CFWS Social Service Supervisor 5 (SSS5) - Mt. Vernon

State of Washington•Skagit County - Mt. Vernon, WA

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is seeking a Social Service Supervisor 5 (SSS5) to join their team in Mt. Vernon, WA. This role is responsible for supervising Social Service Specialists within the Child Protective Services (CPS) unit, providing guidance, case management, and support to ensure child safety and well-being. The supervisor will oversee investigations of child abuse, neglect, and abandonment, conduct clinical reviews, and ensure compliance with relevant policies and laws, including those pertaining to diverse populations like military and Native American families. The position fosters a learning environment that promotes racial equity, social justice, and culturally responsive practice. The role involves on-the-job training, mentoring, feedback, coaching, and consultation to frontline workers, including fieldwork observations and modeling of case management skills. The supervisor will also manage unit workload, monitor performance, conduct case conferences, and ensure staff training and development. Data utilization for trend identification and documentation review within FamLink are key aspects of the role, along with completing performance assessments and initiating payments for services. The position may require providing coverage for assigned caseloads as needed.

Requirements

Eight (8) years of paid social service experience AND 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline.
OR A master’s degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences or any master’s degree which includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline AND Three (3) years of paid social service experience in planning, administering, developing, or delivery of public child welfare, social, health, or chemical dependency treatment programs.
OR A bachelor's degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences or any bachelor’s degree which includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline AND Four (4) years of paid social service experience in planning, administering, developing, or delivery of public child welfare, social, health, or chemical dependency treatment programs.
OR One (1) year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 4.
OR Two (2) years of experience as a Social Service Specialist 3.
The ability to take action to learn and grow.
The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.
A two-year master's degree in one of the above fields that included a practicum may be substituted for one (1) year of paid social service experience.
Paid social service experience must include at least One (1) year of assessing risk and safety to children and providing direct family-centered practice services.
Degrees must be obtained from an accredited institution.
This position requires a minimum of at least two years of driving experience and a valid driver’s license.
The incumbent must successfully complete Supervisor Core Training (SCT) within one year of initial appointment.
Degrees must be obtained from an accredited college or university whose accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or a foreign equivalent verified by a NACES-approved organization at naces.org.
Foreign Equivalency certification must be attached to the application for degrees obtained outside the U.S.

Nice To Haves

A Master's Degree in Social Work
Previously demonstrated experience working with children and families.
Previously demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and comprehend (through oral and written forms of communication) with management, peers, clients, community colleagues and the public.
Previously demonstrated ability to comprehend, interpret, and apply current applicable laws, rules and policies on delivery of child protective and child welfare services within Washington State and deliver services accordingly.
Previously demonstrated ability to partner effectively with community partners and professionals to develop and maintain resources teams to support children and families.
Previously demonstrated ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with child’s caregivers (parents, foster parents, relatives, kin or facility staff).
Include caregivers in case planning process and provide support for meeting the child’s unique needs.
Previously demonstrated ability to evaluate, analyze and assess risk and safety in all cases, as defined by law, and best practice and implement appropriate procedures using the agency preferred risk and safety assessment tools.
Practice and implement appropriate procedures using the agency preferred risk and safety assessment tools.
Previous demonstrated ability to access and utilize agency’s software programs.

Responsibilities

Provide supervisory duties for the unit, including on-the-job training, mentoring, feedback, coaching, and consultation to Social Service Specialists transitioning to and performing fieldwork.
Provide professional staff with guidance and direction regarding caseload and time management, case actions, assessment and intervention techniques, and application of the Safety Framework and Structured Decision-Making process to assess risk and safety throughout the life of a case.
Plan, direct, and manage the workload of the unit; develop and disseminate expectations that apply to all staff; monitor performance; and ensure staff are meeting expectations in the areas of safety, permanency, and well-being.
Conduct regular clinical reviews, consultations, and formal case conferences to counsel and advise staff on case planning, review case activities, identify services for families, and support high-quality service delivery with a steady focus on child safety.
Maintain current knowledge of applicable laws, rules, and policies governing child protective and child welfare services and provide consultation to staff to ensure services are delivered accordingly.
Monitor staff training needs, ensure staff attend required trainings, and schedule and offer training opportunities to improve knowledge of organizational expectations, policies, procedures, and child welfare practice.
Use data to identify trends, review case actions for accuracy, and monitor documentation, supervisory activities, and case records within FamLink in accordance with agency standards and accountability requirements.
Complete fair, thorough, and accurate performance assessments; maintain supervisory field files; and develop improvement plans as needed to support staff success.
Initiate payments within FamLink for child placements and child and family services, as appropriate, and participate in in-house, multidisciplinary, and multi-agency case staffings.
Provide coverage for assigned caseloads in the absence of a Social Service Specialist, as needed.