Social Services Specialist - Wellbeing and Permanency

Job Overview

Social Services Specialist – Wellbeing and Permanency (24 – Harrison County, MS)

Salary: $38,210.22 – $47,715.60 annually (Agency Minimum Salary)

• Create and maintain case files for children in care.
• Document in MDCPS online database program.
• Visit children in care in foster homes, facilities, and hospitals.
• Complete investigations of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• Complete ongoing safety and risk assessments.
• Participate in scheduled county conferences/meetings for assigned children-in-care.
• Make referrals for children-in-care to receive services including dental, vision, and medical.
• Transport children-in-care to appointments and destinations.
• Arrange for visitation with siblings and parents.
• Attend staff meetings with supervisor (normally) and all‑staff meetings.
• Assist with new hires by being “shadow buddies”.
• On‑call for after‑hours situations (rotating responsibility with other staff members).
• Attend court for hearings.
• Communicate with families, service providers, parents, foster parents, and the public.
• Schedule and attend Family Team Meetings. Along with other duties.
• This position includes 4 weeks (every other week) of on‑site training and 4 weeks of On‑The‑Job Training, and must pass a comprehensive test prior to continued employment and/or advancement.
• Will need a valid driver’s license and insurance.

• Professional commitment to and caring about clients and the larger profession of child welfare.
• Personal resilience and strong self‑efficacy beliefs about the ability to work with clients to produce positive client outcomes.
• Efficient organizational and time‑management skills.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Positive work morale.
• Ability to be flexible in thinking and problem solving.
• Realistic expectations about the difficulty and challenges of the work.
• Ability to handle an often‑unpredictable work environment.

• Requires a Bachelor’s Degree and 0–1 years of experience.
• Appointing authority may require a social worker’s license.
• Agency prefers a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four‑year college or university in social work, social services, psychology, educational psychology, sociology, nursing, criminal justice, counseling, marriage and family therapy, family studies, or a related field.
• In this position, the salary may be based on education and qualifications.
• Valid driver’s license and insurance.

210 East Capitol Street
Suite 800
Jackson, Mississippi, 39201