Family Services Specialist

Protective Service Specialist 1/2/3Come join the State of Alaska!This job class uses Competency Based minimum qualifications (MQs). Please read the Competency Based MQ instructions below to learn more.The Department of Family and Community Services, Office of Children's Services (OCS) is recruiting for full-time Protective Service Specialist 1/2/3 Week On/Off Travel Rotation to Bethel based in Anchorage, Fairbanks or Wasilla, Alaska This position is open to All Applicants.What you will be doing: As a Protective Service Specialist (PSS), responsible for Child Protection Services in the Family Services Unit, the Investigations & Assessment Unit, or as Generalist covering. This position is based out of Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Wasilla, Alaska, requiring travel to Bethel, Alaska and surrounding rural locations, villages, and communities in the Northern Region.This case carrying positions offer a range of duties, including investigating reports of child abuse and/or neglect, preparing plans for intervention by soliciting the cooperation of the family and others, and gathering information about family dynamics/functionality, developing plans to ensure child safety while assisting parents in addressing their diminished protective factors, placing children out of the home with a relative or licensed foster home when necessary, provide ongoing and/or in-home services to families, writing and submitting reports to Court, working closely with Tribal/Community Partners, frequent face-to-face and telephonic contact with parents and caregivers of children in custody, with travel as required dependent on the client location, and making referrals to other service providers and agencies.The Mission of the Office of Children's Services is: Ensuring the safety, permanency and well-being of children by strengthening families, engaging communities, and partnering with Tribes.The Office of Children's Services is dedicated to a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and wellbeing are paramount. Employees all contribute to building a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully. Everything we do is underpinned by our Core Values.Benefits of Joining Our Team: The Office of Children's Services is committed to an organizational culture that values each team member. We are committed to building and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment. We celebrate and value the diversity of our employees, partners, and families we serve.Your first twelve months in the agency are probationary and considered a training period, with formal virtual training, on-the-job training with your supervisor, and with other colleagues. While this is a field-based position that involves working in the community, part-time teleworking within the duty station may be an option upon eligibility.Full-time benefits of this position include but are not limited to: Insurance Benefits; Retirement Benefits; Paid Leave; and twelve paid holidays per year. Please see the benefits tab on this posting for more information.The Working Environment You Can Expect: These positions provide coverage for the Western Region, with primary support for Bethel, Alaska, and surrounding communities. The duty station will be based in Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Wasilla. Incumbents will travel to Bethel, Alaska and, while at this location, travel to remote areas in the Western Region. The position follows an Alternate Work Week (AWW) schedule, with a week on while in Bethel, followed by a week off. During their work week in Bethel, incumbents may travel to villages or remote communities 4+ days per week, with travel consisting of day trips and/or overnight stays.Travel to some remote locations may involve limited or no access to modern conveniences, hotels, or other traditional lodging. Therefore, incumbents must be prepared to sleep in available community facilities, which may include offices, schools, tribal community buildings, or other accommodations, as needed.Travel may include all-terrain vehicles, small planes, small boats, snow machines, etc. to remote villages, communities, or rural locations with some exposure to extreme weather conditions in the winter. Travel may be adjusted depending on the casework or regional needs.The work we perform is critical and significantly impacts the communities we serve. As a result, Office of Children's Services (OCS) works in the evenings and weekends as well as on weekdays, so overtime and working on-call on a rotational basis are expectations of our workers. OCS Staff are considered essential, so are expected to work during pandemic and other natural disasters.For information on the Anchorage, Fairbanks, Wasilla or Bethel communities (including schools, hospitals, housing) please review the Alaska Community Profiles.Who We Are Looking For: We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies:Self-Management: Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.Stress Tolerance: Deals calmly and effectively with high stress situations (for example, tight deadlines, hostile individuals, emergency situations, dangerous situations).Teamwork: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.To view the general description and example of duties for the position please go to the following link: you can imagine yourself in this role, we encourage you to apply!