Social Services Specialist

Social Services Specialist

Agency: 650 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Supervisory Organization:
Claremore Veterans Home

Job Type: Regular

Compensation:
Up to $25.31 per hour

Positions in this family are assigned responsibility for providing social services to children and adults in communities, facilities, institutions or hospitals.

• Manages a caseload and provides services for individuals and their families.
• Evaluates the needs of individuals and families; assists the family as a unit to function more adequately; counsels clients and arranges for needed treatment or services.
• Participates on a psychiatric team to gather social data, counsels individuals under the direction of a psychiatrist, psychologist or other social services specialist.
• Assesses the needs of individuals and determines eligibility for specific programs; interviews clients, both in an office setting and on home visits, completes necessary case documents and compiles data to determine eligibility.
• Develops and plans casework services and treatment for individuals with specialized problems in development, retardation, maladjustment or dependency.
• Develops and implements specialized treatment programs within the community; utilizes community resources; initiates projects with foster or adoptive parents.
• Investigates selected food stamp cases, conducts interviews and obtains information to determine food stamp violations or food stamp fraud.
• Participates in staff conferences and interdisciplinary team meetings for the purpose of determining overall treatment.
• Performs other related duties as assigned consistent with the responsibilities of the position and agency operations.

Level I:
This is the basic level where employees are assigned responsibilities involving beginning level casework activities in a training status to build their skills in providing social services to individuals. In this role they will be assigned tasks which involve interviewing individuals and family members to obtain history data; taking applications for public assistance and/or related services; determining the eligibility of applicants and contacting public and private health, welfare, social and mental health agencies and related community resources for the purpose of obtaining services for individuals and their families.

Responsibilities may also include providing routine social services for individuals and their families, assisting in conducting individual and family counseling, or assisting individuals in adjusting to an institutional environment, care and treatment.

Level II:
At this level employees are assigned responsibilities at the full performance level in providing social services to clients in assessing needs and determining eligibility for specific programs and services. This includes managing a caseload requiring both broad and specialized knowledge of all social service programs. Some positions will serve on a psychiatric team and gather and interpret social data affecting a patient's condition;

participate in therapeutic counseling of patients under the direction of a psychiatrist, psychologist or other social services specialist in a higher-level position; or participate as a member of an interdisciplinary team, giving input on the social history of individuals and contributing to the treatment plan. In addition, employees at this level will contact outside public and private health and welfare agencies and community resources to assist in obtaining aid for clients and their families and may serve as a field eligibility examiner by conducting reviews of questionable social service cases to determine verification of income, employment and other resources and to document the true situation of the client.

Level III:
This is the specialist level where employees are designated as lead workers or backup supervisors to Level I or Level II employees, or are responsible for carrying a complex and difficult case load along with limited responsibilities involving the direct supervision of no more than 3 lower level staff in performing various work activities and tasks. Responsibilities include assigning caseloads, providing training in caseload principles and practices and ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations, and agency policy and procedures.

Some employees at this level will act as full-time AIDS Care Coordinators assigned a multi-county area; counsel, advise and provide services to clients with AIDS; and act as a consultant to other Social Service Specialists on AIDS related matters. Employees assigned to this level may coordinate an interdisciplinary treatment team of a mental health or health facility; may coordinate activities at a social services satellite treatment center or may be assigned multiple county or district wide responsibility for the provision of social services and act as project director.

Level I:
Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of a…