Social Service Specialist In-Training; SSS- Region​/Pierce & Kitsap

Overview

Our vision is to ensure that Washington state’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy—thriving physically, emotionally, and academically, nurtured by family and community.

DCYF is seeking Social Service Specialists at the SSS1, SSS2, or SSS3 level to join us in Region 5 (Pierce and Kitsap Counties) to fill vacancies as they occur in multiple offices, programs, and units for Child Protective Services (CPS), Family Assessment Response (FAR), and Child and Family Welfare Services (CFWS). This recruitment will be used to create a candidate pool for 2026 openings in Bremerton & Parkland, among others.

Travel is a requirement of this position, including travel with clients and to trainings and meetings in other locations.

Job Title: Social Service Specialist 1-3 (SSS1, SSS2, SSS3). Units: CPS, CPS/FAR, and CFWS.

Locations: Region 5 - Pierce and Kitsap Counties. Offices are located in Puyallup, Tacoma, Parkland, Lakewood, and Bremerton.
Travel within assigned areas is required.

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent.

Salary: $4,771 - $7,622. Assignment Pay: 10% when advancing to Social Service Specialist
3. This assignment pay is in addition to base salary for duties including conducting investigations in unregulated environments.

Some of what you will do:

• Determine if children are safe with their families through respectful investigation and/or assessments.
• Intervene to protect unsafe children and develop a case plan with the family to remedy the situation so families can safely parent their children.
• Follow child welfare laws, policies, and procedures.
• Conduct ongoing comprehensive assessments of risk and safety, develop case plans, and authorize services for children, youth, birth parents, and caregivers.
• Implement culturally appropriate, ADA-sensitive, and individualized service plans with families that are goal-directed, behavior-specific, and time-limited.
• Refer, coordinate, and monitor the delivery of services.
• Utilize shared planning meetings to plan, develop, and coordinate with parents, relatives, attorneys, and other relevant professionals.
• Conduct health and safety visits to ensure the child’s health, safety, and well-being needs are met.
• Develop and implement timely permanent plans that are responsive to the child’s permanency needs.
• Provide reasonable and active efforts to parents to prevent removal and ensure early and prompt referrals for court-ordered services.
• Identify primary and concurrent permanent plans within legal and mandated time frames.
• Consult with the agency attorney and prepare required legal documents for court, placement, and service delivery.
• Assist in placing children in approved placements and prepare the child for visitation with parents and siblings.
• Transport children to placement, appointments, or family time/sibling visits.
• Schedule and supervise/monitor visitations.
• Document case notes/case activity in the State computer database, FAMLINK.
• Write court reports and prepare legal documents, and attend court to provide expert testimony.

The goal class is Social Service Specialist 3. We will also consider candidates at the Social Service Specialist 1-2 level, with a training plan to advance to the goal class. Education and experience will be evaluated to determine the appropriate level:

• Social Service Specialist 1: $4,771 - $6,414
• Social Service Specialist 2: $5,398 - $7,254
• Social Service Specialist 3: $5,666 - $7,622

Social Service Specialist 1: A completed Bachelor’s degree in social services, human services, or behavioral sciences; OR a completed Bachelor’s degree including 30 semester credits or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline (if not, credits must be obtained within 18 months of employment); OR four years of paid work experience in care/counseling/education plus 30 semester credits/45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline (or credits obtained within 18 months).

The following must be demonstrated for all levels: the ability to take action to learn and grow; the ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Social Service Specialist 2: Five years of paid social service…