Social Services Specialist II - APS (Adult Protective Services)

Job Announcement
Make a difference in our community by protecting older adults and adults with disabilities from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Work with a team of dedicated professionals to stabilize emergency situations and coordinate with community organizations as needed to implement services to improve the quality of life of older adults and adults with disabilities. Use your expertise and compassion to positively change people's lives. Learn more about the culture of DFS, meet our director and some of our employees, watch videos about our programs, and check out the great health benefits offered by Fairfax County.

This is an exciting time to join Fairfax County Government as we shape racial and social equity policies in the county through the One Fairfax Policy. Using this framework, we intentionally consider equity when making policies or delivering programs and services. To learn more, we highly encourage you to watch the Becoming One Fairfax-An Introduction to Key Concepts video by clicking here and visit the One Fairfax webpage here.

ABOUT THIS POSITION: Under supervision, this position works as part of a comprehensive adult services program. Many of the duties and responsibilities include the following:

• Conducts investigations in response to reports of abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation involving older adults and incapacitated adults in their own homes, community, and facility settings.
• Serves as the policy expert and contributes to the development of policy, protocols, and procedures.
• Assesses the need and extent of protective services required and in collaboration with the client, their support systems, and other public and private service providers, arranges for the necessary services to prevent/ameliorate the abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
• Responds to emergency cases to stabilize the situation.
• Attends court hearings and provides professional testimony.
• Serves as a resource and member of interdisciplinary teams and work groups.
• Makes public presentations to promote community awareness of services available to prevent and address abuse, neglect, and /or exploitation.
• Provides assistance to the unit supervisor and covers in the supervisor's absence.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position job description.)

Conducts comprehensive clinical assessments and prepares and implements service plans;
Works with clients to develop a plan of service to meet social, health, emotional and economic needs. With the client, formulates objectives and identifies actions to resolve the clients' problems;
Advocates for and assists families and individuals in obtaining services (e.g., mental health, intellectual disability, alcohol and drug, housing referrals, financial assistance for basic needs, home based services, training and medical services);
Investigates complaints of alleged abuse or neglect, and in consultation with supervisor, makes assessment of risks posed to clients in accordance with state and local policies, and works to ensure risks are eliminated or minimized;
Represents the agency in court proceedings and prepares testimony and testifies in Juvenile, Circuit, Criminal, Civil and Federal Courts;
Communicates and works with colleagues, clients and the community in a manner that supports the agency and program goals and objectives;
Participates as a contributing member on interagency, multi-disciplinary teams, community groups and professional organizations;
Provides training and community education on a variety of social work topics;
Assesses and authorizes purchase of social services to qualifying clients that will help to meet their social, health, emotional and economic needs;
Uses automated technology and hard copy files to maintain and update case data, notes,
documents, records, contacts and summaries of information. Maintains case notes, documents and records, enters and updates case load data, contacts and summaries of information;
Prepares and provides reports on casework;
Performs or reviews initial assessment of client's presenting need and conducts additional assessment as necessary to develop a coordinated service plan that establishes goals, tasks, and time frames with appropriate county and community-based service providers;
Addresses, and if necessary diffuses, initial crisis situation with clients, assesses safety issues and refers clients to emergency services as needed (e.g., mental health services, child protective services, adult protective services, women's shelter, homeless shelter);
Demonstrates expertise in community service resources to identify, classify and describe services that address a broad array of client service needs-collaborates with service delivery professionals from all disciplines to identify service resource information requirements-translates those requirements into an automated catalog of resources necessary for client referrals and the development of client service plans;
Negotiates, facilitates, and coordinates the creative use of limited community-based service alternatives and assists staff from other county human service agencies in creative use of community resources;

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

Knowledge of the principles and practices of social work;
Knowledge of current social service problems and methods/approaches to address issues;
Knowledge of regulations and guidelines relating to the assigned area of social service specialization;
Ability to analyze case information and to reach sound decisions on the basis of such information;
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing;
Ability to use automated technology to establish and maintain case records;
Ability to maintain professional ethics and confidentiality of client information;
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of individuals;
Ability to schedule and manage workload sufficiently to meet deadlines.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree, plus two years of professional social work experience. A master's degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

Contingent upon the area of assignment, some positions within this class may require specific certification(s) prior to employment and/or the ability to acquire necessary certification(s) within a specified time period following employment. The certifications are identified in the position description and employment advertisement.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Valid driver's license.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background, a driving record check, and a Child Protective Services check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Two (2) years of experience in Adult Protective Services

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Work requires performing administrative tasks to support the general work of advocacy, well-being and protection for older adults and adults with disabilities.
• Job requires walking, standing, sitting (for long periods of time), kneeling, reaching, bending, climbing stairs; uses hands to grasp, handle, or feel
• Ability to read data on a computer monitor/screen
• Ability to operate keyboard driven equipment
• Ability to enter, retrieve, and use computer data in the execution of job duties
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle
• Sufficiently mobile to work with clients, service providers, and community groups outside the office
• Ability to lift and carry 15 lbs.
• Ability to work effectively in a variety of work environments
• Ability to access locations not accessible via public transportation.
• All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include a practical exercise.

This job announcement is listed with a closing date of 4/5/24 and interested applicants are advised to submit their applications as soon as possible. Interviews will be conducted on a regular basis throughout the recruitment with candidates whose qualifications best fit our needs. If your application is received later in the recruitment process, it may not be reviewed or considered. The application process may close prior to the currently advertised closing date when the position has been filled.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 39.8% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.

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