DSHS HCLA Social Service Specialist

DSHS HCLA – Social Service Specialist 3

Join our team as a Social Service Specialist 3 with the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) in Region 1, working out of Wenatchee and Moses Lake, WA! In this key role within the Home and Community Living Administration (HCLA), Home and Community Services (HCS), you will assess, create, and develop care plans and determine nursing facility level of care required for clients.

This position is at the specialist level and independently provides intensive and expert services to a population of high risk and frail adults who are medically and financially dependent and in need of the full range of HCS services. This population includes clients who are at a high risk of being placed in an institutional setting.

This position works effectively and collaboratively with our community agency and residential partners, fostering good communication and demonstrating reliability. Strong organizational skills to manage a large volume of new referrals, provide ongoing case management to their residential clients, and provide diversion activities to prevent hospitalizations or nursing facility placements.

• Conduct functional assessments using the Comprehensive Assessment Reporting and Evaluation (CARE) tool to determine clients’ level of care and eligibility for long‑term services and supports. Assessments are conducted in the client's home, whether that is an in‑home or residential setting
• Develop individualized, client‑centered service plans in collaboration with clients and/or their representatives
• Determine eligibility and authorize services for Home and Community Services (HCS) programs such as Medicaid Personal Care (MPC), Community First Choice (CFC), Community Options Program Entry System (COPES), the Residential Support Waiver (RSW), and other long‑term care programs and residential placements
• Provide ongoing case management to support clients in maintaining independence, resolving issues, and preventing unnecessary hospitalization or facility placement
• Assist clients with financial eligibility, benefit applications, and determining cost of care; authorize payment for approved long‑term care services
• Document assessments, case management activities, and service authorizations using CARE, Provider One, ACES, Barcode, and other department systems
• Collaborate with team members, community partners, and collateral contacts; participate in required training, meetings, and professional development activities

• Effectively communicate orally and in writing with clients, families, peers, management, and external partners; conduct client interviews, including with interpreters, and compose professional correspondence
• Conduct assessments using the CARE tool and other agency systems to evaluate client needs and determine eligibility for long‑term care programs
• Develop individualized, client‑centered care plans, link clients to agency and community resources, and provide ongoing case management to support independence and well‑being
• Apply social casework principles and knowledge of Medicaid laws, regulations, and long‑term care program policies to make informed client service decisions
• Navigate and utilize agency computer systems, including ACES, Provider One, Outlook/email, Barcode Document Management System, and basic office software for documentation and communication
• Analyze client, program, and service issues, resolve conflicts, and implement practical solutions while maintaining professionalism, objectivity, and confidentiality
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, external agencies, and community partners; follow departmental policies, manuals, and procedures to support the mission and goals of the department

• One year as a Social Service Specialist 2
• A Master’s in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, criminal law/justice, or a related field plus one year of paid social service experience equivalent to a Social Service Specialist 2
• A Bachelor’s in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, criminal law/justice, or a related field plus two years of paid social…