Family Services Specialist II

The City of Alexandria is bordered by Washington D.C. and the Potomac River, Arlington and Fairfax counties, and Maryland. The small city has a cosmopolitan feel with 150,000 people living within its 15.75 square miles. At the Department of Community and Human Services, we provide essential safety net services to help city residents enjoy a sense of well-being, safety and self-sufficiency. Our behavioral health programs provide compassionate services that support self-determination and recovery. The beauty of our diverse and resilient people and our commitment to race and social equity, coupled with a historic district dating to 1749, charming waterfront, vibrant arts community and unique places for foodies and shopping, make the City of Alexandria a uniquely wonderful place to live, work and play. We invite all qualified candidates to learn more and apply for our Family Services Specialist II (CPS Intake) position. This the specialist level in the class series for Family Services. Employees specialize in program areas and assume more complex duties such as: interviewing/investigating in cases involving suspected child/adult abuse/neglect, out-of-home placements, guardianships, emergency protective orders, and adoptions; testifying in legal proceedings; and placing children in foster/adoptive homes. Employees have contacts with others and influence outcomes by participating on task forces, strategic planning, mentoring, teaching, and conducting outreach. Programs areas generally include Adult/Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, Foster Care, and Adoptions. Additionally, in some agencies, positions may be partly dedicated to Child Care and Employment Services in addition to other program areas. The Family Services Specialist III is distinguished from the Family Services Specialist IV class by the latter’s functioning as a lead worker, or an expert resource specialist.
The Family Services Specialist II - Child Protective Services Intake worker, under the general supervision of the Social Work Supervisor, provides intensive and specialized social work services to individuals and families while completing CPS Family Assessments and Investigations. A CPS Intake worker utilizes clinical skills to assist clients with serious problems in areas such as mental illness, substance abuse, family violence, and family dysfunction to help them develop protective capacities to ensure child safety through use of community services and family resources. The CPS Intake Worker takes action to provide child protection for clients endangered by physical, emotional, and environmental threats.

Examples of Duties:

- Completes CPS Family Assessments and Investigations that include child safety assessments, family member and collateral interviews, home visits, and risk assessments of potential future maltreatment;
- Provides culturally competent case management services including updating and maintaining data entry of client contacts, writing reports and monthly narratives, gathering data for monthly statistics, preparing service plans and court documents;
- Provides crisis intervention, supportive counseling, and specialized casework to assist clients in confronting and resolving emotional and situational problems;
- Overcomes client resistance, fosters insight, engages, motivates and guides clients toward agreed upon goals;
- Uses culturally competent investigative and assessment skills during interviews of child victims, siblings, offending and non-offending caretakers and collateral contacts;
- Determines disposition of abuse and neglect complaints, and assessment of risk posed to clients in accordance with state and local policies;
- Refers and assists clients in the use of community resources;
- Performs emergency removal of children from their homes when required, places children in foster homes and residential programs, and initiates coordination of services in the foster care placements as needed;
- Represents the agency in both civil and criminal court proceedings which involves interpreting laws, filing petitions, preparing court reports, testifying before the court, and preparing witnesses for testimony;
- Conducts investigations with State regulatory agencies when abuse and neglect occur in out of home settings;
- On a rotating basis, provides 24-hour on-call services for CPS and Foster Care cases, and Adult Protective Services;
- Responds to complaints and/or crisis situations as necessary;
- Serves on agency and community task forces to address child welfare issues;
- Performs related work as required.
Minimum Qualifications: Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in a Human Services field or minimum of a Bachelor's degree in any field with a minimum of two years of appropriate and related experience in a Human Services area (Section 22VAC40-670-20 of the Administrative Code of Virginia). Considerable experience in assigned program area and completion of required training programs or equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities. Considerable knowledge of and social, economic, and health problems. Skill in operating a personal computer and the associated software and the operation of a motor vehicle. Demonstrated ability to interview, assess needs, counsel and refer clients to other resources as needed; Demonstrated ability to analyze case information to make sound judgments within the framework of existing laws, policies, and regulations; Demonstrated ability to plan and manage own work activities including service delivery preparing reports, and correspondence, record keeping responsibilities and related activities; Preferred Qualifications: Master's degree in a human services field. Some relevant experience. Fluent and bilingual in Spanish and English.