SENIOR HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAM SPECIALIST - 60034613

Requisition No: 872029 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: SENIOR HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAM SPECIALIST - 60034613

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 60034613 

Salary: $42,561.57 - $60,000 Annually 

Posting Closing Date: 09/07/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator 

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF)  is   the state of Florida’s social services agency. The agency oversees services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking and public assistance. The agency’s mission is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.

Within DCF, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program office is recognized as the single state authority for substance abuse and mental health services. The Office of SAMH is statutorily responsible for the planning, evaluation, and implementation of a comprehensive statewide system of care for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and adults with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

Northeast Florida State Hospital (NEFSH) is a 613-bed, licensed mental health treatment facility that provides person-centered services to adults suffering from severe and persistent mental illness. The hospital, located in Macclenny, was established in 1959 and is the largest state operated civil treatment facility.

NORTHEAST FLORIDA STATE HOSPITAL IS A TOBACCO FREE FACILITY.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION RESPONSES TO THE QUALIFYING QUESTIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST BE VERIFIABLE BASED ON YOUR SUBMITTED APPLICATION.

THIS IS A MULTI-HIRE OPPORTUNITY .

This is a highly responsible and professional position that will serve as a Senior Human Services Program Specialist at the Northeast Florida State Hospital. T his position will collaborate with each section within the state facilities and be required to use independent judgement, take initiative in carrying out duties and responsibilities and should be extraordinarily detail oriented.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:

• The function of the Discharge Coordinator is skilled professional work planning and coordinating Discharge activities for individuals served at Northeast Florida State Hospital
• The Discharge Coordinator counsels individuals served regarding personal preferences, needs and discharge plans; coordinates face-to-face and phone call screenings for selection of community placement/housing, site visits and ancillary services (i.e. secure housing referrals, FACT team referrals, etc.); secures informed consent signatures to allow information sharing with potential placement sites. Works with Benefits Coordinator to ensure benefits are active prior to discharge.
• Participates as member of Recovery Teams to determine recommendations for community placement plus supports and services needed upon discharge. Assists in the formulation of the Discharge Plan within Recovery Plan and through the final segment of the 7001.
• Supports finalizing discharge for each person placed on discharge status and sets-up appointments for psychiatric services and case management appointments through the community provider and liaison /case manager, coordinates transportation and confirms placement information (i.e. date and location of placement).
• Maintains records to track the discharge planning process on each individual served. Records key information in the Monthly Discharge Coordination Note to include the dates a person served is placed on discharge status, removed from discharge status, the actual date of discharge, plus all contacts with the community, family, guardian, guardian advocate, or other interested parties. Tracking includes the Resident Database for pre-discharge and discharge status, coordination of 7001 forms, processing of 281 forms, monitoring of 7002 forms, completion of notification of Circuit change to community partners, notice of ongoing discharge planning needs, and barriers to discharge.
• Serves as point of contact for Community Liaisons, FACT teams, Case Managers, and Community Placements in coordinating on site/ off site screenings and assessments. The Discharge Coordinator contacts the community case manager a minimum of once per week for the first 30 days and biweekly thereafter to check on the progress of placement and the plan for securing the recommended services.
• Participates in Hospital and Community Provider Meetings addressing multiple barriers to discharge including individuals in need of nursing home placement, undocumented individuals, persons with previous legal involvement, and individuals requiring increased supervision who do not qualify for nursing home settings, providing feedback on solutions to address long lengths of stay. Contributes to partnership with the Managing Entities.
• Responsible for other related duties as assigned. The job duties listed above are not intended to be a comprehensive list of duties and responsibilities of the position. The omission of specific job function does not absolve an employee from being required to perform additional tasks incidental to or inherent in the job. Performance of lower level duties may be required.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

• Knowledge of social, economic, rehabilitation or health care service objectives.
• Knowledge of methods of compiling, organizing and analyzing data.
• Ability to develop manuals, policies, procedures, standards and rules.
• Ability to develop methods for monitoring and evaluating quality of service and compliance with rules, policies and statutes.
• Ability to review and evaluate plans and programs.
• Ability to identify improvements and adjustments needed to insure program effectiveness and efficiency.
• Ability to establish and maintain liaison with other agencies.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is preferred and four years of professional experience in health, social, economic or rehabilitative programs.
• A master's degree from an accredited college or university can substitute for one year of the required experience.
• Professional experience as required above can substitute on a year-for-year basis for the preferred college education.

Candidate Profile (application) Requirements:

Candidate Profile (application) must be complete in its entirety.

• Work History - entered with the most recent/current listed first:
• Any and all State of Florida jobs
• Any and all Florida University jobs
• All periods of employment
• Periods of unemployment
• Gaps 3 months or more*
• Education
• Volunteer Experience
• Include supervisor names and phone numbers including current place of employment.
• * Gaps 3 months or more must be addressed – you will need to account for and explain any gaps in employment including unemployment. You can either list these in your application under Period of Employment or attach a word document listing your gaps.
• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications.
• If claiming Right to First Interview , candidate  MUST attach a copy of your official layoff letter when applying. This only applies to employees laid off from Career Service positions.

If you experience problems applying online, please call the People First Service Center at View phone number on us.fitly.work.

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

• Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits.
• For a more complete list of benefits, visit .

DCF EMPLOYMENT DISCLOSURES

US CITIZEN REQUIREMENT   Only US citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers will be hired.

SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM REGISTRATION  All selected male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS). Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire . For more information, please visit the SSS website: .

RETIREE NOTICE  If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.

BACKGROUND SCREENING  It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and, if applicable, also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and Chapter 408, F.S. No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency. Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center View phone number on us.fitly.work). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here . All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.