Family Services Specialist IV

Hiring Range: 45591 to 50591 Full Time or Part Time

Full Time Additional Detail

Title Description This is the beginning leadership level in the occupational group for Family Services. Employees function as a lead worker for subordinate family services specialists and/or act as an expert resource specialist. Employees serve as support for the supervisor by performing tasks such as ensuring staff coverage, workload balance, training staff, reviewing case files, and providing back-up supervision of staff. Employees may provide consultation on complex cases and may also work on complex case assignments such as individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education. Employees work within established policies, procedures, and guidelines with a high degree of independence, seeking supervisory assistance only in unusually complicated and difficult cases/situations.

The Family Services Specialists IV class is distinguished from the Family Services Supervisor class by the latters spending a majority of time in supervisory activities such as handling personnel issues/problems and evaluating the work of others.

General Work Tasks (Illustrative Only)

• Provides persons, families, or vulnerable populations with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses, neglect, and abuse.
• Ensures that reports of suspected abuse/neglect are assigned to appropriate staff.
• Ensures that the local department has staff on duty 24 hours per day, seven days per week, to respond to reports of abuse/neglect.
• Provides guidance, consultation, and supervision to other staff in the absence of the supervisor.
• Prepares social histories and psychosocial diagnoses and develops treatment plans which identify problems, clinical methods for dealing with them, and the means by which services will be provided either within the agency or through referral to other community resources.
• Represents the agency in both civil and criminal court proceedings which involves interpreting laws, filing petitions, preparing court records, testifying before the court, preparing witnesses for examination, and compiling evidence.
• Provides direct intervention and service delivery for difficult, complex social work cases and coordinates casework.
• Develops and conducts training for staff, interns, and other professionals in the community.
• Supervises social work interns by guiding them in their service delivery, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, and communicating with the school liaison about their progress.
• Conducts field visits to residential facilities, consults with therapists and residential staff, and participates in the staffing and planning of meetings.
• Functions as a lead worker providing guidance and training to other staff.
• May perform same functions described in Family Services Specialist III.
• Coordinates program functions, develops programs, and evaluates materials.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge

• Comprehensive knowledge of social work principles and practices, human behavior, and motivational theory.
• Laws, policies, and regulations relating to human services program areas.
• Investigating and interviewing techniques.
• The assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Principles and processes for providing customer and personal services, including needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of satisfaction.
• Principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions.
• Career counseling and guidance.
• Therapeutic treatment techniques.
• Some knowledge of supervisory practices and principles (if required in specific assignment).

Skills

• Skill in operating a personal computer and the associated software.
• The operation of a motor vehicle.

Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to provide guidance and training in program areas to other employees (if required in specific assignment).
• Write court reports, home studies, evaluations, mediation agreements, letters, committee reports, presentations, and general information.
• Make clinical judgments.
• Assess clients needs and formulate a plan of action.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Interview, assess needs, counsel, and refer clients to other resources as needed.
• Investigate high-profile cases.
• Testify in court proceedings.
• Develop and present training programs and other presentations.
• Interpret program laws, policies, and regulations.
• Develop and implement service plans in order to insure the delivery of appropriate services to the client.
• Analyze case information to make sound judgments within the framework of existing laws, policies, and regulations.
• Respond to the clients emotions in order to accomplish services objectives.
• Develop speeches and represent the agency on program training and workshops.
• Work in stressful situations and maintain diplomacy.
• Plan and manage own work activities, including service delivery, preparing reports and correspondence, record-keeping responsibilities, and related activities.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with others.
• Stay abreast of current trends and developments in the social work field.

Education and Experience

• Minimum of a Bachelors degree in a Human Services field OR minimum of a Bachelors degree in any field with a minimum of two years of appropriate and related experience in a Human Services area (Section 22VAC40-670-20 of the Administrative Code of Virginia).
• Considerable experience in assigned program area/human services programs and completion of required training programs.
• Work experience in a leadership role.
• Equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Possession of a BSW or MSW degree and a Commonwealth of Virginia Social Worker license are desirable.

Minimum Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

Special Requirements

Special Instructions to Applicants