CPS​/FAR Social Service Supervisor ; SSS- Tacoma

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: CPS/FAR Social Service Supervisor 5 (SSS5).

Location: Tacoma, WA - Region 5.

Position Type: Full-time, permanent. Requires time in field and office. This position may require travel within assigned areas, with clients, and to attend training and meetings in other locations.

Closes: 07/21/2026

Salary: $80,496 - $108,228 Annually. Assignment Pay: 10% assignment pay in addition to the base salary. Duties include performing visits in unregulated environments, such as private residences, to conduct investigations for allegations of abuse and/or neglect to assess safety of vulnerable children.

In this role, you will use strong assessment and engagement skills to supervise Social Service Specialists in the CPS/FAR unit. As a front‑line supervisor you will provide staff with advanced‑level guidance and specialized case‑management knowledge to achieve the agency’s goals of child protection, permanency planning, and enhancing child well‑being, ensuring child safety is at the forefront of all decision‑making. This supervisor reviews frontline employee work, determines if children are safe, intervenes to protect unsafe children, and develops case plans with families to remedy situations so families can safely parent their children.

You will provide on‑the‑job training, mentoring, feedback, coaching, and consultation, including field observations and modeling of case‑management skills and techniques. Responsibilities include clinical reviews, consultations, monitoring client cases, applying child welfare practice principles, laws, rules, and policies, and assessing and intervening in workloads when necessary.

• Supervise and mentor a unit of Social Service Specialists and complete casework.
• Provide mentoring, coaching, counseling, consultation, on-the-job training, and feedback.
• Manage and support Social Service Specialists in formal training plans during transition to field work.
• Perform quality assurance on staff documentation, assessments, reports, case management, and payment initiation.
• Ensure documentation of case activities in the case file and Fam Link electronic record.
• Prepare written staff performance evaluations using the Performance Evaluation system.
• Consult with administrators and human resources regarding corrective or disciplinary action.
• Train staff to gather accurate and complete information, organize information, and make case decisions.
• Keep staff informed of policies, rules, and regulations affecting their work.
• Provide consultation and oversight to ensure accurate application of the child safety framework.
• Review and revise service referrals, letters, court reports, and assessments.
• Review case activities with parents and relatives to establish goals and identify services for the family.
• Initiate payments within Fam Link for child placement and family services.
• Coordinate with other supervisors to ensure appropriate coverage for the office.
• Participate in supervisory, administrative, and individual meetings and conferences.
• Attend and testify in Superior Court.

• Eight (8) years of paid social service experience
  * AND 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline.
• A Master’s degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or any Master’s degree including 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline AND three (3) years of paid social service experience.
• A Bachelor’s degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or any Bachelor’s degree including 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline AND four (4) years of paid social service experience.
• One (1) year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4).
• Two (2) years of experience as a Social Service Specialist 3 (SSS3).
• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

NOTE:

A two‑year Master’s degree that includes a practicum may be substituted for one (1) year of…