Family Safety Practitioner III - Child Protective Services

• Conducts child abuse and neglect family assessment/ investigations
• Assessing allegations of child abuse and neglect, which includes interviewing children, parents, and other involved parties, often in their homes or community spaces
• Using our practice model to comprehensively assess children and their families, including assessments of protective, risk, and safety factors
• Taking appropriate actions based on informed decisions and relevant policy to keep children safe and support families. This may include creating and monitoring safety plans, connecting families with services, providing brief clinical interventions to address immediate concerns, de-escalating tense situations, supporting families' decisions for alternate living arrangements, or separating children and placing them in foster care.
• Collaborating with other professionals to gather and share information and inform decision-making.
• Assists the CPS supervisor with providing technical guidance and training to staff
• Attends monthly Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings. Participates in training of MDT members
• Obtains forensic interview training certification and subsequent related training
• Participates in peer reviews
• Works in collaboration with law enforcement and Inova Fairfax hospital staff in the conducting of SANE exams
• Represents the agency's sexual abuse unit in the county including community and professional training regarding issues of sexual abuse
• Taking legal action when needed to ensure children are safe. This includes preparing and filing court paperwork and attending and testifying in court hearings.
• Documenting interactions and observations related to assessments and decision-making in a timely manner.

• Ability to manage conflict and cope with pressure in a professional manner
• Ability to work flexible hours as needed, including on-call rotation
• Ability to work collaboratively
• Knowledge of child development and family functioning
• Ability to use critical thinking skills to analyze information and develop goals for the safety and well-being of children
• Ability to partner with families to address issues such as parenting, financial stability, mental health, substance abuse, intimate partner violence, etc.
• Ability to work with individuals and families across cultures
• Strong verbal and writing skills
• Ability to plan and organize your work while adjusting to changing situations and priorities
• Commitment to learning about process, policy, best practices and our practice model and apply the learning to daily tasks.

(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).

Contributes to the development of protocols, policies, procedures, grants and contracts for a social services program, department, and other entities;
Manages service contracts and provide and directs other contract-related functions;
Assists the supervisor in planning and carrying out training for new staff, providing guidance to staff;
Serves as a policy and practice expert in mandated services that supports the protection and wellbeing of vulnerable populations, governed by state and federal laws, administrative code, state-level policies and procedures, accreditation standards, and/or court orders for compliance with public welfare or other court-mandated services;
Coordinates or oversees the daily activities of a program or project to include staff supervision, oversight of administrative functions/requirements associated with the program or project, evaluation of the program or project for its impact/effectiveness and making recommendations for changes or improvements;
Uses case management, documentation management technology, and hard copy files to maintain and update case data, notes, documents, records, contacts, and summaries of information in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and policies;
Manages and maintains program data and outcomes;
Conducts initial and ongoing, comprehensive clinical and social assessments of the family system;
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);
Provides family, individual, and group counseling and conducts mediation services to families in conflict;
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;
Performs risk and safety assessments to determine if people at risk of harm should be separated from their current living situation including, emergency separations of children from their homes when required;
Addresses, and if necessary, diffuses initial and ongoing crises with clients, assesses safety issues and refers clients to emergency services as needed (e.g., mental health services, child protective services, foster care, adult protective services, emergency shelter, homeless shelter);
Prepares written reports and required documentation supporting decisions related to immediate and ongoing safety needs;
Provides crisis intervention on a timely basis to clients or families whose wellbeing are seriously and imminently threatened;
Assists clients with identifying and utilizing available personal and community resources and refers clients to other public and private agencies and services.

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

Knowledge of current social service problems and methods/approaches to address issues;
Knowledge or skill with crisis intervention or conflict resolution techniques;
Knowledge of regulations and guidelines relating to the assigned area of social service specialization;
Ability to analyze case information to reach sound decisions based on such information;
Ability to demonstrate advanced critical thinking and judgment by understanding and applying governing policy and statutes alongside best practices and unique case factors;
Ability to engage with persons effectively and empathically from different cultures who may be experiencing stressful family situations;
Ability to maintain a high level of sensitivity and confidentiality while performing client related tasks;
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing;
Ability to use case management and documentation 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;
Ability to engage children, adults, and/or families under safety-sensitive, time-limited, and difficult circumstances, to gather information and make informed decisions that are inclusive of their language, race, and culture;
Ability to engage and work with community partners and organizations;
Ability to collaborate as a team member to create and support safety planning and monitoring;
Ability to engage with juridical systems and processes to support the safety needs of clients as needed or when required by statute;
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of individuals;
Ability to schedule and manage workloads sufficiently to meet deadlines;
Ability to provide guidance, direction, supervision and coaching to less experienced staff;
Ability to provide management and oversight of a program or project;
Ability to develop and present training programs and other presentations;
Ability to set boundaries and participate in self-reflective practice and working knowledge of the National Association of Social Workers' Code of Professional Ethical Standards;
Skill in defining and explaining complex rules and guidelines in a variety of settings and providing sound guidance and direction to staff;
Skill in writing and reviewing reports that are behaviorally specific, factually correct, include conclusions and recommended action.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following:
(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")

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).

In order to be evaluated for positions in the Family Services Occupational Group, individuals who do not meet the degree requirement at the time of application for employment must be in their last semester of a degree program that will meet the requirements listed above.

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.
Positions within this class are required to complete the state mandated training in the functional area within a specified time period.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to the position must satisfactorily complete a criminal background check, driving record check, and a Child Protective Services check.

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
• Four years of experience in social work, psychology, sociology, counseling, or related experience.
• Experience performing child protective investigations, foster care and/or family preservation.
• Experience working with the court system or family group facilitation.
• Experience working with a diverse multicultural population.

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.

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