Protective Services Specialist - Ketchikan; PCN

Protective Services Specialist 1/2/3

The Department of Family & Community Services is recruiting for Protective Services Specialist 1/2/3 in Ketchikan! This position is open to Alaska Residents only. Please check our residency definition to determine if you qualify.

What You Will Be Doing:

As a Protective Services Specialist (PSS), responsible for Child Protection Services in the Family Services unit, the Investigations & Assessment unit, or as Generalist covering both.

This case carrying position has a wide range of duties, including investigating reports of child abuse and/or neglect, prepare plans for intervention by soliciting the cooperation of the family and others, and gather information about family dynamics/functionality, develop plans to ensure child safety while assisting parents in addressing their diminished protective factors, place children out of the home with a relative or licensed foster home when necessary, provide ongoing and/or in-home services to families, write and submit reports to the Court, work closely with Tribal/Community Partners, frequent face-to-face and telephonic contact with parents and caregivers of children in custody and make referrals to other service providers and agencies.

OCS has opportunities across several units. During the hiring process, we work with applicants to match them with a position that best aligns with their strengths, experience, and interests.

Strong writing skills, the ability to manage your workload independently, and a collaborative approach are important in ensuring the safety and well-being of children throughout Alaska. Child protection work can involve making critical decisions in urgent situations. Staff must be prepared to respond quickly and confidently to protect children and maintain their own safety, including in situations that may involve potential physical risk.

Mission and Values/Culture:
The Mission of the Office of Children's Services is:
Ensuring the safety, permanency and well-being of children by strengthening families, engaging communities, and partnering with Tribes.

The Office of Children's Services strives for a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and wellbeing are paramount and employees at all levels promote a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully. Everything we do is underpinned by our Core Values (Download PDF reader) Hope, Integrity, Respect and Empathy. Benefits of Joining Our Team:
The Office of Children's Services is committed to an organizational culture that values each team member. We are committed to building and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment. We celebrate and value the diversity of our employees, partners, and families we serve.

Your first twelve months in the agency are probationary and considered a training period, with formal virtual training, on-the-job training with your supervisor, and with other colleagues. While this is a field-based position that involves working in the community, part-time teleworking within the duty station may be an option upon eligibility.

Full-time benefits of this position include but are not limited to:
Insurance Benefits;
Retirement Benefits;
Paid Leave; and twelve paid holidays per year. Please see the benefits tab on this posting for more information. The Working Environment You Can Expect:
The Office of Children's Services Ketchikan Field Office is located in Ketchikan. For information on the Ketchikan community (including schools, hospitals, housing) please review the Alaska Community Profiles. The typical workweek may include some caseworker visits at school or in resource family homes, virtual and in-person court attendance, and working independently in an office setting. More information about the Ketchikan OCS location can be found on our website.

Work Schedule
- The work we perform is critical and significantly impacts the communities we serve. As a result, the Office of Children's Services (OCS) requires staff to work after hours and on-call, work in the evenings and weekends as well as weekdays, so overtime is also an expectation when deemed necessary.

Travel
- Frequency of travel is expected to be 0-2 times a month/year for a duration of 0-1 days. There may be day trips and occasional overnight stays in rural conditions with some exposure to extreme weather conditions in the winter. Travel in outlying areas may involve small aircraft and overnight stays. Child protection work requires traveling both on the…