Human Service Worker I

Austin Community College; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

A local educational institution in Virginia is seeking a professional for the Child Care Assistance and Referral (CCAR) Program. This role involves determining eligibility for child care services, assisting families, and coordinating with social service providers. A bachelor's degree is required, along with strong communication skills and the ability to manage a high caseload. This position offers a supportive work environment with opportunities for community engagement.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree.
• Experience in child care subsidy programs, early childhood development, or with low-income families.
• Professional experience in recordkeeping and data entry.
• Ability to handle high caseloads and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Determine eligibility for Child Care Assistance and Referral (CCAR) program.
• Conduct interviews with prospective families.
• Make referrals for other social services as needed.
• Uses automated systems to document and verify information.
• Participates in case staffing with other county staff.

Skills

Knowledge of basic human behavior and social problems

Effective communication skills

Ability to handle multiple deadlines and priorities

Excellent customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Electronic scanning

Job description

This position is located in the Pennino Building in Fairfax, Virginia, with possible weekly assignments in one of the Department of Family Services' Regional offices in South County (Alexandria), Reston or Annandale, Virginia. Performs all tasks related to determining eligibility of families for participation in the Child Care Assistance and Referral (CCAR) Program. Interviews prospective families to determine childcare needs. Requests documentary verification as required by established policies and procedures. Reviews and responds to all referrals from other units. Determines the need for other social services and makes referrals when appropriate. Provides childcare resource and referral information to members of the community who are searching for childcare. Duties are performed under the supervision of a Child Care Specialist III.

Illustrative Duties

• Learns, applies, explains and interprets federal, state, and local policies to clients, serviceproviders, attorneys, the public, and other interested parties;
• Performs client needs assessments in order to make appropriate referrals and connections to other services;
• Works with clients to assist with gathering the information required to establish eligibility;
• Compiles and maintains data and documents and may prepare written narratives to support eligibility determinations;
• Ensures timely processing of applications to meet client needs and program policy mandates;
• Uses automated technology to document, obtain and verify information to generate reports and authorize benefits and services for clients;
• Assists clients in obtaining the resources necessary to meet emergency needs;
• Assists clients in obtaining services and coordinates these with other service providers as needed;
• Coordinates and manages clients' participation in a variety of services;
• Participates in case staffing with other county staff or community organizations to assess and address needs of clients.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of basic human behavior and social problems;
• Ability to read, interpret and apply program policies and procedures;
• Ability to understand and apply federal, state and local laws governing public assistance and welfare reform;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
• Ability to make mathematical computations;
• Ability to schedule, organize and manage workload sufficiently to meet deadlines;
• Ability to use automated technology to establish and maintain case records;
• Ability to handle multiple deadlines, computer systems, high volume of client contact, high caseloads, and competing priorities;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, co-workers and other human service providers;
• Ability to work effectively with people under stress and those from various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds;
• Ability to maintain professional ethics related to confidentiality of client information;
• Ability to provide excellent customer service.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: 

• Graduation from an accredited four‑year college or university with a bachelor's degree.

Contingent upon the area of assignment, some positions within this class may require specific certification(s) prior to employment and/or the ability to acquire necessary certification(s) within a specified time period following employment. The certifications are identified in the position description and employment advertisement.

Certificates and Licenses Required

None.

Necessary Special Requirements

The appointee to the position must satisfactorily complete a criminal background check and a Child protective services check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four year college or university with a degree in early childhood education, early childhood development, social work, or family studies.
• Excellent oral and written skills.
• Experience in child care subsidy programs, early child hood development programs, and/or working with low income families.
• Ability to work with a high caseload and in an environment of competing priorities.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other human service providers.
• One year of experience in recordkeeping, data entry, eligibility determination, and/or customer service.
• Professional experience in Microsoft office suites and electronic scanning/filling system.

Physical Requirements

Ability to use automated technology. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

Selection Procedure

Panel interview and may include exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home — including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo‑European, and many others. We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/demographics/fairfax-county-general-overview).

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. [e-mail] EEO/AA/TTY.