Social Services Specialist

Social Services Specialist

Agency: 650 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Supervisory Organization: Claremore Veterans Home

Job Type: Regular

Compensation: Up to $25.31 per hour

Basic Purpose

Positions in this family are assigned responsibility for providing social services to children and adults in communities, facilities, institutions or hospitals.

Typical Functions

• Manages a caseload and provides services for individuals and their families.
• Evaluates the needs of individuals and families; assists the family as a unit to function more adequately; counsels clients and arranges for needed treatment or services.
• Participates on a psychiatric team to gather social data, counsels individuals under the direction of a psychiatrist, psychologist or other social services specialist.
• Assesses the needs of individuals and determines eligibility for specific programs; interviews clients, both in an office setting and on home visits, completes necessary case documents and compiles data to determine eligibility.
• Develops and plans casework services and treatment for individuals with specialized problems in development, retardation, maladjustment or dependency.
• Develops and implements specialized treatment programs within the community; utilizes community resources; initiates projects with foster or adoptive parents.
• Investigates selected food stamp cases, conducts interviews and obtains information to determine food stamp violations or food stamp fraud.
• Participates in staff conferences and interdisciplinary team meetings for the purpose of determining overall treatment.
• Performs other related duties as assigned consistent with the responsibilities of the position and agency operations.

Level Descriptor

Level I: This is the basic level where employees are assigned responsibilities involving beginning level casework activities in a training status to build their skills in providing social services to individuals. In this role they will be assigned tasks which involve interviewing individuals and family members to obtain history data; taking applications for public assistance and/or related services; determining the eligibility of applicants and contacting public and private health, welfare, social and mental health agencies and related community resources for the purpose of obtaining services for individuals and their families. Responsibilities may also include providing routine social services for individuals and their families, assisting in conducting individual and family counseling, or assisting individuals in adjusting to an institutional environment, care and treatment.

Level II: At this level employees are assigned responsibilities at the full performance level in providing social services to clients in assessing needs and determining eligibility for specific programs and services. This includes managing a caseload requiring both broad and specialized knowledge of all social service programs. Some positions will serve on a psychiatric team and gather and interpret social data affecting a patient's condition; participate in therapeutic counseling of patients under the direction of a psychiatrist, psychologist or other social services specialist in a higher-level position; or participate as a member of an interdisciplinary team, giving input on the social history of individuals and contributing to the treatment plan. In addition, employees at this level will contact outside public and private health and welfare agencies and community resources to assist in obtaining aid for clients and their families and may serve as a field eligibility examiner by conducting reviews of questionable social service cases to determine verification of income, employment and other resources and to document the true situation of the client.

Level III: This is the specialist level where employees are designated as lead workers or backup supervisors to Level I or Level II employees, or are responsible for carrying a complex and difficult case load along with limited responsibilities involving the direct supervision of no more than 3 lower level staff in performing various work activities and tasks. Responsibilities include assigning caseloads, providing training in caseload principles and practices and ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations, and agency policy and procedures. Some employees at this level will act as full-time AIDS Care Coordinators assigned a multi-county area; counsel, advise and provide services to clients with AIDS; and act as a consultant to other Social Service Specialists on AIDS related matters. Employees assigned to this level may coordinate an interdisciplinary treatment team of a mental health or health facility; may coordinate activities at a social services satellite treatment center or may be assigned multiple county or district wide responsibility for the provision of social services and act as project director.

Education and Experience

Level I: Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of a bachelor's degree; or an equivalent combination of education and experience, substituting one year of experience in professional social work for each year of the required education.

Level II: Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of a master's degree; or a bachelor's degree and one year of experience in professional social work; or an equivalent combination of education and experience, substituting one additional year of experience in professional social work for each year of the bachelor's degree.

Level III: Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of a master's degree plus two additional years of qualifying experience; or a bachelor's degree and three years of experience in professional social work; or an equivalent combination of education and experience, substituting one additional year of experience in professional social work for each year of the bachelor's degree.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Competencies

Level I: Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required at this level include knowledge of social work principles and practices; of casework principles and methods; of current social and economic problems; of the principles of family economics and budgeting; of human relations; of community, state and national health and welfare resources; of psychological terminology; of the principles of interviewing; and of social assistance requirements.

Ability is required to deal effectively and courteously with people; to exercise good judgment in evaluating situations; and to present ideas and facts effectively and accurately.

Level II: Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required at this level include knowledge of social work principles and practices; of casework principles and methods; of current social and economic problems; of the principles of family economics and budgeting; of human relations; of community, state and national health and welfare resources; of psychological terminology; of the principles of interviewing; of social assistance requirements; of therapeutic treatment; and of psychiatric and medical terminology.

Ability is required to deal effectively and courteously with people; to exercise good judgment in evaluating situations; to present ideas and facts effectively and accurately; to consult with staff and agencies; and to effectively treat social and emotional problems.

Level III : Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required at this level include knowledge of social work principles and practices; of casework principles and methods; of current social and economic problems; of the principles of family economics and budgeting; of human relations; of community, state and national health and welfare resources; of psychological terminology; of the principles of interviewing; of social assistance requirements; of therapeutic treatment; of psychiatric and medical terminology; of social welfare legislation as it pertains to the state administration of public welfare; of the functions of public welfare agencies; of social resources in Oklahoma as related to public assistance; of individual and group behavior; of social and psychiatric casework method and principles and their application to problems in psychiatric social work; of mental and emotional disturbances; of the principles of clinical interviewing; of community, individual, and family social, economic, and health problems; of medical social work methods and principles; and of literature in the field of social work.

Ability is required to deal effectively and courteously with people; to exercise good judgment in evaluating situations; to present ideas and facts effectively and accurately; to consult with staff and agencies; to effectively treat social and emotional problems; to plan and organize a program; and to relate professional training to casework practice and supervision in the field of family services.

Candidates must possess sufficient proficiency in the English language to perform the essential functions of the position.

Special Requirements

Applicants must be willing and able to perform all job-related travel normally associated with this position. Applicants must be willing to work extended hours including scheduled non-business times such as evenings and weekends. Some positions may be required to be on-call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Additional Job Description

Some agencies may have determined positions in this job family to be safety sensitive as defined by 63 O.S. § 427.8.

Equal Opportunity Employment

The State of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of genetic information, race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, or disability.