Family Services Specialist I

(2 Openings - 1 Bilingual)

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Family Services Specialist I positions.

An Overview

The Family Services Specialist I will provide crisis intervention, victim advocacy and supportive individual and group counseling to individuals and families experiencing domestic violence. This position maintains offices at both the police department (50%) and the Domestic Violence Program (50%).

What You Should Bring

The ideal candidate will have good knowledge and understanding of domestic violence and trauma-informed advocacy; good knowledge of the principles and practices of social work; good knowledge of social, psychiatric, economic and health problems; good knowledge of community resources or the ability to readily acquire such knowledge; good knowledge of individual and group counseling techniques or the ability to acquire such knowledge; good knowledge of counseling techniques provided to clients with behavioral health issues, alcoholism, and/or drug abuse; ability to quickly assess and defuse hostile situations; ability to identify social problems and needs, and to assess the strengths and challenges of individuals and families; ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing; ability to work with others, collaboratively, toward attaining service goals for the client; ability to understand and interpret laws, policies, and regulations.

The Opportunity

• Provide initial contact to all victims of Domestic Violence Non-Arrest cases (DVNA’s) and domestic violence-related stalking cases. Review police reports to assess needs, contact the victim via phone calls or visits to the home, provide crisis intervention and safety planning, conduct lethality assessments, and provide referrals;
• Assist domestic violence stalking victims file Protective Order petitions; provide court advocacy and supportive counseling services. Collaborate with Domestic Violence Unit Detectives, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys, and Victim Witness Program Advocates;
• Provide intervention and advocacy services to walk-in domestic violence and stalking victims at the police department and courthouse;
• Provide a time-sensitive assessment of and response to immediate needs of hotline callers who have experienced or been impacted by domestic violence in order to help them return to pre-crisis levels of functioning;
• Will be assigned to cases that involves Parent/ Adult Child relationship, clients who have been issued with a Temporary Detention Order (TDO) or an Emergency Commitment Order (ECO);
• Will be assigned cases where either party has a Serious Mental Health Illness. This position will work closely with the Forensic Consultation Team through DCHS to refer clients for treatment and case management;
• Be available for on-call rotating shifts overnights and weekends, providing 24-hour emergency crisis response and systems advocacy to victims of domestic violence for forensic examinations, related medical treatment and testing, and police interviews;
• Work closely with the Domestic Violence Unit Detectives, and other police department units on domestic violence, stalking issues, and cases. This includes visiting victims of Non-Arrest Cases, cases where there are frequent calls for service, and/or identified homes in need of services, trainings, community events, etc.;
• Provide case management and advocacy services for victims of domestic violence including locating and providing community resources and referrals and monitor client's access to the referrals and assist client when needed for clients in the community and in the Safehouse;
• Assist with arrest cases and other outreach clients when need it;
• Provide leadership to and participate as an active member of the coordinating council, the Alexandria Domestic Violence Intervention Project;
• Make presentations to community groups, schools, and other professional groups;
• Serve on DCHS and community task forces to address specific issues and problems related to intimate partner violence;
• Maintain confidentiality of client files and information;
• Other duties as assigned.

About the Department

The Center for Children and Families (CCF) provides programs and services for Behavioral Health, Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault, Child Welfare & Child Protective Services, Early Childhood and Youth Development. CCF provides compassionate, collaborative and effective person and family-centered services based on best practices. Our teams support self-determination, safety, recovery and resiliency for Alexandria children and all residents affected by abuse, neglect, mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse disorders.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and one year of relevant experience. Employees must possess a valid driver's license issued by the state of their residence if they are in a position with driving responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree in Social Work with at least one year of experience in the field of victim advocacy in a domestic violence program. At least one year of experience in providing crisis intervention and counseling services. At least one year of experience working with Trauma Survivors (specifically Domestic Violence survivors). Flexibility in schedule to meet client and programmatic needs. Fluent and Bilingual in both English & Spanish.

Notes

This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment background checks including but not limited to: FBI/Federal Records Check; VA State Child Abuse/Neglect Registry; Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Database; education/certifications; and driver’s license.

Schedule: There are two positions. One of the two is a Bilingual position.

Shift 1:

Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, 8:00AM - 5:00PM / Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10:00AM - 7:00PM.

Shift 2 (Bilingual Position):
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10:00AM - 7:00PM / Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays, 8:00AM - 5:00PM.