Family Services Specialist Supervisor

Hiring Range: $76,991.98 to $103,132.12

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 Supervisor position. 

General Statement of Duties:

Under general supervision, this Family Services Specialist (FSS) Supervisor directs the activities of a Child Protective Services (CPS) unit of FSS, and plans, assigns, reviews, and manages their day-to-day work. The unit consists of CPS Intake and In-Home staff. The Supervisor ensures services are provided in a timely, accurate, courteous and effective manner in accordance with federal, state and local policies and procedures. Provides direction, guidance, and training on policy, and implements best practices for all CPS areas of work. Takes responsibility for the professional development and training of unit members. Works with the child welfare leadership team to develop local policies and practices to improve agency operations. Tasks are performed under the general supervision of a Human Services Program Manager, Chief of Child Welfare Services, or the Director of the Center for Children and Families. The Family Services Manager is distinguished from the by the latter’s responsibilities for supervising Family Services Supervisors and managing the direct services program performance. 

Examples of Duties: 

• Provides clinical and administrative supervision to a team of professional social workers. Supervision includes, but is not limited to, daily interaction as needed to provide guidance and support, and regular individual supervision meetings;
• Implements child protective services and prevention services according to federal, state, and local policies and guidance;
• Meets individually with FSS on a weekly basis to offer clinical guidance and coaching, give supervisory feedback on case reviews, and discuss professional development;
• Assists the social workers in working through challenging client situations, mediating conflicts with partners and providers, and in making complex clinical and case management decisions including the foster care placement of children;
• Maintains ongoing relationships with other public agencies, community-based groups, and community members, to coordinate and integrate services, improve client access, and identify community needs and barriers to service delivery;
• Evaluates employee work performance, encourages staff input to set individual goals, and completes annual performance evaluations;
• Counsels, creates performance improvement plans, and initiates progressive disciplinary action when necessary;
• Monitors staff work schedules and approves electronic timesheet; 
• Meets regularly with Program Manager and supervisory team to discuss general status of unit, community and case trends, and service needs to adapt local practices and plan staff activities for program meetings; 
• Ensures staff complete mandated training, and collaborates with Child Welfare Leadership Team to assess needs and develop additional learning opportunities; 
• Initiates the hiring process to fill vacant positions, reviews applications, interviews applicants, and makes recommendations for hire; 
• Represents the CPS Program and Child Welfare Division in meetings with Department, City, and state partners. Participates as a member of the Alexandria Multidisciplinary Team and regularly attends weekly and monthly case review meetings;
• Participates as a team member in the continuous improvement of the child welfare and human services delivery. Assists in the development and revision of program policies;
• Maintains necessary records, reviews case and court documentation, redacts records for public distribution, and prepares regular and special reports as needed; 
• Compiles monthly caseload report statistics and utilizes statistical data to effectively manage staff productivity;
• Provides after-hours and weekend on-call supervisory coverage for Child Welfare Services and Adult Protective Services;
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Extensive knowledge of, and ability to interpret and apply, policies, guidance, and best practices relating to the assigned area of social services specialization. Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of social work and casework supervision. Good knowledge of treatment techniques, including special treatment methods used in cases involving child abuse and neglect, substance use and addiction, mental illness, and domestic violence. Good knowledge of the theories of human behavior and group behavior. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of individuals and community partners. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, with other professionals and the public. Ability to maintain professional ethics and confidentiality of client information. 

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). Some experience in a supervisory or lead role. Employees must possess a valid driver's license issued by the state of their residence if they are in a position with driving responsibilities. Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of social work and casework supervision. Good knowledge of current social, economic and health challenges, including immigration, poverty, homelessness, and other areas of social concern. Ability to supervise, train, plan and direct the activities of a group of social service professionals. 

Preferred Qualifications:

Master's degree in a human services field; Extensive experience in child welfare, including some experience at the supervisory or management level. Fluency in Spanish and/or other language. Possession of a valid Social Work clinical license is encouraged. Completion of college-level courses in sociology, psychology, early childhood development or a related area of study in the field of social work.