Family Services Specialist

Hiring Range: $36,993 to $79,088

Full Time or Part Time: Full Time

Additional Detail

A Family Services Specialist I represents the entry level in the occupational group. Employees learning their program areas. Employees will receive every training available to provide the foundation needed to successfully become a I with direction to move upward as needed.

• Learns how to use OASIS, COMPASS, SPIDER, and any other system needed for the program assigned.
• Learns to effectively and appropriately work with stakeholders to include:
  • co-workers
  • supervisors
  • clients
  • Children’s Services Act employees to include FAPT
  • private providers
  • families of clients
  • fictive kin of clients
  • guardian ad litem
  • law enforcement
  • attorneys
  • Health Department
  • CASA
  • Community Services Board (CSB)
  • CART
• Learns how to interpret laws, policies and regulations as applied to specific area of responsibility.
• Learns to assess risk and safety.
• Learns appropriate and independent judgment in dealing with cases and clients.
• Learns how to independently develop Case Plans for clients with timely submission when necessary (Court, FAPT, etc.).
• Learns how to understand and accurately utilize the CANS Assessment as documented by both the supervisor and the CSA Coordinator.
• Learns how to create court notes and other documents for court.
• Learns how to effectively, accurately, and articulately testify in court.
• Learns how to use proper technique and how to accurately document all relevant case information.
• Learns how to utilize program-specific software (IPADS, Encryption programs) available to accurately document and update all case information, in a timely manner.
• Learns to serve as a resource to clients in the community in area of expertise.
• If resource worker, learns to solicit, approve and manage resource homes.
• If resource worker, learns to write MFA/Home Studies.
• If carrying adoption cases, learns how to navigate and find adoptive homes.
• If carrying adoption cases, learns to handle all case management, subsidy paperwork, documentation, customer service, and all associated work for adoptions.
• Provides after hours on-call coverage and responds to emergencies in child/adult protective services and/or foster care (after 6 months if new FSS employment or 3 months after previous FSS DSS experience); (Revised 100925)

Knowledge—Some knowledge of:
Social work principles and practices; human behavior and motivational theory; and social, economic, and health problems.

Skills—Skill in operating a motor vehicle and personal computer with associated software.

Abilities—Demonstrated ability to: communicate effectively both orally and in writing; interview, assess needs, counsel and refer clients to other resources as needed; develop and implement service plans in order to insure the delivery of appropriate services to the client; make sound judgments within the framework of existing laws, policies, and regulations; respond to the client's emotions in order to accomplish services objectives;

plan and manage own work activities including service delivery preparing reports, and correspondence, record keeping responsibilities and related activities; establish and maintain effective relationships; and stay abreast of current trends and developments in the social work field.

Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in a Human Services field or minimum of a Bachelor's degree in any field with a minimum of two years of appropriate and related experience in a Human Services area as mandated in Section 22

VAC
40-670-20 of the Administrative Code of Virginia and implemented by the Virginia Board of Social Services. The possession of a BSW or MSW degree and a Commonwealth of Virginia Social Worker license are desirable.

• Passes probation with a meets or higher EPPE rating.
• At the end of probation is able to functions independently, as a full-performance Family Services Specialist.
• Required to take all VDSS mandated training for Permanency Staff.