Family Services Specialist II (CPS Intake)

Hiring Range: $65,852.54 to $88,210.20

Full Time or Part Time: Full Time

Additional Detail

The City of Alexandria is bordered by Washington D.C. and the Potomac River, Arlington and Fairfax counties, and Maryland. The small city has a cosmopolitan feel with 150,000 people living within its 15.75 square miles. At the Department of Community and Human Services, we provide essential safety net services to help city residents enjoy a sense of well-being, safety and self-sufficiency. Our behavioral health programs provide compassionate services that support self-determination and recovery. The beauty of our diverse and resilient people and our commitment to race and social equity, coupled with a historic district dating to 1749, charming waterfront, vibrant arts community and unique places for foodies and shopping, make the City of Alexandria a uniquely wonderful place to live, work and play. We invite all qualified candidates to learn more and apply for our Family Services Specialist II (CPS Intake) position.

The Family Services Specialist II - Child Protective Services (CPS) Intake worker, under the general supervision of the Social Work Supervisor, provides intensive and specialized social work services to individuals and families while completing CPS Family Assessments and Investigations. A CPS Intake worker utilizes clinical skills to assist clients with serious problems in areas such as mental illness, substance abuse, family violence, and family dysfunction to help them develop protective capacities to ensure child safety through the use of community services and family resources. The CPS Intake Worker takes action to provide child protection for clients endangered by physical, emotional, and environmental threats. The Family Services Specialist II is distinguished from the Family Services Specialist III by the latter's functioning at the advanced level, and becoming more specialized in program areas and assuming more complex duties (such as: interviewing/investigating in cases involving suspected child/adult abuse/neglect, out-of-home placements, guardianships, emergency protective orders, and adoptions). 

Examples of Duties: 

1. Completes CPS Family Assessments and Investigations that include child safety assessments, family member and collateral interviews, home visits, and risk assessments of potential future maltreatment;
2. Provides culturally competent case management services including updating and maintaining data entry of client contacts, writing reports and monthly narratives, gathering data for monthly statistics, preparing service plans and court documents; 
3. Provides crisis intervention, supportive counseling, and specialized casework to assist clients in confronting and resolving emotional and situational problems; 
4. Overcomes client resistance, fosters insight, engages, motivates and guides clients toward agreed upon goals;
5. Uses culturally competent investigative and assessment skills during interviews of child victims, siblings, offending and non-offending caretakers and collateral contacts;
6. Determines disposition of abuse and neglect complaints, and assessment of risk posed to clients in accordance with state and local policies;
7. Refers and assists clients in the use of community resources; 
8. Performs emergency removal of children from their homes when required, places children in foster homes and residential programs, and initiates coordination of services in the foster care placements as needed;
9. Represents the agency in both civil and criminal court proceedings which involves interpreting laws, filing petitions, preparing court reports, testifying before the court, and preparing witnesses for testimony;
10. Conducts investigations with State regulatory agencies when abuse and neglect occur in out of home settings;
11. On a rotating basis, provides 24-hour on-call services for CPS and Foster Care cases, and Adult Protective Services.  Responds to complaints and/or crisis situations as necessary;
12. Serves on agency and community task forces to address child welfare issues; 
13. Performs related work as required.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Some knowledge of cognitive disability in children and adults. Skill interviewing clients. Ability to work independently and on teams; interpret laws, policies and regulations concerning human services; and work successfully with clients to aid in the constructive use of their own capabilities. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing, with other professionals and with the public.

Minimum Qualifications:

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 (Section 22VAC40-670-20 of the Administrative Code of Virginia.  Employees must possess a valid driver's license issued by the state of their residence if they are in a position with driving responsibilities. Good knowledge of social work principles, normal and abnormal human behavior and psychology, child development, mental retardation and social problems. Good knowledge of current social, economic and health challenges including poverty, homelessness, and mental illness. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

Master's degree in a human services field and two years of relevant experience. License eligible in the field of social work. Fluent and Bilingual in both English and Spanish.