Senior Family Services Specialist; Foster Care

The City of Roanoke seeks a Senior Family Services Specialist to lead and provide support and assistance to agency clients with personal, social, health and economic needs.

As a Senior Family Services Specialist in Foster Care, you will render specialized and difficult casework services which may require a smaller caseload, provide case consultation to family services specialists, serve as the team leader in arranging services and helping clients use resources, and may serve as a lead worker directing activities of family services specialists and/or aides. You will share a 24-hour on-call rotation.

This is an exempt position.

Leads and provides support and assistance to agency clients with personal, social, health and economic needs.

• Renders specialized and difficult casework services which may require a smaller caseload, e.g., family therapy.
• May serve as a lead worker directing activities of family services specialists and/or aides.
• Serves as the central person in a 'team approach' in arranging for services and helping clients use resources.
• Serves in special program areas such as group work services, community planning and organization, and volunteer service and coordination.
• Participates in planning and evaluating agency programs.
• Provides training, technical assistance and guidance to social work staff.
• Implements service plans and documents action and rationale.
• Enters and updates client and case data in multiple state data systems.
• Identifies and develops resources to implement service plans.
• Maintains case records, prepares written reports of services, findings and actions.
• Makes decisions to remove children from dangerous situations and makes recommendations regarding institutionalization of adults and children.
• Provides crisis intervention in potentially dangerous situations.
• Shares a 24-hour on-call rotation.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university with a degree in human services or a related field, BSW/MSW preferred, and at least two years related experience in human services or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Ability to read and interpret documents such as laws, policies, regulations, safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to respond effectively to inquiries orally and in writing, and to present information and answer questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Possession of a valid appropriate driver's permit issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia. If you do not have a Drivers License issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia, you must submit a certified copy of your driving record issued by the DMV from your previous state of residence.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.

Requires the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work. Tasks may involve extended periods of time at keyboard or work station. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk. Some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include ability to adjust focus.

Must be willing to work outside normal work hours and respond to both routine and emergency situations.