Children and family Services Specialist ; NY HELPS

Children And Family Services Specialist 1

This Children and Family Services Specialist 1 position will be located within Child Welfare Community Services (CWCS) and will work specifically on Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), which recommends that states engage those with lived experience in child welfare practices to assist with oversight and monitoring issues and provide perspectives for the development of policies and the regulatory framework of New York State's child welfare system.

Duties will include:

• Working with Local Departments of Social Services and Voluntary Agencies using a data-informed approach to improve the outcomes of children and families, based on federal and state standards.
• Participate in program reviews for local departments of social services and voluntary child-care agencies, such as Performance Quality Improvement (PQI) reviews, Federal Child and Family Services case reviews (CFSR/OSRI), and Voluntary Agency Reviews (VARs). Provide technical assistance to local departments of social services and voluntary agencies by using parent perspective to support the development of program improvement plans.
• Provide technical assistance to LDSS, VAs, and other OCFS licensed programs. Provide comments and recommendations on regulations in all program areas in which the Regional Office has licensing and oversight responsibilities.
• Participate in work groups and committees as assigned.
• Support the growth and sustainability of a family peer support program within LDSS and VAs. Assist in the creation and implementation of systems that solicit feedback from families and those receiving services from OCFS

Minimum qualifications:

Transfer:
One year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service in this title or in a title eligible for 70.1 transfer.

Open to the Public:
This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).*

To be considered for appointment through NY HELPS, candidates must meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications for this position.

The qualifications for the full SG 18 level are:

• Six years of experience providing services to children and their families either in the inspection, management, or administration of: foster care programs; day care programs; adoption programs; domestic violence programs; youth detention facilities; or other providers of care, support, and assistance to children, assuring compliance for certification or licensing purposes; or providing, supervising, monitoring, or administering services for children, adults, or their families, including but not limited to: providing social casework, case planning, case management, counseling, crisis intervention, advocacy on behalf of clients, or direct investigation of potential abuse and neglect in one or more of the following settings: human services;
  
  juvenile justice; criminal justice; local departments of social services; or local voluntary childcare service programs.
• An associate degree may substitute for two years of experience; a bachelor's degree may substitute for four years of experience; a master's degree may substitute for five years of experience; and a doctorate may substitute for six years of experience.

Additional comments:

Preferred candidate will possess:

• Personal lived/life experience accessing and using services within the child welfare system, either as a child or an adult.
• Ability to travel throughout the region/state, including some overnight travel out of the assigned region.
• It is preferred that candidates for employment meet the criteria to become a credentialed peer advocate.

* For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title maybe filled via a non- competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply. At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination.

Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Candidates who took and passed the most recent holding of the Professional Careers Opportunities (PCO) Exam are encouraged to apply.

Background Investigation Requirements:

• All prospective employees will be investigated through a Criminal Background Check (CBC), which includes State and federal Criminal History Record Checks. All convictions must be reported; conviction of a felony or misdemeanor, or any falsified or omitted information on the prospective appointee's employment application, may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case will be determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of State and federal laws, rules, and…