CPS Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4) - Kent/KSW

State of Washington • King County – Kent, WA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is seeking a Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4) to lead Social Service Specialists in Region 4, Kent - King Southwest Office. This position functions as a Lead Worker over Social Service Specialists (SSS1-SSS3) who provide professional-level social services to clients involved with the Child Protective Services (CPS) unit and Family Assessment Response (FAR). This position provides advanced specialized case management, coaching, mentoring, on-the-job training, and assistance in transitioning staff from a formal training program to fieldwork. This position assigns work, conducts case reviews, maintains procedures to ensure efficient workflow, and acts as the unit supervisor (SSS5) in their absence, including attendance at meetings, facilitation of meetings, case staffing, and decision making. This position has the responsibility to apply child welfare practice principles, laws, rules, and policy in leading employees within its unit, as well as assessing and intervening on assigned workload on the most complex cases. This position is full-time and permanent, requiring time in the field and the office. Travel is a requirement of this position. This position will travel within its assigned areas of work, travel with clients as cases require, and travel to attend training and meetings in other locations.

Requirements

• Seven (7) years of paid social service experience AND 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline.
• OR A Bachelor’s degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or a Bachelor’s degree that includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline AND three (3) years of paid social service experience.
• OR A Master's degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or a Master’s degree that includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline AND two (2) years of paid social service experience.
• (A two-year Master's degree in one of the above fields that included a practicum may be substituted for one year of paid social service experience).
• OR One (1) year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 3.
• AND The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.
• Paid Social Service experience must include at least one year of assessing risk and safety to children and providing direct family-centered practice services.
• This position requires a minimum of at least two years of driving experience and a valid driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

• Child welfare experience in program areas: Child Protective Services (CPS), Child and Family Welfare Services (CFWS), Family Voluntary Services (FVS), Family Reconciliation Services (FRS), Family Assessment Response (FAR), and Adoptions/Permanency.
• Case management experience with mandatory clients.
• Knowledge of child development and/or family systems.
• Professional experience working with clients who have mental health or substance use disorders, developmental delays, or criminal behaviors.
• Experience researching, interpreting, and applying Child Welfare laws, rules, and policies, and delivering services accordingly.
• Experience with the agency's software program, FamLink.

Responsibilities

• Provides on-the-job training, mentoring, feedback, coaching, and consultation to staff.
• Serves as a lead position over Social Service Specialists and Social Service Support Specialists (SSSS, SSS1, SSS2, and SSS3 levels).
• In conjunction with the supervisor, assigns work, reviews work for efficacy, uses data to identify trends, and reviews case actions for accuracy.
• Provides feedback and reporting to the supervisor on employees’ performance and training needs.
• Provides coverage of assigned caseloads in the absence of a Social Service Specialist.
• In the supervisor’s absence, attends meetings and provides supervisory coverage.
• Prepares and provides testimony at administrative hearings, court proceedings, and criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings.
• Refers, coordinates, and monitors the delivery of services.
• Provides goal-directed, task-centered, and time-limited crisis intervention to children and families.
• Utilizes shared planning activities to obtain input from others to develop and coordinate collaborative case plans.
• Trains, coaches, and supports Social Service Specialists in preparing court reports, court testimony, hearings, and proceedings.
• Provides staff with guidance and training on caseload and time management, case actions, appropriate assessment, and intervention techniques.
• Provides staff with guidance and training on applying the Safety Framework and Structured Decision-Making process to assess risk and safety through the life of a case.
• Places dependent children in foster or other approved placements (if necessary, for the most complex cases).
• Permanency Planning.
• Utilizes FamLink to document case activities and maintain case records/files.
• Prepares and files dependency petitions, guardianship petitions, and other legal documents related to the implementation of permanent plans.
• Prepares court reports, serves summons, attends court hearings, and provides testimony in court.
• Produces Discovery.

Benefits

• King County Premium: The salary listed does not include the additional 5% premium granted to all King County employees.
• Assignment Pay: This position will also receive 10% assignment pay, in addition to the regular base salary; the required duties include performing visits in unregulated environments, such as private residences, to conduct investigations for allegations of abuse and/or neglect to assess the safety of vulnerable children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level