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Social Services Specialist Ii

Employer
Fairfax County Government
Location
Fairfax, Virginia
Salary
$56,816.03 - $94,693.25 Annually
Closing date
Jun 26, 2021

Job Details

Job Announcement

Supports 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. We invite you to learn more about DFS and its Mission, Vision, and Values, by clicking here.

ABOUT THIS POSITION: The Social Services Specialist II position is part of Foster Care and Adoption (FC&A) Resource and Support (R&S) based in the Fairfax office. Position performs the following duties and responsibilities under the general supervision of the Social Services Supervisor:
  • Visiting prospective foster parent applicants in their homes to determine appropriateness of participation in a multi-session group preparation process to assure development of areas of foster parent competency
  • Applying clinical knowledge in assessing families' strengths and challenges with regard to foster parenting during the mutual family assessment process
  • Conducting assessment interviews in the applicant's homes utilizing the genogram, eco map, and other clinical tools
  • Preparing detailed written assessments for applicants to include Mutual Family Assessments (i.e. home studies)
  • Making recommendations for certification of foster parent applicants
  • Providing supportive counseling to applicants and information and referrals to community resources
  • Providing interstate compact services to families
  • Completing court custody home studies and non-agency adoption assessments
  • Participating in Family Partnership Meetings and court hearings, as needed
  • Serving as a trainer for prospective foster parent applicants and current foster parents
  • Assisting with facilitating training for families to include topics such as trauma, discipline, loss & grief, adoption, and competencies required to be a foster/adoptive parent
  • Providing assistance to members of the training team, as needed
  • Providing information to agency staff about foster home regulations
  • Responding to inquiries from the public about foster care and adoption by telephone, in person, and electronically
  • Attending supervision, unit and program meetings, work group meetings, training sessions, interdepartmental meetings, red team, and case consultations
  • Attending large scale community education events and presenting information to the public about foster care and adoption, as needed
  • Strategizing and linking resources to prospective foster families
  • Using automated technology for training and to maintain client data, case records, and correspondence
  • Assisting with maintaining training data, as needed
  • Performs other duties as assigned to ensure child safety and improve outcomes in families

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES: The appointee for this position must have the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA):
  • Experience in child welfare
  • 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
  • Ability to provide excellent customer service to members of the community whom the agency serves, as well as community partners and internally to agency staff
  • Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing
  • Ability to think critically and work independently
  • Ability to use automated technology
  • Strong listening, creative problem-solving, and decision-making skills
  • Ability to learn, retain, and apply both state and federal law and policy for foster and adoptive home provider

Important 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.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree, plus two 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.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Master's degree in social work or closely related field.
  • Minimum of two (2) years of experience in foster care and adoption.

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

This position is considered essential personnel and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Work requires performing tasks with risks of secondary traumatic stress (STS). Ability to navigate through and make decisions in stressful and crisis situations. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Ability to use automated technology, including but not limited to computer and cellular phone. Ability to lift up to 40 lbs. Sufficiently mobile to make home visits and attend community events. Ability to set up training rooms including moving tables, chairs and lifting training materials and supplies. Ability to operate a motor vehicle to attend home visits, meetings, and training not accessible by public transportation. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Panel interview, may include 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 status as a veteran 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.

Company

Fairfax County, Virginia is a diverse and thriving urban county. As the most populous jurisdiction in both Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area, the County's population exceeds that of seven states. The median household income of Fairfax County is one of the highest in the nation and over half of its adult residents have four-year college degrees or more educational attainment. Fairfax County also is home to an extensive commercial office market and is a major employment center.

Fairfax County Government is a great place to work, with a variety of jobs in different fields, great benefits, and an enjoyable working environment. We serve nearly one million residents in one of the largest counties in the country. Our talented employees have established Fairfax County as a leader in nearly every facet of public service and have won national recognition as innovators in local government.The size of Fairfax County government and the diversity of services it provides to citizens allows opportunities for personal growth and development, without ever having to change employers. In addition to pay, Fairfax County Government provides an employee benefits package worth approximately 25% of your salary in additional compensation. This package of benefits consists of programs designed to protect you and your family during your employment with the county and into your retirement years.


BENEFITS INCLUDE:
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Group Term Life Insurance
Contributory Retirement Plan
Deferred Compensation
Flexible Spending Account Programs
Long Term Disability Insurance
Long Term Care Plan
Tuition Assistance Program
Employees' Child Care Center
Virginia College Savings Plans

Fairfax County's Application Process: Fairfax County uses an online application process called NEOGOV at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/jobsfor nearly all positions.

Applicants who need assistance with the online application process are welcome to come to the Application Center at Fairfax County's HR Central where staff will be happy to work with you to establish an account and get your resume into the system. HR Central is located in the Government Center at 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 270, Fairfax, VA, and is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Or call 703-222-5872 for more information.

For more information on applying, please click here - https://www.governmentjobs.com/home/applicationguide.

Company info
Website
Location
12000 Government Center Parkway
Suite 270
Fairfax
VA
22035-0034
US

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