Family Services Specialist I - Adult Services

Are you an experienced Adult Services professional passionate about protecting vulnerable adults and strengthening family safety? Do you thrive in fast-paced environments, balancing competing priorities, facilitating meetings, and solving complex issues? If so, the Family Services Specialist I position in Adult Services may be the right fit for you. Chesapeake Human Services is seeking a skilled professional to join our Adult Services Unit, where you will oversee the Guardianship Program, facilitate Family Partnership Meetings, and support both Adult Services and Child Welfare teams in addressing complex client needs.


Under general supervision, the Family Services Specialist I provides direct and indirect services to vulnerable, elderly, and incapacitated adults (18+), including receiving and documenting APS Hotline reports, conducting investigations and assessments, and determining the need for protective services. This role involves time-sensitive client contact, interviews with involved parties, and analysis of complex medical, financial, and psychological information. The position may also initiate legal actions such as guardianship, conservatorship, and protective orders to safeguard clients and their assets. In addition, the Specialist participates in an after-hours on-call rotation for both Child Welfare and Adult Protective Services.


ESSENTIAL TASKS

• Conducts interviews or investigations and makes client/family assessments; formulates and implements plan; screens interstate referrals; sends out and reviews home study information.
• Prepares purchase orders for client services, and negotiates provider rates; confirms provider availability and service authorization; verifies client information; processes invoices for payment.
• Interacts/coordinates with other agencies, organizations, or family/community members to provide services for client and family/prior custodians; makes referrals for other social services.
• Conducts home visits to supervise, observe, and document family interactions, activities, and environment; establishes schedule with parents/prior custodians for child visitation.
• Provides direct services to clients/families including teaching basic living, parenting, budgeting, or employment skills, providing mediation counseling, and accompanying clients to appointments.
• Collects and compiles information/data, and prepares periodic and special reports; maintains files/records for area of responsibility; develops program forms.
• Provides emergency services/crisis intervention for clients/families; protects clients through court involvement; testifies at local, state, and judicial appeals; provides client placement as needed.
• Provides information to public on eligibility requirements and available services for assigned area.
• Performs routine office tasks such as dictating case notes, data entry, typing correspondence or forms, filing, faxing, telephoning, or photocopying.
• Conducts training classes for service providers; certifies and recertifies approved providers; attends professional workshops and seminars to improve professional skills.
• Performs other related duties as assigned

The City of Chesapeake offers an exceptional range of benefits. Please browse our Benefits Brochure, for a full list of benefits and employee perks.

Required Qualifications

VOCATIONAL / EDUCATIONAL AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT :

In order to be evaluated for vacancies in the Family Services Specialist job series, applicants shall possess the qualifications outlined in (1) OR (2) below:
1) A minimum of a bachelor's degree in the human services field, including Social Work, Rehabilitation Counseling, Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Counseling and Guidance, Counselor Education, Human Services, Sociology, Family and Child Development, Aging Studies, Gerontology, Criminal Justice, or other related degrees determined by the Department of Human Resources based on the similarity of the curriculum and course content.
2) A minimum of a bachelor's degree in any field accompanied by a minimum of two years of appropriate and related, full-time equivalent experience in a human services related area.
To be considered for promotion, persons currently employed in the Family Services Specialist job series by a local department prior to January 1, 1999, who do not meet the qualifications outlined in either (1) or (2) above, must possess four years of appropriate and related experience in a human services area and must have successfully completed all available competency-based training related to the promotional area.


SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES : Requires a valid driver's license and a driving record that is in compliance with City Driving Standards .

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS : Emergency Duty (On-Call) participation is required to comply with mandated responsibilities as listed under Section 63.2-1503,B; Section 63.2-900; and 63.2-1604-63.2-1610, Code of Virginia. Employees may be expected to work hours in excess of their normally scheduled hours in response to short-term departmental needs and/or City-wide emergencies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Six months AS/ APS experience
• Experience conducting investigations
• Experience working with incapacitated adults
• Excellent OASIS documentation experience
• Experience in writing Court reports, Word documents, and emails