Family Services Specialist

State of South Dakota • Rapid City, SD

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Family Services Specialist works for the Department of Social Services’ Division of Child Protection Services, helping assess safety, provide intervention, and secure stability for children and families. The position completes assessments with families from diverse economic, educational, and cultural backgrounds who are alleged to have maltreated their children, including analyzing danger threats to children. It provides intervention services when conditions in the home are determined to threaten child safety and manages safety through out-of-home placement or an in-home safety plan.

The role involves working with the court system, including testifying when children are placed in state custody; finding foster and adoptive homes; recommending placements; monitoring children in out-of-home care; and case planning. The specialist assesses resource-family needs and provides support, identifies and locates relatives as possible placement resources, and responds to emergencies involving alleged child abuse or neglect on a 24-hour basis.

Duties are performed in departmental offices, client homes, courtrooms, and other settings. The work may involve high stress and emotional situations, differences of opinion, physical danger, contagious diseases, and families affected by sexual abuse, neglect, physical abuse, or emotional maltreatment. The position requires lifting up to 30 pounds safely, a valid driver’s license, and considerable field travel that may include overnight travel. A flexible schedule may include evenings, nights, holidays, and weekends; crisis or case situations may require evening and weekend responses.

Requirements

• A valid driver's license.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective, collaborative working relationships and interact with compassion, respect, courtesy, and tact.
• Ability to actively listen, elicit needed information, and communicate effectively and accurately, orally and in writing.
• Ability to use computerized data and technology systems.
• Ability to prepare clear, concise documentation, reports, and correspondence reflecting relevant facts.
• Time management and prioritization skills for handling multiple demands in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to take initiative with minimal supervision and use critical thinking skills.
• Ability to lift up to 30 pounds safely.
• Availability for a flexible schedule that may include evenings, nights, holidays, and weekends, and for evening or weekend crisis responses.
• Ability to undertake considerable field travel, potentially including overnight travel.
• Successful completion of a background investigation and abuse and neglect screening.
• Must verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete Form I-9; the State uses E-Verify.

Nice To Haves

• A bachelor's degree in a human service-related field is preferred; relevant experience may be considered.

Responsibilities

• Complete assessments with families alleged to have maltreated their children, including analysis of danger threats to children.
• Provide intervention services after determining that conditions in the home threaten child safety.
• Provide ongoing safety management through out-of-home placement or an in-home safety plan.
• Work with the court system, including testifying when children are placed in state custody.
• Find foster and adoptive homes for children and recommend placements.
• Monitor children placed in out-of-home care and complete case planning.
• Assess resource-family needs and provide support services.
• Identify and locate relatives as possible placement resources for children in out-of-home care.
• Respond on a 24-hour basis to emergencies involving reports of alleged child abuse or neglect.

Benefits

• $2,000 hiring incentive.
• $0-premium employee health insurance option.
• Eleven paid holidays.
• Vacation and sick leave accrual.
• Dental, vision, and other insurance options.
• Retirement benefits; this position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.
• Veterans’ Preference eligibility.

What This Job Offers

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