Family Services Specialist I/II

Family Services Specialist I

Key Responsibilities:

Assessment and Planning: Evaluating the needs of children entering foster care, developing and implementing individualized care plans, and assessing the suitability of potential foster homes.

Coordination and Communication: Working with foster families, biological families, social services, schools, healthcare providers, and other relevant parties to ensure the child's needs are met.

Monitoring and Support: Conducting regular home visits to monitor the child's progress, providing emotional support and counseling to children and families, and offering training and support to foster parents.

Facilitating Permanency: Working towards family reunification when appropriate, or facilitating the adoption process when reunification is not possible.

Documentation and Reporting: Maintaining detailed case notes, documenting progress, and attending court hearings to provide testimony.

Crisis Intervention: Responding to crisis situations and providing immediate intervention to ensure the child's safety and well-being.

Advocacy: Advocating for the child's best interests and ensuring they have access to necessary resources and services.

Title Description: Family Services Specialist I represents the entry level employees working under close supervision while being trained in program areas such as, Adult/Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, Foster Care/Adoption, Child Care, and Employment Services. Employees perform routine- to journey-level casework activities and the casework usually is reviewed by the supervisor prior to implementing a case action. Upon completion of the training program and attainment of necessary approvals, the employee shall be redefined to a full-performance Family Services Specialist II and becomes eligible for a pay increase as defined by the local agency compensation plan. The Family Services Specialist I is distinguished from the Family Services Specialist II by the latter's functioning more independently as a full performance Family Services Specialist.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge - Some knowledge of: social work principles and practices; human behavior and motivational theory; and social, economic, and health problems. Skills- Skill in operating a motor vehicle and personal computer with associated software.

Skills - Skill in operating a motor vehicle and personal computer with associated software.

Abilities - Demonstrated ability to: communicate effectively both orally and in writing; interview, assess needs, counsel and refer clients to other resources as needed; develop and implement service plans in order to insure the delivery of appropriate services to the client; make sound judgments within the framework of existing laws, policies, and regulations; respond to the client's emotions in order to accomplish services objectives; plan and manage own work activities including service delivery preparing reports, and correspondence, record keeping responsibilities and related activities; establish and maintain effective relationships; and stay abreast of current trends and developments in the social work field.

Education and Experience - 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 as mandated in Section 22VAC40-670-20 of the Administrative Code of Virginia and implemented by the Virginia Board of Social Services. Possession of a BSW or MSW degree and a Commonwealth of Virginia Social Worker license are desirable.