Supervisory Social Worker (Licensing)

Job Summary

The Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) is a cabinet-level agency within the District of Columbia government, committed to the safety, permanence, and well-being of children and families residing in the District of Columbia. Charged with protecting child victims and those at risk of abuse and neglect, CFSA fosters collaborations within its administrations to deliver exceptional family-focused services to the community and its residents.

This position is located in the Planning, Policy, Program Support, and Licensing Administration (PPPSLA), Office of Planning, Policy and Program Support (OPPPS), in the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA). The Supervisory Social Worker, internally called Supervisory Social Worker (Licensing), is responsible for overseeing a multi-disciplinary team composed of Social Workers and support staff to provide an array of professional services to children and families by conducting clinical assessments to prospective traditional foster parents to determine their strengths/needs and appropriateness to provide foster care. The incumbent develops and implements an overall work plan consistent with the program objectives.

Duties And Responsibilities

The Supervisory Social Worker (Licensing) duties and responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Plans, organizes, assigns cases, and supervises the work of the immediate reports to verify compliance with the statutory guidelines, regulations, and CFSA policies and procedures by:
• Ensuring that staff are conducting clinical assessments of prospective traditional foster and adoptive parents to determine their strengths/needs and appropriateness to provide foster care
• Guiding staff to ensure they are providing preservice training to prospective foster parents and are interviewing and observing interactions, both verbal and non-verbal, between immediate and extended family members and significant others.
• Ensuring that staff are reviewing information from collateral sources such as references, schools, medical reports, courts, police, employers, and other social services agencies in order to make comprehensive assessments.
• Guiding staff in preparing a written home study, clinical assessment, and recommendations regarding the appropriateness of prospective parents to provide traditional foster care.
• Ensuring and guiding staff to maintains up to date case files for documentation of case activity.
• Approving and/or issuing licenses to traditional foster homes.
• Maintaining statistical data, which reflects an accurate account of the number of prospective foster parents served and the number and types of activities performed and other relevant data.
• Leading/participating in meetings for the purpose of case planning, sharing information on resources, and joint decision-making.
• Participating in educational and training activities, professional meetings, conferences, and seminars to keep abreast of the latest changes in the field of social work.
• Ensuring engagement of relevant internal and external stakeholders to develop or update Agency practice related to resource parent recruitment, training, and licensing.
• Engagement and teaming with the resource parent recruitment, training and relicensing staff, placement and Kinship teams.
• Coordinating and ensuring the allocation of needed services, incentives, and resources.
• Developing regular and special statistical, qualitative and quantitative reports, which assesses training and clinical assessments conducted to prospective foster parents to determine their strengths/needs and appropriateness to provide traditional foster care.
• Performs a full range of supervisory functions to include: assigns, directs, and reviews the work of subordinate staff; administers leave and attendance; evaluates staff performance; recommends hiring, promotions, status changes, awards, disciplinary actions, and terminations; plans, schedules and coordinates work operations to achieve optimal combination of employees and assignments; addresses issues or problems related to work operations; negotiates and troubleshoots employee concerns, grievances, and other matters involved in the daily administration of labor-management concerns; provides coaching; guides immediate reports in the implementation of performance standards; addresses disciplinary problems; provides governance over staff development and training plans.
• Attends professional meetings and seminars to keep abreast of most recent social work advances.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of and ability to apply the principles and practices of social work to supervise social workers and/or provide direct social services to individuals and families.
• Advanced knowledge of foster home licensing regulations.
• Comprehensive knowledge of related psychiatric, psychological, and medical practices used in the evaluation and treatment of children and families.
• Comprehensive knowledge of human behavior dynamics; demonstrable sensitivity to cultural diversity, age, and religious differences affecting child rearing, family and kinship patterns, attitudes about illness, medical care, and communication patterns to supervise social workers in developing case plans, providing counseling, and conducting home visits and investigations.
• Knowledge of pertinent resources, legal status and related policies and procedures affecting children and families; knowledge of the structure, function and mission of the Child and Family Services Agency, to supervise social work consistent with established goals and objectives.
• Comprehensive knowledge of CFSA rules, regulations, administrative policies, procedures, programs, and overall operations and the ability to apply those knowledge and work experience to specific work situations.
• Demonstrable ability to develop and manage staff; ability to effectively collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and provide excellent customer services.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to make oral presentations, and write policies and procedures.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office Suite for electronic case management requirements.
  
  

Education

Master’s of Social Work (MSW) from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education is required.

Work Experience

One (1) year of child welfare supervisory experience preferred.

Must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the grade 12 level in the District of Columbia government service or its non-District equivalent.

Licenses and Certifications

Must be a current District of Columbia Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) to practice social work in the District of Columbia.

Possession of valid District of Columbia’s driver’s license or its state equivalent is required.

Other Significant Factors

Tour of Duty: Monday - Friday, 8:15 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. Qualified Candidates must be flexible when it comes to tour of duty.

Promotion Potential: No known promotional potential.

Collective Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under a collective bargaining agreement.

Duration of Appointment: Management Supervisory Service – Regular

Pay, Plan, Series & Grade: MS-0185-13

Position Designation: This position is “security” sensitive and "emergency" pursuant to DPM Chapters 4 (Suitability) and 12 (Essential and Emergency Employees). The incumbent is subject to a criminal background check, traffic records check, and consumer credit check (as applicable), reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol test, and post-accident or incident drug and alcohol test.

Residency Preference: Applicants claiming "Residency Preference” will be required to maintain residency in the District of Columbia for a minimum of (7) years. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of employment.

EEO Statement: The District of Columbia Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, matriculation, physical handicap, or political affiliation.

Closing Statement: Official Job Offers are made by D.C. Child and Family Services Agency's Human Resources Only.