At KVC Nebraska, we know we all need connection — our team members included! KVC social workers, mental health professionals and administrative support employees are integral to achieving our mission by serving children, teens, adults and families across our communities. 

We are hiring team members across our foster care, developmental disability and in-home services departments to help us continue the important work of empowering children, teens and families as well as individuals with disabilities. We’re actively hiring for these crucial roles! Find a full list of opportunities and apply here.

When you’re searching for social work careers, we know that finding both passion and support is crucial for your satisfaction and success. So, what does it look like to work at KVC? Team members Annesia T., Shady S., Lauren P. and Travis C. provide an inside look at our social work careers.

Value and Variety 

Lauren P., Foster Care Supervisor

Foster Care Supervisor Lauren P. enjoys how her work with KVC Nebraska allows her to exercise all different areas of expertise — and appreciates how KVC values her unique contributions. “Every day, I get to use my talents differently,” Lauren says. “Whether that’s crisis intervention, problem-solving or getting to use my brain in creative ways.”

Annesia T. is a Recruitment Coordinator for foster parents in Nebraska. She often spends her days on home visits, assisting with training and leading events to spread the word about KVC. “I’ve felt super comfortable here from my first day,” she notes. Annesia finds value in KVC’s organized, strategic approach, and also appreciates how she always knows what her KVC team members expect of her. 

When Shady S., Administrative Assistant, was looking for her next professional opportunity, she felt a sense of belonging at KVC from the very beginning. “When I came in and interviewed, I felt very welcomed. I have found that, here, I can take care of myself while taking care of others.”

Co-Workers Become Family 

Our Lincoln CPA team and their four-legged friends on a walk around Holmes Lake.

At KVC, we’re grateful to have cultivated an atmosphere of belonging and inclusivity, which Shady has experienced first-hand. “It’s more of a family than departments here,” Shady shares. When Shady has needed to take time off, she’s always felt supported.  

For more than 10 years, Lauren has enjoyed building relationships with her coworkers. “I’ve developed some great friendships. We’ve been there for each other through the good times and the bad times, personally and professionally. In fact, one of my coworkers introduced me to my husband!” Lauren smiles. 

For Annesia, the difference in her social work career is in how KVC cares. That feeling of belonging started in her first few days. “During onboarding, we were asked questions like, ‘What’s your favorite snack? What’s your favorite candy?’ On the first day, the supervisor handed me my favorite snacks and I was immediately impressed!”

Building Team Trust

KVC builds trust with team members through biannual Town Halls, quarterly all-staff meetings and frequent team meetings to ensure everyone has the support they need to succeed. We help employees feel energized in their jobs and lives by recognizing their accomplishments. We ensure team member voices are heard with Gallup’s research-based Q12 employee engagement survey twice per year. Then each team discusses the survey results together and makes an action plan based on their conversations.

Travis C., Foster Care Specialist

KVC proudly offers an open-door policy. This allows employees to share their ideas, opinions and concerns with the understanding that leaders will listen and address them.

“Leadership genuinely listens to what I have to say and cares about me as a person,” said Travis C., Foster Care Specialist. “KVC is a place that recognizes my worth and capabilities, when I sometimes struggle to see it myself.”

Hearing Every Voice

Feeling like you belong at your organization and knowing your voice matters are vital to enjoying your work. At KVC, we’re committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) efforts that unite our team members and empower our clients.

As a Native American and formerly part of the foster care system herself, Shady has appreciated being a part of making KVC training more inclusive. “They asked me questions about updating training and increasing their awareness,” Shady said. “I feel very included that KVC is interested in different cultures and that I can even play a part in that.”

Lauren has also seen KVC’s actions match our diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging goals. “KVC dove in head first, acknowledging that we have work to do, making plans and actually taking action.”

KVC leadership has enacted numerous initiatives to welcome all who enter our organization. Some of these efforts include addressing racial disparities in foster care, participating in diverse community groups, training team members and communicating with clients and supporters in regular feedback surveys. And we look forward to continuing our work to make KVC better every day.

Diverse Perspectives Drive KVC

Taylor C., Program Support Specialist

KVC Nebraska is committed to being a great place to work. With that in mind, we’re focused on cultivating a healthy, inclusive and supportive culture. Every day, we strive to show our appreciation for our team members with our Kindness Changes Lives initiative, and create an environment of inclusion and belonging for team members and the families and individuals we serve with an intentional focus on DEIB.

One of our values is, “Diverse perspectives are key to our progress.” By putting DEIB in the foreground, we are having important conversations that spark innovation and healthy change in KVC culture. Our local DEIB council meets frequently to discuss urgent and strategic needs and initiatives on a regular basis to ensure that their commitment to DEIB efforts stay a top priority. Earlier this year, KVC Nebraska joined KVC Health Systems’ family of nonprofit organizations in signing the CEO Action for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Pledge. This pledge solidifies KVC’s deep commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in our workplace.

Purpose and Passion Unite

Kelli A., CPA Training Specialist, and Liz B.-H., Licensing Specialist

To encourage professional growth, we often promote from within – allowing team members to achieve their career goals. KVC offers a tuition reimbursement benefit, encouraging employees to continue their education with less worry of how to pay for it. We also provide frequent training opportunities to help our social workers, therapists and other team members improve their professional skills and cultivate dedication to continuous learning. 

For Annesia, purpose is top of mind, as a recent placement meeting affirmed how her work has given her that critical sense of purpose. “It made me realize how important my position is in terms of recruiting foster parents,” she shares.

Just like foster parents are critical to our mission, the employees who recruit and support them are just as important. KVC’s mission unites our team and creates meaningful career satisfaction and work happiness in seeing how impactful their jobs are for so many children, individuals and families. 

A Mission-Driven, Enjoyable Place to Work 

Social work careers can certainly be stressful at times. Yet Lauren acknowledges the hard work KVC has done to ensure a stress-free work environment. As a member of KVC Nebraska’s Wellbeing Committee, Lauren often leads initiatives to help team members live happy, energized lives. “I love the work we’re doing to ensure that our team members are living healthy lives,” Lauren says. “And we’re doing it in really fun and creative ways.”

One aspect of KVC Nebraska that Shady values is flexibility. While it may sound small, the flexibility has made a big difference in Shady’s life. She enjoys swimming as a form of exercise, and KVC’s flexible schedule allows her to do so during her workday sometimes. “There’s nothing better than coming back to work from a great workout,” Shady says. “I feel like my productivity is higher, and my stress levels are down. Then I’m really ready to refocus my energy and continue with my day in a better mood.”

Annesia T., Recruitment Coordinator

“It really does not feel like a chore to go to work,” Annesia adds. “It’s very refreshing to not dread going to work, and my supervisor always encourages me if I need to take a break. Honestly, I really enjoy working for KVC.”

Apply Now: Open Social Work Careers at KVC

After hearing from our wonderful staff, it may be no surprise that a national survey shows people who work at KVC are significantly more engaged and satisfied than the average employee. We believe that’s because of our commitment to our mission, flexibility, welcoming culture and robust benefits. 

We understand the importance and the challenges of social work careers. That’s why we strive to build a positive environment that uplifts and empowers the people who work with us. We’re proud to offer a robust benefits package including competitive compensation, a 403(b) Retirement Plan with immediate company match and only a one-year vesting period requirement, tuition reimbursement, generous paid time off and holidays, and more. 

Our KVC team is growing! Check out what open social work careers we have now. When you join the KVC team, you’ll see that we value your opinions and we’re committed to a supportive culture where everyone belongs. Is KVC the right place for you? Learn more about social work careers at KVC today.