Lead Social Service Specialist: Child Welfare & Training

State of Washington Dept of Children, Youth, and Families; Richland (WA); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

State of Washington Dept of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in Richland, WA seeks a Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4) to lead Intake, Placement, CHET, and related duties. This role supports child safety and staff development, with a hybrid schedule including in-person office work and telework.

The successful candidate will mentor staff, supervise complex cases, and participate in court hearings as needed, ensuring high-quality service delivery and compliance.

Qualifications

• Seven years of paid social service experience, including at least one year assessing risk and safety to children and providing direct family-centered services.
• 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline or higher.
• Two years of paid social service experience in planning, administering, developing, or delivering public child welfare, social, health, or chemical dependency treatment programs (Masters case).

Responsibilities

• Provide on-the-job training, mentoring, coaching, and consultation to staff.
• Lead staff transitioning from formal training to fieldwork.
• Assign work, review for efficiency, and use data to identify trends and ensure policy compliance.
• Serve as Lead Specialist on the most complex cases.
• Provide feedback for performance evaluations and training needs.

Skills

Action to learn and grow

Action to meet needs of others

Education

Master's degree in social services or related field

Bachelor's degree in social services or related field

30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline

Job description

State of Washington Dept of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in Richland, WA seeks a Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4) to lead Intake, Placement, CHET, and related duties. This role supports child safety and staff development, with a hybrid schedule including in-person office work and telework.

The successful candidate will mentor staff, supervise complex cases, and participate in court hearings as needed, ensuring high-quality service delivery and compliance.