CFWS Social Service Specialist ; SSS- Bremerton

Position: CFWS Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4) - Bremerton
Our vision is to ensure that "Washington state's children and youth grow up safe and healthy, thriving physically, emotionally, and educationally, nurtured by family and community."

Job Title:

CFWS Lead Worker - Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4).

Location:

Bremerton, WA - Region 5. (Region Map). This position is full-time and permanent, requiring time in the field and the office. Travel is a requirement of this position. This position will travel within its assigned areas of work, travel with clients as cases require, and travel to attend training and meetings in other locations. This position is hybrid with an option to telework two days per week as business needs allow.

Closes: 06/18/2026

Salary: $73,284 - $98,520 Annually. Assignment Pay:
This position will also receive 10% assignment pay, in addition to the regular base salary; the required duties include performing visits in unregulated environments, such as private residences, to conduct investigations for allegations of abuse and/or neglect to assess the safety of vulnerable children.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is seeking a Lead CFWS Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4) for the Bremerton Office to support CFWS work in quality work, quality parent engagement, and timely permanency. Our office values teamwork, staff well-being, and quality practice with a focus on child safety. The ideal candidate is experienced and knowledgeable in CFWS and is ready to take on a supportive, mentorship role.

If you have the necessary skills and are passionate about training staff and helping children and families, apply today.

to learn more about DCYF.

The Opportunity:

This position functions as a Lead Worker over Social Service Specialists who provide professional-level social services to clients involved with (CFWS) Child Family Welfare Services. This position provides advanced specialized case management, coaching, mentoring, on-the-job training, and assistance in transitioning staff from a formal training program to fieldwork. This position assigns work, conducts case reviews, establishes and maintains procedures to ensure efficient workflow, and acts as Unit Supervisor (SSS5) in their absence, including attendance at meetings, facilitation of meetings, case staffing, and decision-making.

This position has the responsibility to apply child welfare practice principles, laws, rules, and policy in leading employees within its unit, as well as assessing and intervening on assigned workload in the most complex cases. The SSS4 works with a diverse population, which may include military and/or Native American families, follows Indian Child Welfare policies, follows protocols signed with military organizations and local law enforcement agencies, and works closely with the Military Family Advocacy and/or tribal personnel.

This position must implement culturally-relevant, ADA-sensitive, and individualized service plans with clients, which are goal-directed, have specific behavioral objectives, and are time-limited.

Some of what you'll get to do:

* Serves as the lead worker assigned to the most complex cases, determined by the supervisor or Area Administrator.

* Provides on-the-job training, mentoring, feedback, coaching, and consultation to staff in multiple Field Operations program areas.

* Serves as the lead position over Social Service Specialists and Social Service Support Specialists (SSSS, SSS1, SSS2, and SSS3 levels).  

* In conjunction with the supervisor, assigns work, reviews work for efficacy, uses data to identify trends, and reviews case actions for accuracy.

* Provides feedback and reporting to the supervisor on employees' performance and training needs.

* Provides coverage of assigned caseloads in the absence of a Social Service Specialist.

* In the supervisor's absence, attends meetings and provides supervisory coverage.

* Prepares and provides testimony at administrative hearings, court proceedings, and criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings.

* Refers, coordinates, and monitors the delivery of services.

* Provides goal-directed, task-centered, and time-limited crisis intervention to children and families.

* Utilizes shared planning activities to obtain input from others to develop and coordinate collaborative case plans.

* Trains, coaches, and supports Social Service Specialists in preparing court reports, court testimony, hearings, and proceedings.

* Provides staff with guidance and training on caseload and time management, case actions, appropriate assessment, and intervention techniques.

* Provides staff with guidance and training on applying the Safety Framework and Structured Decision-Making process to assess risk and safety through the life of a case.

* Places dependent children in foster or other approved placements (if necessary, for the most complex cases).

* Permanency Planning.

* Utilizes Fam Link to document case activities and maintain case records/files.

* Prepares and files dependency petitions, guardianship petitions, and other…