Permanency/Adoptions Social Service Specialist 3 (SSS3) - Seattle/Rainier Valley

Washington State Health Care Authority; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 69,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

Washington State’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is seeking a Permanency/Adoptions Social Service Specialist 3 to manage a caseload of legally free youth on the path to permanency through adoption, guardianship, or other plans.

You will ensure health and education needs are met, remove barriers, recruit for permanent homes, and provide expert consultation to field offices within Region 4.

Qualifications

• Six (6) years of paid social service experience and 30 credits in a Social Service discipline.
• Bachelor’s degree in social services, with 30 credits in Social Service discipline and two (2) years of paid social service experience.
• Master’s degree in social services with 30 credits and one (1) year paid social service experience.
• One (1) year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 2.
• The ability to take action to learn and grow and to meet the needs of others.

Responsibilities

• Ensure timely permanency outcomes for all children on their caseload with an emphasis on adoptions.
• Meet all casework management directives required by law, policy, and mandates.
• Provide ongoing case management, service, permanency planning, and crisis intervention.
• Assess risk and safety; assess resource needs of the child, and provide placement, stabilization, and permanency supports.
• Help prepare and counsel children regarding permanent placement and adoption, and other potential permanent plans.
• Monitor the current placement and build a relationship with the child by conducting monthly health and safety visits.
• Utilize FamLink to document case activity and update case records.
• Consult with attorneys and court-appointed advocates, prepare court reports, and present testimony at court hearings.
• Conduct Child/family health and safety visits.
• Arrange/accommodate sibling visits when needed.
• Meet documentation and payment initiation requirements for accurate and timely entries into FamLink.
• Provide highly skilled assessments of adoptive applications.

Skills

One year of SS Specialist 2 experience

Action to learn and grow

Education

6+ years paid experience + 30 credits

Bachelor’s degree + 2 years paid experience

Master’s degree + 1 year paid experience

Ability to meet others’ needs

Job description

Our vision is to ensure that “Washington’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy—thriving physically, emotionally, and educationally, nurtured by family and community.”

Job Title: Permanency/Adoptions Social Service Specialist 3 (SSS3).

Location: Seattle/Rainier Valley, WA. - Region 4. This permanent full-time position is in the Adoptions Unit, in Rainer Valley, MLK Jr. Office. This position requires time in the field and in the office, as well as flexibility for some remote work. Transportation of children/youth is a part of this job. This position will travel within its assigned areas of work, with clients as required by cases, and to attend training and meetings.

Closes: 11/08/2026

Salary: $69,348 - $93,288 Annually. The salary listed does not include the additional 5% premium granted to all King County employees.

The Opportunity:

In this role, you will be assigned a caseload of legally free youth and responsible for assisting youth in achieving permanency and exiting foster care by adoption, guardianship, EFC, or APPLA. This role ensures youth's health and education needs are met, identifies and removes barriers to permanency, provides recruitment for those who are not in permanent homes, and facilitates the finalization of permanent plans. This role is responsible for having expert knowledge of permanency plans, policy, and law as well as best practices for permanency planning, to provide expert consultation and collaborative support to field offices for legally free youth in care within Region 4. This position provides day-to-day case management services to legally free children that span a vast geographical area in Western Washington. This position advocates and seeks permanency for legally free children by working with various private child placing/adoption agencies, as well as Northwest Adoption Exchange (NWAE), to find permanent homes for children in the child welfare system.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure timely permanency outcomes for all children on their caseload with an emphasis on adoptions.
• Meet all casework management directives required by law, policy, and mandates.
• Provide ongoing case management, service, permanency planning, and crisis intervention.
• Assess risk and safety; assess resource needs of the child, and provide placement, stabilization, and permanency supports.
• Help prepare and counsel children regarding permanent placement and adoption, and other potential permanent plans.
• Monitor the current placement and build a relationship with the child by conducting monthly health and safety visits.
• Utilize FamLink to document case activity and update case records.
• Consult with attorneys and court-appointed advocates, prepare court reports, and present testimony at court hearings.
• Conduct Child/family health and safety visits.
• Arrange/accommodate sibling visits when needed.
• Meet documentation and payment initiation requirements for accurate and timely entries into Famlink.
• Provide highly skilled assessments of adoptive applications.

Required Qualifications:

• Six (6) years of paid social service experience* AND 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline.
• Bachelor’s degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or any degree that includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline AND Two (2) years of paid social service experience*.
• Master’s degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or any degree which includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline AND One (1) year of paid social service experience*.
• One (1) year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 2.
• The ability to take action to learn and grow and to meet the needs of others.

*Paid Social Service experience must include at least one year of assessing risk and safety to children and providing direct family-centered practice services.

Preferred Experience:

• Completed a Master’s Degree in Social Work and have case management experience working with children.
• Previous experience in Child Welfare, such as: CPS, FAR, FRS, FVS, CFWS, Permanency/Adoptions.
• Experience assessing risk and safety regarding child abuse and neglect concerns or developing safety and service plans with families.
• Knowledge and familiarity with the local community and resources.
• Knowledge of applicable laws, rules, and policies on child protective and child welfare services.
• Experience with FamLink and documentation requirements.
• Experience using computer software programs such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel.

Supplemental Information:

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is committed to Washington’s children and youth growing up safe, healthy, and thriving. We invite all candidates to join us in our goal to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. If you are excited about this role but you believe that your education and/or experience might not align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment, but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.

This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). For more information: https://wfse.org/

Benefits eligibility for this position may be different than what’s listed in the benefits tab of this recruitment announcement. For more information on employee benefits eligibility, visit Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB).

This position requires a minimum of at least two years of driving experience and a valid driver’s license.

If you would like to request an accommodation throughout the application/interview process, contact DCYF Recruiter. If you're experiencing technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, call NEOGOV toll-free at [phone] or email [e-mail]. Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 360-664-1960.

DCYF participates in the federal E-Verify program. The selected candidate must provide proof of identity and authorization to work in the United States, consistent with E-Verify requirements, on their first day of employment.

2026-08904