Family Services Specialist III -Senior Family Support Worker (Albemarle)

May provide supervisory coverage in supervisor’s absence.

Essential Functions:

• Recruits, engages, and provides voluntary services to families through school, community, and other referral sources.
• Assesses cognitive, social/emotional, and behavioral functioning of children and families; develops case plans in partnership with families based on identified needs to strengthen families; and delivers specialized and appropriate trauma-informed and family-centered services designed to ensure child safety, well-being, and permanency.
• Advocates for families in the educational process; acts as a liaison between school and DSS for at-risk youth by promoting academic success, community engagement, and social/emotional well-being in the school and home setting.
• Participates in the identification of social problems and advocates for and collaborates in the development of needed resources within multiple systems inclusive of schools, DSS, families, and community; assists and supports families in their use of agency, school, and other resources.
• Coordinates with county schools, other agencies, and multi-disciplinary and interagency teams to provide early intervention and family support case management.
• Plans, promotes, and provides family engagement processes and activities inclusive of school and community events.
• Promotes cultural understanding and competency and an organizational climate of equity and inclusion and provides customers with an experience that is professional, empathetic, and responsive.
• Provides supervisory coverage in supervisor’s absence; assists with onboarding and training of and mentoring to new FS workers; provides case/resource consultation and coaches team members in providing services to children and families; collaborates with unit supervisor and team members across child welfare to assist with administrative responsibilities, including monthly child welfare meetings, educational opportunities, and general support; partners with supervisor to collect and assess programming outcomes.
• Maintains professional confidential case records according to state and federal law and policy; provides accurate and timely updated entries into the required information systems; interprets agency programs and policies to other agencies and the community; attends and participates in related departmental and school meetings and training.
• Provides services in a specialized service area and may be assigned cases with a high degree of complexity and/or sensitivity and/or carry primary responsibility for a specific program function such as intake.
• Performs related work as required

Competency: Knowledge/ Skills/Abilities:

• General knowledge of social, economic and health problems and needs;
• Knowledge of child development and parenting practices;
• General knowledge of social institutions and the methods of the helping process including adult learning;
• General knowledge of individual and group behavior;
• General knowledge of policy affecting practice with children and families;
• Ability to identify social problems and client strengths and needs and to assess the ability of individuals and families to utilize services in problem solving;
• Ability to recognize and accept the rights, responsibilities and differences of others;
• Ability to work effectively with individuals and families in helping them attain success;
• Ability to plan and organize work;
• Ability to understand and interpret laws, policies and regulations and to apply program protocol and guidelines consistently;
• Ability to communicate and establish effective working relationships with families, co­workers, other professional and technical staff, social and community agencies, schools and the general public;
• Ability to work effectively with others in departmental and school-based teams;
• Ability to prepare reports and maintain records;
• Knowledge and skill in use of computer software programs, databases, and management information systems.
• Ability to coach, mentor and support staff.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in a Human Service field; or, a Bachelor’s degree in any field and a minimum of two years of appropriate and related experience in a Human Services area.
• Experience in assigned program area; or equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Preferred Qualifications/Certifications:

• Master's Degree in Social Work or another human services field.
• A Commonwealth of Virginia Social Worker license.
• Fluency in Spanish.
• Previous experience working in a local department of social services providing direct services to children, adults and/or families, or closely related experience.
• Previous experience working in or with public schools.

Physical and Mental Requirements: