Family Service Specialist - 2nd Shift

State of Delaware•Dover, DE

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Family Service Specialists provide and coordinate professional case management services to children, youth, adults, and families experiencing abuse, neglect, dependency, behavioral concerns, crisis situations, or family dysfunction. They conduct assessments and provide planning, facilitation, advocacy, monitoring, and evaluation in collaboration with clients and other professionals. The work includes child abuse investigations and/or ongoing case management, potentially involving foster care and permanency planning. Specialists work independently in offices, homes, and community settings and travel statewide for home visits, court appearances, community-based services, and urgent responses to assess and maintain child safety and well-being. This second-shift position receives, documents, and screens intakes through the Child Abuse Hotline, provides after-hours responses to screened-in cases, and responds to emergencies to ensure child safety. Time-sensitive family and child needs and operational requirements may require work outside standard hours. Employees may advance through the Family Services Specialist career ladder—Family Services Specialist, Senior Family Services Specialist, and Master Family Services Specialist—after meeting promotional standards and job requirements. The State of Delaware offers eligible employees a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. New hires must attend statewide employee orientation and complete pre-employment drug testing and a satisfactory criminal background check. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Requirements

Meet at least one of the following qualification pathways: one year of professional health or human service work; two years of paraprofessional health or human service work; or an associate degree, which may substitute for one year of paraprofessional experience.
Alternatively, possess a bachelor's degree or higher, or have an anticipated graduation date within three months, with coursework in Behavioral Science, Psychology, Sociology, Human Services, or a related field.
As a condition of hire, possess a valid driver's license that is not suspended, revoked, cancelled, or disqualified.
Be able to travel statewide, including driving at night or in adverse weather conditions.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Complete pre-employment drug testing and obtain a satisfactory criminal background check as conditions of hire.
Report to Statewide New Employee Orientation on the first day of employment.

Responsibilities

Advocate for clients’ and families’ health, safety, welfare, and rights, and assist them in obtaining needed services.
Interview clients, family members, and professionals to gather personal, social, and background information and assess problems, strengths, resources, and barriers.
Determine eligibility for social service programs offered by the agency or available in the community.
Develop and implement service or treatment plans with clients and families, with consultation from a technical superior, and connect them to needed community, social, and therapeutic resources.
Conduct individual and family counseling to support social development and adjustment to problems and situations.
Assess progress toward goals and recommend actions such as reclassification, discharge, aftercare, emergency protective placement, guardianship, petitions, or options counseling.
Prepare social histories, progress reports, evaluations, discharge summaries, court reports, and petitions, and maintain client records and files.
Enforce court orders and conditions of community supervision as required.
Attend court hearings and other judicial proceedings, answer questions, make recommendations, and prepare progress reports.
Respond to crisis situations, potentially including suicide risks, assault and battery against clients, and sexual abuse cases; coordinate with law enforcement and emergency staff when needed.
Receive, document, and screen Child Abuse Hotline intakes during second-shift hours and provide timely after-hours and emergency responses.
Travel statewide for home visits, court appearances, community-based services, and urgent responses to assess and maintain child safety and well-being.
Perform emergency duty and be on call for an assigned period when required.
Isolate and/or physically restrain clients who are acting out when required.