Job Announcement

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 this link and visit the One Fairfax webpage here.

The primary purpose of the Adult and Aging Division is to ensure resources, advocacy, safety and well-being of older adults, adults with disabilities and caregivers are met. To ensure that the division can carry out its purpose and meet the agency’s responsibilities related to advocacy, protection, and wellbeing, the Adult and Aging Division Director may move or reassign this position’s related work duties and responsibilities within the job class.

Under policy direction of the Virginia State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and direct supervision of the Director of the Fairfax County Area Agency on Aging, this supervisory position is responsible for administering the regional sub-state Northern Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and operating the Policy Board made up of leadership from jurisdictions served. As mandated by Title VII of the Federal Older Americans act, this position acts as an advocate for the rights and needs of consumers of long-term care services including nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, home care providers and other long term care services in the community. Supervises a team of professional staff providing counseling, negotiation, and formal investigation services for consumers of long-term care services in the Northern Virginia regions currently including Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun jurisdictions. The program includes accountability for over 135 long-term care facilities with more than 12,330 licensed beds and the supervision of over 30 volunteers assigned to long-term care facilities. The position is responsible for navigating requirements both from the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program as well as requirements as Fairfax County Employees of the Department of Family Services.

For example:
Under general direction of the Director of the Fairfax Area Agency on Agency, this position performs tasks independently to serve and support those receiving long-term care services through various services as articulated by local, state, and federal polices and laws. Many of the duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Provides Management of clinical and non-clinical services and program, supervision, and programmatic oversight.
• Develops, adheres to, maintains extensive knowledge of policy and procedure at federal, state and local levels
• Coordinates, plans, analyzes, manages and reports out on data and outcome measures
• Supervises all aspects of the Ombudsman Volunteer Program
• Maintains Knowledge of program requirements and legislation. Maintains certification as a Long-Term Care Ombudsman and monitors and evaluates current legislation related to long-term care and provides updates to leadership as necessary
• Provides outreach and communication
• Plans, convenes, staffs, and runs the Policy Board made up of leaders from jurisdictions served
• Performs other duties as required and assigned in support of the program, agency, division, and department.
  

Illustrative Duties

Provides day-to-day guidance and direction to a group of social services specialists
on case related issues, policies and procedures, and agency initiatives;
Ensures acceptable levels of quality and quantity in the delivery of services;
Plans caseloads, assigns cases and reviews case records and reviews and signs off on service plans, case assessments, and other reports which require supervisory review;
Identifies crisis situations and provides intervention as needed to address difficult or dangerous client situations;
Interviews job applicants and makes recommendations for hiring, prepares and conducts formal and informal performance evaluations, and handles performance and discipline issues in a timely manner and in accordance with County personnel policy;
Reviews the work of individual social services specialist and provides feedback and instruction;
Communicates performance expectations; monitors performance and outcomes of staff against the goals and objectives of the program;
Approves and monitors expenditures for client services consistent with the program budget and client outcomes;
Solicits concerns, issues and recommendations from staff regarding programmatic needs and systemic is sues;
Evaluates the effectiveness of policies and procedures and recommends changes;
Holds group and individual conferences with staff to discuss general policies and to interpret related rules, regulations or laws and to assess cases objectively based upon the significant risk factors and to monitor casework progress;
Facilitates open communication between staff and senior management to achieve agency and unit goals;
Plans for and facilitates social services specialists' professional growth and development. Provides staff development including training, mentoring, and encouragement for staff to improve professional skills in order to support access to human services;
Develops and implements ongoing team training plan;
Works with the community to identify families and children needing services and to coordinate these services;
Communicates effectively with social services specialists and senior management regarding the needs of the agency, social services specialist, and clients;
Participates in intra and interagency work groups, supervisors' meetings and special projects;
Provides oversight for required data systems and uses data systems for management of day-to-day work;
Prepares or oversees and presents narrative and statistical reports documenting the
work of the unit and/or in relation to case activity;
Promotes the attainment of agency and individual staff goals related to service access
components (Automatic Call Distribution service levels, case objective outcomes, time studies, silent monitoring, and customer service surveys) through the ongoing monitoring of service requests and subsequent service delivery;
Establishes and maintains ongoing collaborative relationships with public and private providers, community-based groups, and residents to coordinate and integrate services, improve access, and identify community needs and barriers to service delivery;
Participates as a team member in the continuous improvement of the human services access process.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

Extensive knowledge of the principles, methods and problems of organization and management;
Extensive knowledge of regulations and guidelines relating to the assigned area of social service specialization;
Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of social work and casework supervision;
Thorough knowledge of current social service problems and methods/approaches to address them;
Ability to accurately apply, interpret and administer regulations and guidelines relating to the assigned area of social service specialization;
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing;
Ability to use automated technology;
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 plan and direct the activities of a group of social service professionals.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree; plus four years of increasingly responsible, directly-related professional experience in the social services or human services field. A master’s degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of required experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience working with issues impacting older adults and adults with disabilities
• Experience working in a Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.
• Experience working with Older American Act mandated services.
• Experience working with services in accordance with state, local, and federal mandates
• Certified in Virginia as a Long-Term Care Ombudsman
• Experience investigating and resolving complaints, including interviewing multiple parties, advocacy, and negotiation skills.
• Experience in being able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with local officials, advisory committees, legislators, facility administrators, local agency staff, council on aging, state and local regulatory agencies, volunteers, older adults, families, coworkers, supervisors, and the general public.
• Experience public speaking, conduct trainings and communicating to tailored needs of different groups.
• Experience interpreting and communicating policy to others including but not limited to families, facility staff, members of the public, or other aging professionals
• Experience with effective data collection and reporting

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Valid driver's license.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background, a driving record check, and a Child Protective Services check to the satisfaction of the employer.

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.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Job may require walking, standing, sitting (for long periods of time), kneeling, reaching, bending, climbing stairs; uses hands to grasp, handle, or feel.
Visual acuity is required to read data on a computer monitor; ability to operate keyboard driven equipment and computer.
Position frequently communicates and must be able to exchange accurate information with others verbally and in writing.
Employee may be required to lift or carry up to 25 lbs. occasionally.
Generally, works in an office environment yet may occasionally be required to perform job duties outside of the typical office setting.
Ability to drive a motor vehicle.
Ability to access locations not accessible via public transportation.
Work requires performing tasks to support the general work of advocacy, well-being and protection for older adults and adults with disabilities.
All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include a practical 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.