Protective Services Specialist 1/2/3 Juneau (063402)

State of Alaska; Juneau (AK); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Insurance Benefits

Retirement Benefits

Paid Leave

twelve paid holidays per year

Job summary

State of Alaska, Department of Family & Community Services, Office of Children's Services in Juneau, is recruiting for Protective Services Specialist 1/2/3 to investigate child abuse/neglect, develop intervention plans, and coordinate with families and partners. This field-based role may include in-home services, court reports, and placements as needed.

Successful candidates will demonstrate strong writing, independent workload management, and collaboration essential to safeguarding children.

Qualifications

• Analytical Thinking/Problem Solving: Uses a logical, systematic approach to address problems.
• Customer Service: Works with clients to assess needs and provide information or referrals.
• Integrity: Demonstrates high ethical standards and trustworthiness.
• Interpersonal Skills: Shows empathy and maintains effective relationships with diverse people.
• Oral Communication: Delivers clear information tailored to the audience.
• Writing: Uses correct English grammar and communicates succinctly in writing.
• Technical Credibility: Applies specialized knowledge per policy and procedure.

Responsibilities

• Investigate reports of child abuse/neglect and develop intervention plans.
• Coordinate with families, guardians, and community partners to ensure child safety.
• Gather information on family dynamics and document in reports for court use.
• Provide in-home services and, when needed, arrange placement with relatives or foster care.
• Work across units, including Investigations, Assessment, and Generalist roles.
• Travel within Alaska and participate in after-hours work as required.

Skills

Analytical Thinking

Customer Service

Integrity

Interpersonal Skills

Oral Communication

Writing

Technical Credibility

Job description

This position is currently under review as part of the Child Protection Services Study; therefore, the title and/or pay range currently assigned may be subject to change upon implementation of this class study.

The Department of Family & Community Services is recruiting for Protective Services Specialist 1/2/3 in Juneau!

This job class uses Competency Based minimum qualifications (MQs). Please read the Competency Based MQ instructions below to learn more.

Please check our residency definition to determine if you qualify.

Watch Office of Children’s Services Video Here: I AM OCS

What You Will Be Doing:

As a Protective Services Specialist (PSS), responsible for Child Protection Services in the Family Services unit, the Investigations & Assessment unit, or as Generalist covering both.

This case carrying position has a wide range of duties, including investigating reports of child abuse and/or neglect, prepare plans for intervention by soliciting the cooperation of the family and others, and gather information about family dynamics/functionality, develop plans to ensure child safety while assisting parents in addressing their diminished protective factors, place children out of the home with a relative or licensed foster home when necessary, provide ongoing and/or in-home services to families, write and submit reports to the Court, work closely with Tribal/Community Partners, frequent face-to-face and telephonic contact with parents and caregivers of children in custody and make referrals to other service providers and agencies.

OCS has opportunities across several units. During the hiring process, we work with applicants to match them with a position that best aligns with their strengths, experience, and interests.

Strong writing skills, the ability to manage your workload independently, and a collaborative approach are important in ensuring the safety and well-being of children throughout Alaska. Child protection work can involve making critical decisions in urgent situations. Staff must be prepared to respond quickly and confidently to protect children and maintain their own safety, including in situations that may involve potential physical risk.

Mission and Values/Culture:

The Mission of the Office of Children's Services is: Ensuring the safety, permanency and well-being of children by strengthening families, engaging communities, and partnering with Tribes.

The Office of Children's Services strives for a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and wellbeing are paramount and employees at all levels promote a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully.

Everything we do is underpinned by our Core Values Hope, Integrity, Respect and Empathy.

Benefits of Joining Our Team:

The Office of Children's Services is committed to an organizational culture that values each team member. We are committed to building and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment. We celebrate and value the diversity of our employees, partners, and families we serve.

• Insurance Benefits
• Retirement Benefits
• Paid Leave
• twelve paid holidays per year

Please see the benefits tab on this posting for more information.

Your first twelve months in the agency are probationary and considered a training period, with formal virtual training, on-the-job training with your supervisor, and with other colleagues.

While this is a field-based position that involves working in the community, part-time teleworking within the duty station may be an option upon eligibility.

The Working Environment You Can Expect:

The Office of Children’s Services in Juneau. For information on the Juneau community (including schools, hospitals, housing) please review the Alaska Community Profiles. The typical workweek may include some caseworker visits at school or in resource family homes, virtual and in-person court attendance, and working independently in an office setting. More information about the Juneau OCS location can be found on our website.

Work Schedule - The work we perform is critical and significantly impacts the communities we serve. As a result, the Office of Children’s Services (OCS) requires staff to work after hours and on-call, work in the evenings and weekends as well as weekdays, so overtime is also an expectation when deemed necessary.

Travel - Frequency of travel is expected to be 0-2 times a month or 0-2 times a year. There may be day trips and occasional overnight stays in rural conditions with some exposure to extreme weather conditions in the winter. Travel in outlying areas may involve small aircraft and overnight stays. Child protection work requires traveling both on the road system as well as required travel on small planes to rural villages in Alaska, often located significant distances apart in isolated communities.

Who We Are Looking For:

We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies:

• Self-Management: Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.
• Stress Tolerance: Deals calmly and effectively with high stress situations (for example, tight deadlines, hostile individuals, emergency situations, dangerous situations).
• Teamwork: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.

To view the general description and example of duties for the position please go to the following link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/alaska/classspecs?keywords=protective%20services%20specialist

If you can imagine yourself in this role, we encourage you to apply!

Competency Based Minimum Qualifications Instructions

Competency Description

This job class uses competency based minimum qualifications. Please ensure your application (through work history, volunteer experience (duties summary), training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.

• Analytical Thinking/Problem Solving: Uses a logical, systematic, and sequential approach to address problems or opportunities or manage a situation by drawing on one’s knowledge and experience base and calling on other references and resources as necessary.
• Customer Service: Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside State government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
• Integrity: Contributes to maintaining the integrity of the organization; displays high standards of ethical conduct and understands the impact of violating these standards on an organization, self, and others; is trustworthy.
• Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.
• Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
• Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.
• Technical Credibility: Understands and appropriately applies principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise.

equivalent to those typically gained by: Training in a social science, behavioral science, health science, guidance and counseling, or a closely related field and/or experience providing assistance, information or referrals to the general public related to social services, health care, or legal services; in child, adult, family, or group case management, licensing, or probation services; or providing care or services to delinquent juveniles.

“Typically gained by” means the prevalent, usual method of gaining the competencies expected for entry into the job.

“Training” and “education” in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, and on-the-job), from accredited and unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post‑secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.

equivalent to those typically gained by
Training in a social science, behavioral science, health science, guidance and counseling, or a closely related field and/or progressively responsible professional experience providing assistance, information or referrals to the general public related to social services, health care, or legal services; in child, adult, family, or group case management, licensing, or probation services; or providing care or services to delinquent juveniles.

“Progressively responsible” means indicating growth and/or advancement in complexity, difficulty, or level of responsibility.

“Professional experience” means work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment.

Special Note: Some positions require a valid Alaska driver's license and/or a background investigation including fingerprinting. These requirements will be indicated at the time of recruitment.

At the time of the interview, please provide the following:

• Copy of academic transcripts with your application if you will be using education to meet the minimum qualifications and/or competencies desired for the position. (Unofficial are acceptable but must include the institution name/URL on the transcripts). Please provide them at the time of the interview if they are not included in your application.
• A list of three (3) professional references including daytime telephone numbers and email address; at least two (2) of these must be from a current or former supervisor.

*Professional is defined as a supervisor or an individual who has direct knowledge of your work performance.

Supplemental Questions

For your application to be evaluated you must answer the Supplemental Questions.

The State of Alaska (SOA) uses four levels of proficiency to measure and describe an applicant's level of competence in applying certain behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities to accomplish a specific task. The proficiency levels are Mastery, Fluency, Literacy, and Discovery. You will need to rate your proficiency for each competency listed in the supplemental questions.

You must also complete the “References” section in the application. In the reference section please provide contact details for a minimum of three (3) individuals who can attest to your work performance, technical skills, and job competencies, in which one (1) of the three (3) references must be a current or former direct supervisor.

Please read the below information carefully. This applies to your application submission.

NOTE: Attaching a resume or curriculum vitae is not an alternative to filling out the application in its entirety. Noting "see resume or CV" or any similar response on any portion of your application may lead to a determination your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.

FLEXIBLE STAFFING

This position is flexibly staffed. The level of the job offer will be based on the selected candidate’s credibly possessed and proven competencies. If hired at the lower level, you will be promoted to the higher level after completing the training plan and demonstrating competency in the work.

EDUCATION

To verify education being used to meet the required minimum qualifications, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials being used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position and are required with each application. (Unofficial are okay, please ensure that the institution/URL name is listed on the transcripts). Transcripts can be attached at the time of application, provided at the time of interview or if not provided, transcripts will be required prior to appointment.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements