CPS Social Service Specialist - Bremerton

CPSS Lead Worker - Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4)

Our vision is to ensure that "Washington's children and youth grow up safe and healthy, thriving physically, emotionally, and educationally, nurtured by family and community."

Location:

Bremerton, WA – Region
5. This is a full-time, permanent position that requires time in the field and the office. Travel is a requirement. 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.

Closes: 10/18/2026

Salary: $74,748 - $100,488 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 CPS Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4) to lead Social Service Specialists in Region 5, Bremerton Office. The ideal candidate has CPS experience, is knowledgeable in Child Welfare, and is ready to take on a supportive, mentorship role to Social Service Specialists at the SSS1-3 levels. If you have the necessary skills and are passionate about training staff in Child Welfare and helping children and families, apply today.

This Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4) position functions as a Lead Worker over Social Service Specialists (SSS1-SSS3) who provide professional-level social services to clients involved with the Child Protective Services (CPS) unit, Family Assessment Response (FAR), Family Voluntary Services (FVS), and Family Reconciliation Services (FRS). 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, maintains procedures to ensure efficient workflow, and acts as the 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 on the most complex cases.

Some of what you'll do:

• Provide on-the-job training, mentoring, feedback, coaching, and consultation to the staff.
• Conduct on-the-job training and assistance with staff in formal training plans who are transitioning to fieldwork.
• Assign work, review work for efficiency, use data to identify trends, and review case actions for accuracy and compliance with policy.
• Serve as Lead Specialist assigned to the most complex cases.
• Report on the strengths and weaknesses of employees to their direct supervisor.
• Provide feedback for annual performance evaluations and identify training needs.
• Provide coverage of assigned caseloads.
• Attend court hearings and provide testimony in court when necessary.
• Fill in as supervisor in the supervisor's absence.

Required qualifications:

• Seven (7) years of paid social service experience. Paid Social Service experience must include at least one year assessing risk and safety to children and providing direct family-centered practice services AND 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline.
• OR One (1) year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 3.
• OR A Bachelor's degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or a Bachelor's degree that includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline AND three (3) years of paid social service…