Relating to requiring the Department of Human Services to establish a pilot program to contract for supplemental caseworker aide services for the Bureau for Social Services

New aides support child welfare caseworkers

West Virginia’s Department of Human Services must establish a caseworker aide pilot within 90 days after the section takes effect. It must contract with one or more qualified private providers to supplement Bureau for Social Services staff. Aides use a human services technology platform for administrative work, aiming to give staff more time with children and families. The pilot covers one or more districts totaling no more than three counties. Selection criteria include caseloads above state or federal guidelines, persistent child welfare job vacancies, or unusually high out-of-state child placements. The pilot lasts 15 months after contract signing: three months to set priorities and workflows, then one year of operation. Aides must meet substantially equivalent education, experience, training, and background-check standards as department caseworkers and aides. They follow department policies and oversight; the department keeps authority over supervision and case decisions. Before the pilot ends, the department must report implementation, results, costs, and recommendations to the Joint Committee on Health. It may continue or expand the pilot statewide only if evaluation shows improved case management capacity or outcomes.