Job Announcement

This job announcement is being re-advertised. If you previously applied you do not need to reapply in order to be considered.

This is an exciting time to join Fairfax County Government as we shape racial and social equity policies in the county through the One Fairfax Policy. Using this framework, we intentionally consider equity when making policies or delivering programs and services. To learn more, we highly encourage you to watch the Becoming One Fairfax—An Introduction to Key Concepts video by clicking here and visit the One Fairfax webpage here. In alignment with One Fairfax, Department of Family Services (DFS) is committed to strengthening the well-being of its diverse community. To learn more about DFS and its Mission, Vision, and Values, please click here.

ABOUT THIS POSITION:
DFS is seeking a full-time Foster Care and Adoption (FC&A) Specialist III to support the Division of Children, Youth and Families (CYF). If you are looking to work in a diverse community to strengthen the well-being of children and families, then this opportunity may be ideal for you.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 39.8% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Works as a member of the Foster Care and Adoption Program and performs the following duties and responsibilities:

• Provides advanced clinical casework services for a caseload of children in foster care and adoption and their parents and caregivers. Casework services are focused on permanency planning through comprehensive assessments, service plan development, identification and implementation of services/resources, crisis intervention and brief counseling
• Submits service plans to court and provide testimony to the court regarding the status of the youth and family towards permanency planning
• Records case information in an electronic case management system and completes the required documentation to obtain funding for client services according to state and local policy
• Participates in required trainings and meetings, may serve as a representative on workgroups, and may contribute to development of written product
• Develops partnerships with community agencies to provide a holistic approach to service delivery, guaranteeing the collaboration and coordination of services offered to foster children and their families
• Serves as a leadership role in the team which may include supervising staff in the absence of the supervisor, representing the supervisor in meetings, and training/mentoring new staff
• May be required to be on-call rotation that includes evening, overnight, weekend, and holiday hours which may require immediate response into the field
• Performs other duties as assigned to ensure child safety and improve outcomes in families

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
The appointee for this position must have the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA):

• Knowledge of child protection laws, rules, and regulations
• Knowledge of foster care and adoption laws, rules, and regulations
• Ability to interview, assess needs, counsel, and refer clients to other resource as needed
• Knowledge of childhood trauma and attachment
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of social work
• Knowledge of current social service problems and methods/approaches to address issues
• Ability to analyze case information and to reach sound decisions on the basis of such information
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing
• Ability to use automated technology to establish and maintain case records
• Ability to maintain professional ethics and confidentiality of client information
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of individuals
• Ability to schedule and manage workload sufficiently to meet deadlines

Please note that this requisition may be used to fill other vacant Social Services Specialist III positions within Foster Care and Adoption (FC&A).

Note: All Fairfax County Government employees are expected to adhere to the Standards of Conduct. In maintaining a drug free workplace, employees are prohibited from manufacturing, distributing, possessing, using or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while at work or on county premises.

Effective July 2, 2022, compensation plans will be increased by 4.01% (market rate adjustment).

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree, plus three years of professional social work experience. A master's degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

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:
Valid driver's license.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to the position must satisfactorily complete a criminal background check, a driving record check, and a Child Protective Services check.

All newly hired employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (two weeks after the last required dose) as a condition of employment or obtain approval of a medical or religious exemption prior to their start date. Proof of an exemption or vaccination status will be required during the pre-employment onboarding process. New employees who obtain an exemption from the vaccine mandate for medical or sincerely held religious beliefs may be subject to a weekly testing requirement. Vaccinated employees and employees with a medical or religious exemption will complete the attestation online on their first day of employment or shortly thereafter.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s in Social Work (MSW) degree
• Experience in child welfare and /or mental health. Child welfare is the continuum of services designed to ensure that children are safe and that families have the necessary support to care for their children successfully
• Experience working with the court system and family group facilitation
• Experience performing case management services in a child welfare setting (child protective services, foster care, adoption, family prevention, permanency planning, or domestic/sexual violence)

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Sufficiently mobile to make home visits and attend meetings and community events outside the office. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Ability to use automated technology Able to lift, carry, and diaper infants. Work requires performing tasks with risks of secondary traumatic stress (STS). Ability to navigate through and make decisions in stressful and crisis situations. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include a written exercise.

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. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. EEO/AA/TTY.