Description

Our vision is to ensure that Washington state’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy thriving physically, emotionally, and academically, nurtured by family and community."

Attention : INTERNAL ONLY : This position is only open to current DCYF employees.

Job Title : Relative Engagement Specialist - Social Service Specialist 3 (SSS3)

Location : Olympia, WA - Remote. This position can be located anywhere in WA State. Work will be primarily remote.

Closes : 5 / 31 / 24

Salary : $5,214 - $7,016

We're looking for a Relative Engagement Social Service Specialist (SSS3) to join our dynamic Relative Engagement team and support Child Welfare Field Operations (CWFO).

If you'd like a career where you make a significant difference in the lives of children and families, apply today.

Click here to learn more about DCYF.

The Opportunity :

The Relative Engagement Specialist will identify, locate, inform, and evaluate relatives as potential placements, primarily focusing on placing children with kin to increase the well-being of children in care.

This position will be based out of the HQ Child Welfare Programs and Practice Team and will act as a liaison to collaborate with the regions in a variety of programs including CPS, CPS / FAR, FVS, CFWS, and Adoptions.

This position is responsible for assisting frontline Social Service Specialists and Supervisors in the field with relative placement, suitability, and permanency.

Some of what you will get to do :

• Interact with assigned social workers, supervisors, and relatives to conduct follow up search efforts to identify, locate, inform, and assess paternal and maternal relatives.
• Follow up with all identified relatives who must be contacted, informed and evaluated if appropriate, including out-of-state relatives.
• Provide meeting information to discuss permanency options to relatives as to Title 11, Title 13, or adoption.
• Guide and assist social service specialists with ensuring relative / kinship caregivers are informed and understand that guardianship (Title 13 & Title 11) are alternate plans to adoption.
• Work with field operations staff to create a workflow to assist in meeting the requirements of SHB 1747 and accomplish the goal of increasing guardianships and relative placements.
• Collaborate with the Relative Search Unit (RSU).
• Develop and maintain a tracking system to ensure appropriate documentation for work completed on individual cases is entered into FamLink.

Required Qualifications :

Social Service Specialist 3

• Bachelor’s degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or any degree that includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline AND Two (2) years of paid social service experience*;
• Master's degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or any degree which includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline AND One (1) year of paid social service experience*;
• One (1) year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 2.
• Paid Social Service experience must have included assessing risk and safety to children and providing direct family-centered practice services.

Degrees must be obtained from an accredited college or university whose accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or a foreign equivalent verified by a NACES-approved organization at naces.

org. Foreign Equivalency certification must be attached to the application for degrees obtained outside the U.S.

Preferred / Desired Qualifications :

• Master's Degree in Social Work or related field.
• Work experience in DCYF programs (CPS, FVS, CFWS, Intake, Adoptions, FRS, ICW, Licensing, ICPC)
• Current knowledge of applicable laws, rules, and policies on delivery of child welfare services within Washington State.
• Demonstrated strong analytic skills and demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret complex data.
• Demonstrated ability to use data and technology and current research to effectively and strategically assess service needs, evaluate programs and their effectiveness.
• Demonstrated skills in program evaluation, research methods, data interpretation, monitoring and tracking systems, and procedure analysis.

Last updated : 2024-05-24