Job description

Only applications submitted through the link will be considered:
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/fairfaxcounty/jobs/3446992/social-services-specialist-ii?keywords=social%20service&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs

This job announcement is being re-advertised. If you previously applied you do not need to reapply in order to be considered.

Challenging opportunity to work as part of the Adult and Aging Division’s Aging, Disabilities and Caregiver Resource (ADCR) unit, in the Pennino Building, Fairfax, Virginia. Serves primarily as the first point of contact for accessing long-term care for older adults, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers. Provides short-term telephone services, conducting initial assessments and assignments, telephone crisis intervention, and information and referral. This position also staffs the County’s Adult Protective Services (APS) Hotline and determines validity of APS reports before assigning to social services investigators. While primarily working in call-center environment, periodic community education and outreach responsibilities as well as occasional face-to-face in office consultations are expected. Uses automated technology in multiple systems for documentation of work. Works as part of a highly collaborative, seven-person team in a must-answer call center environment operational from 8:00 am to 4:30 p.m. Special Requirements: The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check and a check of the Child Protective Services Registry. This position requires sitting for extended periods of time. Requires strong communication and organizational skills. Must be able to complete multiple tasks, set priorities, and juggle high volume of calls as part of a highly cohesive social service specialist team.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position job description.)

Works with clients to develop a plan of service to meet social, health, emotional and economic needs.
Advocates for and assists families and individuals in obtaining services (e.g., mental health, intellectual disability, alcohol and drug, housing referrals, financial assistance for basic needs, home based services, training and medical services);
Provides crisis intervention on a timely basis to clients or families whose well being are seriously and imminently threatened, to include Adult Protective Services and Child Protective Services after-hours;
Communicates and works with colleagues, clients and the community in a manner that supports the agency and program goals and objectives;
Participates as a contributing member on interagency, multi-disciplinary teams, community groups and professional organizations;
Provides training and community education on a variety of social work topics;
Assesses and authorizes purchase of social services to qualifying clients that will help to meet their social, health, emotional and economic needs;
Uses automated technology and hard copy files to maintain and update case data, notes,
documents, records, contacts and summaries of information. Maintains case notes, documents and records, enters and updates case load data, contacts and summaries of information;
Prepares and provides reports on casework;
Performs or reviews initial assessment of client's presenting need and conducts additional assessment as necessary to develop a coordinated service plan that establishes goals, tasks, and time frames with appropriate county and community-based service providers;
Addresses, and if necessary diffuses, initial crisis situation with clients, assesses safety issues and refers clients to emergency services as needed (e.g., mental health services, child protective services, adult protective services, women's shelter, homeless shelter);
Demonstrates expertise in community service resources to identify, classify and describe services that address a broad array of client service needs-collaborates with service delivery professionals from all disciplines to identify service resource information requirements-translates those requirements into an automated catalog of resources necessary for client referrals and the development of client service plans;
Negotiates, facilitates, and coordinates the creative use of limited community-based service alternatives and assists staff from other county human service agencies in creative use of community resources;
Consults with community-based organizations (CBO) staff on resources and service strategies that support service area work with individuals and families.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree, plus two years of professional social work experience. A master's degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

Contingent upon the area of assignment, some positions within this class may require specific certification(s) prior to employment and/or the ability to acquire necessary certification(s) within a specified time period following employment. The certifications are identified in the position description and employment advertisement.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
None.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to the position must satisfactorily complete a criminal background check and a Child Protective Services check.

This position is considered essential personnel and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster).

All newly hired employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (two weeks after the last required dose) as a condition of employment or obtain approval of a medical or religious exemption prior to their start date. Proof of an exemption or vaccination status will be required during the pre-employment onboarding process. New employees who obtain an exemption from the vaccine mandate for medical or sincerely held religious beliefs may be subject to a weekly testing requirement. Vaccinated employees and employees with a medical or religious exemption will complete the attestation online on their first day of employment or shortly thereafter.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in social work (MSW).
• Experience working with older adults and their caregivers within the long-term care system.
• Experience working in a call-center environment.
• Certification as Virginia Adult Protective Services/Adult Services worker.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Job is sedentary in nature Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Visual acuity is required to read data on a computer monitor; ability to operate keyboard driven equipment and computer Ability to input, access, and retrieve information from a computer. Ability to travel to various locations throughout Fairfax County to provide coverage, attend meetings and trainings. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview, may include practical exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 39.8% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. EEO/AA/TTY.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $59,685.00 - $99,475.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

jjbodyshop.com is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, jjbodyshop.com provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, jjbodyshop.com is the ideal place to find your next job.