability to travel and work in a variety of county Economic Support agencies within the Western Region for Economic Assistance (WREA) consortium. Training, Experience and Other Requirements Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Business Administration, or related.

May consider individual who has a related Associate Degree and has the appropriate experience and supervisory skills. Two years' experience in Economic Support programs or closely related programs. Excellent interpersonal and verbal presentation skills. Experience with Call Center operations a plus. Equal Opportunity Employer We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a workforce that reflects the community we serve.

Need an Accommodation? If you require a disability-related accommodation at any stage of the hiring process, reach out to Human Resources at jobs@lacrossecounty.org — we're here to help. Ready to Apply? Submit your application through our online career site. Please double-check your materials before submitting them; complete applications help us move quickly and give every candidate fair consideration.