Family Services Specialist III (Child Welfare)

Commonwealth of Virginia; York and North Yorkshire; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A Virginia-based government department is seeking a Family Services Specialist III to join their Child Protective Services unit. This role involves considerable work in Foster Care and child welfare programs, providing direct support to children and families. Candidates will need a Bachelor's in Human Services and at least two years of related experience. Offering a full-time position with a hiring range of $40,693-$80,000 and comprehensive benefits including medical and dental insurance, as well as the possibility of hybrid telework after six months.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefit package

Medical and dental insurance

Flexible spending accounts

Paid holidays and leave

Qualifications

• Considerable knowledge of social work principles and practices.
• Ability to interview, assess needs, and provide appropriate services.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Responsibilities

• Conduct safety and risk assessments.
• Provide direct services to children and their families.
• Coordinate with various professionals and agencies.
• Perform investigative duties regarding child welfare.

Skills

Child welfare programs knowledge

Interviewing techniques

Communication

Case management

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Services

BSW or MSW degree

Job description

Full Time or Part Time : Full Time

Family Services Specialist III

Qualified candidates will need to have considerable knowledgeable and job experience in areas of child welfare programs and policy to include Foster Care, Child Protective Services, Adoption, Resources Families and ICPC. The individual will be responsible for on-call duties as part of a unit rotation. Lastly, CPSIntake will be performed several times throughout the month.

Hiring Range : $40,693-80,000 - The York-Poquoson Department of Social Services offers a comprehensive benefit package for full-time employees to include medical and dental insurance, health savings accounts, VRS retirement, group life insurance, and deferred compensation, flexible spending accounts, employee assistance program, paid holidays and paid leave. This position will have the ability for hybrid telework after completion of six months of employment.

The York-Poquoson Department of Social Services is hiring a Family Services Specialist III the child welfare team. This position will work primarily in Foster Care, but may perform other complex duties to include Resource Family Approvals, ICPC, In-Home, Family Support and Child Protective Services Family Assessments and Investigations. You will be providing direct services to children, parents, and caretakers to achieve permanency and / or stability, and strengthen families. This position performs safety and risk assessments and identifies risk factors to the child as well as the ability of the caretaker to ensure protection and safety.

Title Description

The Family Services Specialist III with the Child Protective Services unit, is a professional position under the supervision of a Family Services Supervisor that performs in program areas and assumes more complex duties such as : interviewing / investigating in cases involving suspected child abuse, neglect, out-of-home placements, guardianships, emergency removal and protective orders, testifying in legal proceedings; and placing children in foster / adoptive homes. Employees have contact with others and influence outcomes by participating in task force, strategic planning, mentoring, teaching and conducting outreach. Develops and implement services plans for children and caretakers. Employees will maintain records through the course of the client’s service relationship with the agency. Performs work with specific ancillary agencies such as Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts, Law Enforcement agencies and mental health professionals. Will perform any other assigned duties.

General Work Tasks (Illustrative Only)

• Monitors, coordinates and administers specific assigned programs; CPS, FC, Resource Families, ICPC and Adoption
• Coordinates services within specific area of responsibility;
• Writes service plans, and presents cases to determine appropriate services;
• Tracks expenditures, prepares / submits budget estimates and ensures payment for services;
• Interprets laws, policies and regulations as applied to specific area of responsibility;
• Completes necessary federal, state and local planning and reporting requirements;
• Provides case management services to monitor compliance;
• Provides foster care casework services;
• Trains foster parents; submits progress reports to the court;
• Refers families to treatment resources within the community;
• Transports children to placements, meetings, therapy sessions, doctor and dental appointments, and for visitation with families;
• Attends court, testifies in court and coordinates cases with attorneys;
• Informs clients of service programs and the rules and regulations, and right to participate;
• Conducts overall monitoring of programs in specific area of responsibility;
• Serves as resource to clients and the community in area of expertise;
• Provides after hours on-call coverage and responds to emergencies in child / adult protective services and / or foster care;
• Performs investigative duties to include screens referrals for validity;
• Interviews all parties involved; assesses immediate and long-term dangers / risks to children;
• Develops written services plan documenting goals, objectives and details of the services provided for each case;
• Provides program administration and caseload management services;
• Conducts visits and maintains contact with other professionals;
• Testifies in criminal and civil cases; prepares court ordered home assessments and custody home studies;
• Establishes and maintains case records;
• Codes, enters and updates new and on-going cases in the state computer information system; and
• Acts as team lead for the child welfare unit in the Supervisor’s absence
• Represents the agency at various functions such as making speeches at civic and business associations, providing training and workshops on child / adult abuse and neglect for public and private organizations

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge- Considerable knowledge of : social work principles and practices; human behavior and motivational theory; laws, policies, and regulations relating to human services program areas; investigating and interviewing techniques; legal procedures as related to program area; and social, economic, and health problems.

Skills- Operating a motor vehicle and personal computer with associated software, in positive and solution based approaches to problem solving.

Abilities- Demonstrated ability to : communicate effectively both orally and in writing; interview, assess needs, counsel and refer clients to other resources as needed; develop and implement service plans in order to insure the delivery of appropriate services to the client; make sound judgments within the framework of existing laws, policies, and regulations; respond to the client's emotions in order to accomplish services objectives; plan and manage own work activities including service delivery preparing reports, and correspondence, record keeping responsibilities and related activities; establish and maintain effective relationships; and stay abreast of current trends and developments in the social work field.

Education and Experience

Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in a Human Services field or minimum of a Bachelor's degree in any field with a minimum of two years of appropriate and related experience in a Human Services area as mandated in Section 22VAC40-670-20 of the Administrative Code of Virginia and implemented by the Virginia Board of Social Services. Possession of a BSW or MSW degree and a Commonwealth of Virginia Social Worker license are desirable.

Minimum Qualifications

Some knowledge of social work principles and practices and community resources; local, state, and federal regulations and mandates, philosophies, and laws regarding the delivery of child welfare and adult services; human behavior and motivational theory; and social, economic, and health problems. Fundamental knowledge of medical / mental disorders and family dynamics.

Preferred Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in social work or another human services field; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. Preferred: two years of social work experience in public child welfare, foster care and adoption services and a master's degree in social work.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to include the ability to interact with a diverse population
• Outstanding public speaking and presentation skills, especially for court interventions
• Assertive and confident - especially when being challenged
• Independent thinker and decision maker
• Strong computer skills
• Ability to deal effectively with conflict
• A real commitment to the safety of children and to York-Poquoson Department of Social Services
• Prefer experience providing direct services in Foster Care, CPS, Resource Family approval, ICPC and Adoptions.
• Prefer previous work experience in the Local Department of Social Services.
• Prefer work experience in more than one of the following program areas : Foster Care, Adoption, ICPC, Family Support, Resource Family Approvals, CPS, APS, and Adult Services.
• Prefer completion of required trainings in the Virginia Learning Center.
• Prefer experience testifying in court.
• Prefer experience in a lead worker or supervisory role providing guidance and training to other staff.
• Prior work experience utilizing OASIS.
• CAN's Certification, VEMAT Rater, FPM Facilitator

Special Requirements

Applicants must have a valid Virginia driver’s license without restrictions and the driving record must meet agency standards on or before the hire date.

Applicants must also meet a level of insurability set by the agency.

On-call work, after hours and weekends, are required on a rotating basis, therefore, applicants must live within a 1-hour drive of the agency.

Responsible for shelter duty during times of disaster.

Applicants may be subject to a Criminal History Background search, Central Registry search,DMV / driving record check, and / or pre-employment drug screen.

The investigation may include : fingerprint checks (State Police,FBI), local agency checks, employment verification and references, verification of education (relevant to employment), credit checks (relevant to employment) and other checks requested by the hiring authority.

This position is covered under Code of Virginia §63.2-1601.1 or §63.2-1720 requiring the finalist candidate to submit to fingerprinting and provide personal descriptive information for a criminal history record check through the Central Criminal Records Exchange and a search of the Central Registry.

All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory results of the required checks and screenings.

Employee must be willing to work in the community emergency shelter in the event of a natural disaster or emergency.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Applicants are encouraged to provide a complete listing of work experience and qualifications on the application and / or resume. Applications for this position must be submitted electronically through this website. The website will provide a confirmation of receipt when the application is submitted for consideration. Consideration for an interview is based solely on the information within the application. Please refer to your account for the status of your application and this position.