Family Services Specialist IV - Foster Care - Frederick County, VA

New LHRC External Career Site•Winchester, VA

About The Position

This position functions as a lead worker in the Foster Care, Adoption and Family Services unit which provides the direct services for fostering and sustaining the social, health, economic, behavioral, and emotional functioning of individuals and families' services by the Local Department of Social Services. Employees serve as support for the supervisor by performing tasks such as ensuring staff coverage, workload balance, training staff, reviewing case files, and providing back-up supervision of staff. Employees may provide consultation on complex cases and may also work on complex case assignments such as individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education. Employees work within established policies, procedures and guidelines with a high degree of independence, seeking supervisory assistance only in unusually complicated and difficult cases/situations. The Family Services Specialists IV class is distinguished from the Family Services Supervisor class by the latter’s spending a majority of time in supervisory activities such as handling personnel issues, problems, and evaluating the work of others. Provides persons, families, or vulnerable populations with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses, neglect and abuse; ensures that reports of suspected abuse/neglect are assigned to appropriate staff; ensures that the local department has staff on duty 24 hours per day, seven days per week to respond to reports of abuse/neglect; provides guidance, consultation and supervision to other staff in the absence of the supervisor; prepares social histories and psychosocial diagnoses and develops treatment plans which identify problems, clinical methods for dealing with them, and the means by which services will be provided either within the agency or through referral to other community resources; represents the agency in both civil and criminal court proceedings which involves interpreting laws, filing petitions, preparing court records, testifying before the court, preparing witnesses for examination, and compiling evidence; provides direct intervention and service delivery for difficult, complex social work cases, and coordinates casework; develops and conducts training for staff, interns and other professionals in the community; supervises social work interns by guiding them in their service delivery, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, and communicating with the school liaison about their progress; conducts field visits to residential facilities, consults with therapists and residential staff and participates in the staffing and planning of meetings; functions as a lead worker providing guidance and training to other staff; and coordinates program functions, develops programs, and evaluates materials.

Requirements

Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a Human Services field or minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in any field and 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).
Comprehensive knowledge of social work principles and practices; human behavior and motivational theory; laws, policies, and regulations relating to human services program areas; investigating and interviewing techniques; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders; principles and processes for providing customer and personal services to include needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of satisfaction; principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance; and therapeutic treatment technique.
Some knowledge of supervisory practices and principles if required in specific assignment.
Skill in operating a personal computer and the associated software; and the operation of a motor vehicle.
Demonstrated ability to provide guidance and training in program areas to other employees if required in specific assignment; write court reports, home studies, evaluations, mediation agreements, letters, committee reports, presentations, and general information; make clinical judgments, assess clients’ needs, and formulate plan of action; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; interview, assess needs, counsel and refer clients to other resources as needed; investigate high profile cases; testify in court proceedings; develop and present training programs and other presentations; interpret program laws, policies and regulations; develop and implement service plans in order to insure the delivery of appropriate services to the client; analyze case information to make sound judgments within the framework of existing laws, policies, and regulations; respond to the client’s emotions in order to accomplish services objectives; develop speeches and represent the agency on program training and workshops; work in stressful situations and maintain diplomacy; plan and manage own work activities including service delivery preparing reports, and correspondence, record keeping responsibilities and related activities; establish and maintain effective relationships with others; and stay abreast of current trends and developments in the social work field.
Knowledge and/or experience in Foster Care and Adoption programs.

Nice To Haves

Considerable experience in assigned program area (i.e. Foster Care, Adoption and Family Services unit) and completion of required training programs (i.e. VADSS Child Protective Services and/or Foster Care). Work experience in a leadership role.
Knowledge of and experience in applying complex federal and state laws, regulations, policies and procedures that govern compliance requirements related to Child Welfare Programs particularly Foster Care and Adoption.
Experience in working with the Juvenile Court System. Equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities. Possession of a BSW or MSW degree and a Commonwealth of Virginia Social Worker license are desirable.

Responsibilities

Ensuring staff coverage
Workload balance
Training staff
Reviewing case files
Providing back-up supervision of staff
Consultation on complex cases
Individual and group therapy
Crisis intervention
Case management
Client advocacy
Prevention
Education
Provides persons, families, or vulnerable populations with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses, neglect and abuse
Ensures that reports of suspected abuse/neglect are assigned to appropriate staff
Ensures that the local department has staff on duty 24 hours per day, seven days per week to respond to reports of abuse/neglect
Provides guidance, consultation and supervision to other staff in the absence of the supervisor
Prepares social histories and psychosocial diagnoses and develops treatment plans which identify problems, clinical methods for dealing with them, and the means by which services will be provided either within the agency or through referral to other community resources
Represents the agency in both civil and criminal court proceedings which involves interpreting laws, filing petitions, preparing court records, testifying before the court, preparing witnesses for examination, and compiling evidence
Provides direct intervention and service delivery for difficult, complex social work cases, and coordinates casework
Develops and conducts training for staff, interns and other professionals in the community
Supervises social work interns by guiding them in their service delivery, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, and communicating with the school liaison about their progress
Conducts field visits to residential facilities, consults with therapists and residential staff and participates in the staffing and planning of meetings
Functions as a lead worker providing guidance and training to other staff
Coordinates program functions, develops programs, and evaluates materials