Family Safety Practitioner III - Child Protective Services Sexual Abuse Investigations

Job Announcement

This position includes a signing bonus of $2,500 (full-time) for new county hires.

Do you want to be a part of a team that makes a difference in the lives of children and families? As a Child Protective Services (CPS) Family Safety Practitioner, you will engage with parents and their children who are at risk of or victims of abuse or neglect and strengthen families so they can safely care for their children. This life-changing work involves taking decisive and appropriate actions when a child needs protection, analyzing complex information, and employing intervention services and strategies to achieve the best outcomes for children.

We are looking for people who are committed to children's safety and family preservation, possess good critical thinking and decision-making skills, and thrive in a fast-paced environment. While this job is challenging and may have long and sometimes unconventional hours, this is more than a job-it is an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and families.

Duties of the CPS Family Safety Practitioner:

In this job, you will be supported by a team of caring people working together to keep children safe and strengthen families. You will make an impact by the following:

• Conducts child sexual abuse and neglect family assessment/ investigations
• Assesses allegations of child abuse and neglect, which includes interviewing children, parents, and other involved parties, often in their homes or community spaces
• Uses our practice model to comprehensively assess children and their families, including assessments of protective, risk, and safety factors
• Takes appropriate actions based on informed decisions and relevant policy to keep children safe and support families. This may include creating and monitoring safety plans, connecting families with services, providing brief clinical interventions to address immediate concerns, de-escalating tense situations, supporting families' decisions for alternate living arrangements, or separating children and placing them in foster care.
• Collaborates with other professionals to gather and share information and inform decision-making.
• Assists the CPS supervisor with providing technical guidance and training to staff
• Attends monthly Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings. Participates in training of MDT members
• Obtains forensic interview training certification and subsequent related training
• Participates in peer reviews
• Works in collaboration with law enforcement and Inova Fairfax hospital staff in the conducting of SANE exams
• Represents the agency's sexual abuse unit in the county including community and professional training regarding issues of sexual abuse
• Takes legal action when needed to ensure children are safe. This includes preparing and filing court paperwork and attending and testifying in court hearings.
• Documentsinteractions and observations related to assessments and decision-making in a timely manner.

What you need to be successful:

• Ability to manage conflict and cope with pressure in a professional manner
• Ability to work flexible hours as needed, including on-call rotation
• Ability to work collaboratively
• Knowledge of child development and family functioning
• Ability to use critical thinking skills to analyze information and develop goals for the safety and well-being of children
• Ability to partner with families to address issues such as parenting, financial stability, mental health, substance abuse, intimate partner violence, etc.
• Ability to work with individuals and families across cultures
• Strong verbal and writing skills
• Ability to plan and organize your work while adjusting to changing situations and priorities
• Commitment to learning about process, policy, best practices and our practice model and apply the learning to daily tasks.

Grow your career with Fairfax County!

With more than 16,000 employees, Fairfax County is a diverse workforce offering employees stimulating and challenging opportunities across a broad scope of career opportunities. As a Fairfax County employee, you impact the well-being of our community every day.

This is an exciting time to join Fairfax County Government as we shape racial and social equity policies in the county through the One Fairfax Policy. Using this framework, we intentionally consider equity when making policies or delivering programs and services. To learn more, we highly encourage you to watch the Becoming One Fairfax-An Introduction to Key Concepts video by clicking here and visit the One Fairfax webpage here.

Finally, click here to learn more about learn more about our Department of Family Services, meet our director and some of our practitioners, watch a short video to learn more about this position, read the top 5 reasons to come work with us, and check out the great benefits, including excellent paid leave, health plans, and retirement plans. In addition to the many County benefits, working with us gives you access to supervision towards becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, our Child Welfare Institute onboarding academy, and practice guidance grounded in the Safe & Connected practice model.

All Fairfax County Government employees are expected to adhere to the Standards of Conduct. In maintaining a drug free workplace, employees are prohibited from manufacturing, distributing, possessing, using or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while at work or on county premises.
Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position job description).

Contributes to the development of protocols, policies, procedures, grants and contracts for a social services program, department, and other entities;
Manages service contracts and provide and directs other contract-related functions;
Assists the supervisor in planning and carrying out training for new staff, providing guidance to staff;
Serves as a policy and practice expert in mandated services that supports the protection and wellbeing of vulnerable populations, governed by state and federal laws, administrative code, state-level policies and procedures, accreditation standards, and/or court orders for compliance with public welfare or other court-mandated services;
Coordinates or oversees the daily activities of a program or project to include staff supervision, oversight of administrative functions/requirements associated with the program or project, evaluation of the program or project for its impact/effectiveness and making recommendations for changes or improvements;
Uses case management, documentation management technology, and hard copy files to maintain and update case data, notes, documents, records, contacts, and summaries of information in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and policies;
Manages and maintains program data and outcomes;
Conducts initial and ongoing, comprehensive clinical and social assessments of the family system;
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);
Provides family, individual, and group counseling and conducts mediation services to families in conflict;
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;
Performs risk and safety assessments to determine if people at risk of harm should be separated from their current living situation including, emergency separations of children from their homes when required;
Addresses, and if necessary, diffuses initial and ongoing crises with clients, assesses safety issues and refers clients to emergency services as needed (e.g., mental health services, child protective services, foster care, adult protective services, emergency shelter, homeless shelter);
Prepares written reports and required documentation supporting decisions related to immediate and ongoing safety needs;
Provides crisis intervention on a timely basis to clients or families whose wellbeing are seriously and imminently threatened;
Assists clients with identifying and utilizing available personal and community resources and refers clients to other public and private agencies and services. Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

Knowledge of current social service problems and methods/approaches to address issues;
Knowledge or skill with crisis intervention or conflict resolution techniques;
Knowledge of regulations and guidelines relating to the assigned area of social service specialization;
Ability to analyze case information to reach sound decisions based on such information;
Ability to demonstrate advanced critical thinking and judgment by understanding and applying governing policy and statutes alongside best practices and unique case factors;
Ability to engage with persons effectively and empathically from different cultures who may be experiencing stressful family situations;
Ability to maintain a high level of sensitivity and confidentiality while performing client related tasks;
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing;
Ability to use case management and documentation 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;
Ability to engage children, adults, and/or families under safety-sensitive, time-limited, and difficult circumstances, to gather information and make informed decisions that are inclusive of their language, race, and culture;
Ability to engage and work with community partners and organizations;
Ability to collaborate as a team member to create and support safety planning and monitoring;
Ability to engage with juridical systems and processes to support the safety needs of clients as needed or when required by statute;
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of individuals;
Ability to schedule and manage workloads sufficiently to meet deadlines;
Ability to provide guidance, direction, supervision and coaching to less experienced staff;
Ability to provide management and oversight of a program or project;
Ability to develop and present training programs and other presentations;
Ability to set boundaries and participate in self-reflective practice and working knowledge of the National Association of Social Workers' Code of Professional Ethical Standards;
Skill in defining and explaining complex rules and guidelines in a variety of settings and providing sound guidance and direction to staff;
Skill in writing and reviewing reports that are behaviorally specific, factually correct, include conclusions and recommended action. Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
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).

In order to be evaluated for positions in the Family Services Occupational Group, 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.


Contingent upon the area of assignment, some positions within this class may require specific certification(s) or experience prior to employment and/or the ability to acquire necessary certification(s) within a specified time period following employment. The certifications and preferred qualifications are identified in the position description and employment advertisement .

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Valid driver's license.
Positions within this class are required to complete the state mandated training in the functional area within a specified time period.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to the position must satisfactorily complete a criminal background check, driving record check, and a Child Protective Services check.

This position is considered essential personnel and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster).

Requires being part of an on-call rotation that includes evening, overnight, weekend, and holiday hours which may require immediate response into the field.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in social work (MSW) or a related field.
• Four years of experience in social work, psychology, sociology, counseling, or related experience.
• Experience performing child protective services, foster care and/or family preservation.
• Experience working with the court system or family group facilitation.
• Experience working with a diverse multicultural population.
• Experience working with families impacted by child sexual abuse & human trafficking.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Ability to navigate through and make decisions in stressful and crisis situations Work requires performing tasks with risks of secondary traumatic stress (STS). Sufficiently mobile to travel outside the office for client contact, court appearances, community events, and to conduct family assessments and investigations of allegations of child abuse and neglect. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Ability to use automated technology. Must be able to operate a motor vehicle and make use of personal vehicle. Ability to lift up to 40 lbs. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview; may include practical exercise.

This job announcement is listed with a closing date of 7/3/26 and interested applicants are advised to submit their applications as soon as possible. Interviews will be conducted on a regular basis throughout the recruitment with candidates whose qualifications best fit our needs. If your application is received later in the recruitment process, it may not be reviewed or considered. The application process may close prior to the currently advertised closing date when the position has been filled.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others.) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY View phone number on click.appcast.io. View email address on click.appcast.io EEO/AA/TTY.

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