Social Services Specialist III - Foster Care

• Match children with appropriate foster homes, ensuring information accuracy and completeness, and coordinating with CPS and foster care staff.
• Assess the condition and needs of children and communicate with foster parents and agencies to arrange placements.
• Manage placement resources, maintain knowledge of foster homes and agencies, and coordinate potential placement options.
• Maintain a detailed database of referrals, children demographics, and track referral dispositions.
• Prepare and maintain reports on referral activities, case assignments, and characteristics of children entering foster care.
• Enter and update information on foster homes in the OASIS system and manage related paperwork.
• Provide crisis intervention, training, and mentorship to social services specialists, and assist with administrative functions.
• Participate in team decision-making meetings, evaluation of program services, and planning of appreciation events for foster parents.
• Participation in an on-call after-hours rotation that includes evening, overnight, weekend, and holiday hours.
• Performs other duties as assigned to ensure child safety and improve outcomes for families.

• Knowledge of child protection laws, rules, and regulations.
• Knowledge of foster care and adoption laws, rules, and regulations.
• Ability to interview, assess needs, counsel, and refer clients to other resources as needed.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service to members of the community whom the agency serves, as well as community partners and internal agency staff.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to learn, retain, and apply both state and federal law and policy for foster home providers.
• Ability to work independently

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).

Contingent upon the area of assignment, some positions within this class may require specific certification(s) or experience prior to employment and/or the ability to acquire necessary certification(s) within a specified time period following employment. The certifications and preferred qualifications 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 check, driving record check, and a Child Protective Services Registry check to the satisfaction of the employer.

Evening and weekends required for support and placement activities. Position may be required to be on-call rotation that includes evening, overnight, weekend, and holiday hours which may require immediate response into the field.

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:

• Master's degree in social work (MSW) or a related human services degree.
• Three years of experience in social work, psychology, sociology, counseling, or related experience.
• At least four (4) years of work experience in Child Welfare, specifically foster care & adoption.
• Experience working with individuals and families from diverse multi-cultural populations and facilitating community outreach.

• At least two years of experience professional social services or human services experience in any of the following areas: Adult protective services, Alcohol and Drug Services, Child protective services, Children and families, Domestic violence, Education, Foster care, Intellectual disabilities, Mental health, Older adults, Physical disabilities, Prevention, Sexual assault.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others.) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.