Social Services Specialist II - Parent Education Program (PEP)

Job Announcement
Are you looking for a new position working with children and families across Fairfax County? Then look no further! Come join Parenting Education Programs! Parenting Education Programs (PEP) is seeking a Social Services Specialist II to support the Division of Children, Youth and Families (CYF) by facilitating groups to help parents and children develop healthy, nurturing, and respectful relationships. DFS is committed to strengthening the well-being of its diverse community by protecting and improving the lives of all children, adults, and families through assistance, partnership, advocacy, outreach, and quality services. To learn more about DFS and its Mission, Vision, and Values, please click here.

ABOUT THIS POSITION: Under general direction of the Parenting Education Program Social Services Supervisor, the Social Services Specialist II (SSS II) performs tasks independently to protect children and build family resilience as articulated by local, state, and federal policies and laws. Work hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, however, evening and/or weekend work is required. The SSS II is a part of PEP within the Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Services Program and performs the following duties and responsibilities:

• Establishes a trusting relationship with families while providing parenting education classes and workshops throughout the Fairfax County community.
• Engages various community stakeholders to determine how best to partner with them to increase parental capacity and protective factors.
• Provides support for parenting education programs by conducting outreach and partnership activities.
• Facilitates parenting groups and workshops for parenting education programs.
• Enters client information and other data into various computer systems while maintaining client records.
• Partners with the family to assist them in developing natural support systems which may include both formal and informal supports.
• Represents the Prevention Program in staffings such as case consultations and Review, Evaluate, and Direct (R.E.D) team, other meetings, and events as needed.
• Works a flexible schedule to include evenings and weekend dependent upon the needs of the program.
• Performs other duties as assigned to ensure child safety and improve outcomes in families, including providing Child Protective Services (CPS) functions to support families referred to CPS.

The primary purpose of the CYF Division is to ensure child safety and improve outcomes in families. To ensure that the division can carry out its purpose and meet the agency's responsibilities related to child safety, permanency and wellbeing, the CYF director may reassign this position's related work duties and responsibilities within the job class. At the discretion of the CYF director, the Parenting Education Program Social Services Specialist may perform related work duties and responsibilities within the job class to ensure that the Division can carry out its purpose and meet the agency's responsibilities related to child safety, permanence, and wellbeing. May need to work a flexible schedule to include evenings and weekends and may be required to be on-call rotation that includes evening, overnight, weekend, and holiday hours which may require immediate response into the field.

Illustrative Duties:

• Facilitates parenting education classes and workgroups supporting parents and caregivers of children 0 - 18 years old, aimed at building parenting capacity and protective factors and strengthening parenting resilience.
• Partners with the community to identify families and children who may benefit from additional parenting supports.
• Provides individual supports to parents and caregivers to help address specific parental needs.
• Provides outreach to help educate the community on prevention resources and services and ways the community may support prevention efforts.
• Reviews duties of each volunteer and childcare staff prior to the start of parenting class and monitors progress of volunteers and childcare staff during the group.
• Provides feedback to volunteers and childcare staff at the end of each group and manages any challenges that arise while a group is taking place. Be the point of contact for managing volunteer staff and parents attending group and events and following Fairfax County emergency procedures.
• Stays informed on child welfare policy and procedures and uses the Safe & Connected Framework to document interaction with families.
• Serves as parenting education programs representative on workgroups, committees, task forces and CYF division or county initiatives.
• Prepares and delivers presentations about parenting education programs to interested professionals and community groups.
• Communicates and works with colleagues, clients and the community in a manner that supports the agency and program goals and objectives.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of social work.
• Knowledge of concepts related to adult learning.
• 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 interview, assess needs, counsel, and refer families to other resources as needed.
• Ability to engage children, youth, parents, caregivers, and community stakeholders.
• Experience facilitating group education programs for parents and children.
• Knowledge of human development.
• Knowledge of the methods used to educate about preventing child abuse and neglect.
• Experience working with a multicultural population.
• Ability to establish a trusting relationship.
• Ability to be acceptance of individual differences.
• Ability to analyze information and to reach sound decisions on the basis of such information to help families increase their protective factors.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to serve as team lead.
• 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.

All Fairfax County Government employees are expected to adhere to the Standards of Conduct. In maintaining a drug free workplace, employees are prohibited from manufacturing, distributing, possessing, using or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while at work or on county premises. 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.

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.

This position is considered essential personnel and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in social work (BSW) or a related human services degree.
• Experience with facilitating group classes and knowledge of concepts related to adult learning.
• Experience partnering and engaging with families and community stakeholders.
• Knowledge of child development practices of children and youth from 0 - 18 years.
• Experience working in multi-disciplinary teams and networking to access community-based resources.
• Proficient knowledge with Microsoft office suite to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Working knowledge of services offered within the child welfare setting (child protective services, foster care, adoption, family prevention, permanency planning, or domestic/sexual violence).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Work requires performing tasks with risks of secondary traumatic stress (STS).
Ability to navigate through and make decisions in stressful and crisis situations.
Sufficiently mobile to make home visits, attend meetings, and community events outside the office.
Ability to operate a motor vehicle to attend meetings and events not accessible via public transportation.
Ability to use automated technology.
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
Ability to lift up to 15 pounds.
All duties may be performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview; may include practical exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% 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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