Protective Services Specialist - Anchorage; PCN

Come join the State of Alaska!

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

The Department of Family and Community Services, Office of Children's Services (OCS) is recruiting for full-time Protective Services Specialist 1/2 in Anchorage, Alaska. This position is open to Alaska Residents.

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. Services are intended to ensure the safety, permanency and well‑being of children, enhance the protective capacities of parents, and strengthen the family. It is comprised of two components:
1) In‑home Services and
2) Out‑of‑home Services. This case‑carrying position has a wide range of duties, including investigating reports of child abuse and/or neglect, preparing plans for intervention by soliciting the cooperation of the family and others, gathering information about family dynamics/functionality, developing plans to ensure child safety while assisting parents in addressing their diminished protective factors, placing children out of the home with a relative or licensed foster home when necessary, providing ongoing and/or in‑home services to families, writing and submitting reports to the Court, working closely with Tribal/Community Partners, frequent face‑to‑face and telephonic contact with parents and caregivers of children in custody and making referrals to other service providers and agencies.

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.

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 telework within the duty station may be an option upon eligibility. Full‑time benefits of this position include but are not limited to: insurance benefits, retirement benefits, paid leave, and eleven paid holidays per year.

The Office of Children’s Services Anchorage Regional Office is in mid‑town Anchorage. The working environment will consist of a typical office setting as well as regular field work throughout the community. Frequency of travel is expected to be 20-50% of the month. Trips can last up to 3 days at a time and can include 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. 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.

OCS staff are considered essential, so are expected to work during pandemic and other natural disasters. The typical workweek may include some caseworker visits at school or in resource family homes, virtual and in‑person court attendance, and mostly working independently in an office setting. Our teams are based around having a strong work ethic and high ethical standards, believing in treating all people with dignity and respect, as well as being self‑motivated, organized and honest.

We are all about getting the job done while still contributing to a positive, upbeat work environment.

• Stress Tolerance
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  Deals calmly and effectively with…