ICW CPS Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4) - Spokane North

State of Washington•Spokane County – Spokane, WA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Child Protective Services Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4) serves as the lead worker in the Spokane North Indian Child Welfare (ICW) Unit. The role supports staff as they transition from formal training to fieldwork by providing mentorship, on-the-job training, coaching, feedback, and consultation. It assigns work, reviews cases and work products for efficiency, accuracy, and policy compliance, and uses data to identify trends. The SSS4 serves as lead specialist on the most complex cases, provides coverage for assigned caseloads, and reports employee strengths and areas for development to direct supervisors. The position also provides input for annual performance evaluations and identifies training needs. In the unit supervisor’s absence, the SSS4 facilitates meetings, makes case-staffing decisions, and fills in as supervisor. The role may require attending court hearings and testifying when necessary. The position is based at the Spokane North Office in Spokane, Washington. A valid driver’s license and at least two years of driving experience are required. The incumbent must complete formal training courses required by law, policy, and regional requirements within one year of appointment. The position is part of the supervisory bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

Requirements

Seven years of paid social service experience, including at least one year assessing risk and safety to children and providing direct family-centered practice services, and 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline; OR one year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 3; OR a qualifying master’s degree and two years of paid social service experience in planning, administering, developing, or delivering public child welfare, social, health, or chemical dependency treatment programs; OR a qualifying bachelor’s degree and three years of such paid social service experience.
For the master’s- and bachelor’s-degree pathways, the degree must be in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or include 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline. A two-year master’s degree in an eligible field that included a practicum may substitute for one year of paid social service experience.
Paid social service experience must include at least one year assessing risk and safety to children and providing direct family-centered practice services.
Ability to take action to learn and grow.
Ability to take action to meet the needs of others.
Minimum of two years of driving experience and a valid driver’s license.
Successfully complete formal training courses required by law, policy, and regional requirements within one year of appointment.
Degrees must be from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA, or be a foreign equivalent verified by a NACES-approved organization; foreign-equivalency certification must be attached for degrees obtained outside the U.S.

Nice To Haves

Prior public child welfare experience.
Demonstrated case management experience.
Demonstrated knowledge of child development and/or family systems.
Demonstrated ability to engage children and families under difficult circumstances and gather information to make accurate and precise decisions.
Demonstrated experience researching, interpreting, and applying laws, rules, and policies, and delivering services accordingly.
Familiarity with agency software programs, including Outlook and FAMLINK.

Responsibilities

Provide on-the-job training, mentoring, feedback, coaching, and consultation to staff.
Train and assist staff on formal training plans as they transition to fieldwork.
Assign work and review work for efficiency, accuracy, and compliance with policy.
Use data to identify trends and review case actions.
Serve as lead specialist on the most complex cases.
Report employee strengths and weaknesses to direct supervisors.
Provide feedback for annual performance evaluations and identify training needs.
Provide coverage for assigned caseloads.
Attend court hearings and provide testimony when necessary.
Fill in as supervisor in the supervisor’s absence, facilitating meetings and making case-staffing decisions.