Re-entry Specialist (Social Services Specialist II)

Fairfax County•Fairfax (Fj23), VA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

This position serves as part of the Programs Section of the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office. Develops and maintains a comprehensive plan to implement services and oversee the re-entry process for all inmates housed at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. Serves as the Sheriff's Office liaison with local non-profits, county agencies, medical and mental health professionals to provide inmates with programs, support and services, which are essential for a successful transition to the community. Additionally, this position will provide services for those inmates identified to take part in the Sheriff’s Office Addiction Treatment Program initiative. This position includes a sign-on bonus for fully qualified new county employees in the amount of $2,500 (full-time).

Requirements

Minimum of a bachelor's degree in a human services field OR minimum of a bachelor's degree in any field with 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).
Individuals who do not meet the degree requirement at the time of application for employment must be in their last semester of a degree program that will meet the requirements listed above.
Knowledge of the principles and practices of social work
Knowledge of current social service problems and methods/approaches to address issues
Knowledge of regulations and guidelines relating to the assigned area of social service specialization
Ability to analyze case information and to reach sound decisions on the basis of such information
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing
Ability to use automated technology to establish and maintain case records
Ability to maintain professional ethics and confidentiality of client information
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of individuals
Ability to schedule and manage workload sufficiently to meet deadlines
Must be able to operate keyboard driven equipment
Must communicate with others

Nice To Haves

Experience providing social service programs and support in a correctional setting.
Experience working as a liaison with non-profit, medical and mental health programs and professionals.
Experience with addiction treatment programs.
Experience with documentation for accreditation standards.
Experience recruiting, selecting, and monitoring volunteers.
Bilingual in English and another language.

Responsibilities

Works with clients to develop a plan of service to meet social, health, emotional and economic needs
With the client, formulates objectives and identifies actions to resolve the clients' problems
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)
Works with the community to identify families, children and individuals needing social services and coordinates these services using a wrap-around approach
Provides family counseling and conducts mediation services to families in conflict
Performs emergency removal of children from their homes when required, places children in foster homes and residential programs, and coordinates services for them as needed
Investigates complaints of alleged abuse or neglect, and in consultation with supervisor, makes assessment of risks posed to clients in accordance with state and local policies, and works to ensure risks are eliminated or minimized
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
Represents the agency in court proceedings and prepares testimony and testifies in Juvenile, Circuit, Criminal, Civil and Federal Courts
Interviews and counsels natural parents, adoptive parents, foster parents and children to be placed in foster homes or residential facilities and those involved in adoption placement
Evaluates child's readiness for placement and recommends placement ensuring compliance with legal provisions
Conducts and documents interstate and intrastate family home studies to evaluate and make recommendations on the family's ability to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children
Evaluates and may assist in training foster and adoptive parents
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
Collaborates and contributes to child specific teams on non-agency cases as assigned to assist in identifying community resources and services for families
Participates, collaborates and contributes to Comprehensive Services Act activities for families on caseload
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
Conducts home visits to families for the purpose of monitoring, counseling and supervision
Recruits, develops, trains, and monitors individual service providers
Recruits volunteers and manages volunteer services
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