Licensing Specialist SOCIAL Service Administrator III

Introduction
When you join the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS), you join a team of more than 5,000 employees across the state dedicated to positively changing the lives of more than 1 million Marylanders each year. We do this by providing economic support, preventive services, and caring for children and adults.

Grade
: 18

Location of Position
Maryland Department of Human Services, Office of Licensing and Monitoring
25 S. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

This position provides continuous consultation, monitoring, and supervision for Child Placement and Residential Child Care Agencies that are contracted and/or licensed by the Department of Human Services, Department of Juvenile Services or Maryland Department of Health to ensure that all vulnerable children in these departments are protected from further abuse or neglect.

• Licenses, re-licenses, and monitors agencies for compliance with state policies and directives.
• Enforces COMAR 14.31.05-.07, COMAR 07.05.01-.04, and COMAR 07.02.21 as required by law in all monitoring actions, including on‑site scheduled and unannounced monitoring visits and inspections. Reviews child‑care, personnel, and foster parent records of in‑state facilities.
• Analyzes quality and investigative assessments of programs and procedures by conducting on‑site inspections, reviewing contractual and performance data, interviewing stakeholders, and performing comparisons of data with peer programs, and industry research and analysis.
• Assesses regulatory compliance, facility operations, staffing qualifications, levels and schedule, fulfillment of intended service obligations and goals, operations safety, program implementation, and personnel qualifications for selected positions.
• Identifies exceptions and promulgates corresponding corrective action plans necessary to bring programs and procedures into compliance with applicable laws, regulations and policies.
• Assigns relative values to identified violations and noncompliance issues as related to potential risk and severity to youth.
• Coordinates assessments, corrective action plans and program support with affected and interested stakeholders, including internal and external municipal, state, and federal agencies and their staff such as DHS, Maryland Department of Health (MDH), Department Juvenile Services (DJS), Governor’s Office for Children (GOC), and child advocacy organizations, and case managers.
• Conducts complaint investigations of DHS licensed facilities and/or coordinates complaint investigations of other state licensed agencies contracted with DHS to ensure safety and well‑being of children placed in Maryland’s licensed facilities.
• Prepares quarterly assessment reports in a clear and understandable manner, supported by sufficient, relevant and competent evidence that can include facility and equipment inspections, interviews with youth, internal staff, contractor staff, and others as appropriate, program evaluations, corrective action plans, interview and inspection notes and data sampling, audit work papers, written communication, comparative reports, flow charts, summary of findings, risk assessments, meeting notes and other supporting and relevant documentation.

Education: A Master’s degree in social work from an accredited college or university approved by the Council on Social Work Education.

Experience: Seven years of professional experience in a social work capacity in a public or private agency or institution, four years must have been in an administrative, supervisory or consultative capacity.

These requirements are established by the Social Service Administration by authority provided in Human Services Article 4-204 of the Annotated Code of Maryland and the Maryland Department of Budget and Management, Office of Personnel Services and Benefits does not have authority to accept substitutions or equivalents. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience at a rank of Corporal/Petty Officer or higher as a commissioned officer in Social Work classifications or Social Work specialty codes in the Social Science, Psychology, and…