Family Services Specialist IV (Adult Services/APS)

Title Description- This is the beginning leadership level in the occupational group for Family Services. Employees function as a lead worker for subordinate family services specialists and/or acts as an expert resource specialist. 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.

General Work Tasks (Illustrative Only) –

• 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;
• May perform same functions described in Family Services Specialist III; and
• Coordinates program functions, develops programs, and evaluates materials.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge- 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.

Skills- Skill in: operating a personal computer and the associated software; and the operation of a motor vehicle.

Abilities- 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.

Education and Experience- 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). Considerable experience in assigned program area/human services programs and completion of required training programs. Work experience in a leadership role. 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.

Preferred Qualifications:

Considerable working knowledge of Adult Services and Adult Protective Services.

Special Requirements:

Applicants may be subject to Criminal History Background search; Central Registry search, DMV driving record check, and/or pre-employment drug screen. The investigation may include: fingerprint checks (State Police, FBI), local agency checks, employment verification and references, verification of education (relevant to employment), credit checks (relevant to employment) and other checks requested by the hiring authority.

All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory results of the required checks and screenings.

Employee must be willing to work in community emergency shelter in the event of a disaster or emergency.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Application must be submitted electronically through this website. Mailed, e-mailed, faxed, or hand delivered applications and resumes will not be accepted.

Consideration for an interview is based solely on the information within the application.

Applications must include complete work history, including period(s) of unemployment if applicable.

VDSS is one of the largest Commonwealth agencies, partnering with 120 local departments of social services, along with faith-based and non-profit organizations, to promote the well-being of children and families statewide. We proudly serve alongside nearly 13,000 state and local human services professionals throughout the Social Services System, who ensure that thousands of Virginia's most vulnerable citizen have access to best services and benefits available to them.