Lead Family Services Specialist - Permanency/Resources Team

Minimum Qualifications

Does this sound like you? You're flexible, solution-focused, adaptable, and have strong communication and leadership skills; well-organized, compassionate, and understanding; assertive and able to make independent decisions in crisis situations.

You're committed to supporting staff to ensure families are receiving services needed to provide a safe environment for their children. And you know what? You might be exactly who we're looking for.

Customer Experience: It's Our Business, It's Our Passion.

The Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Department of Social Services is hiring a Lead Family Services Specialist II to support the Permanency Services program.

What You Do and How You Do it:

This position is a leadership position that will work alongside agency leadership to achieve performance goals and promote a culture of excellence. You will recruit and train foster parents and relatives to meet the needs of children temporarily placed in the custody of the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Department of Social Services.

You will conduct mutual family assessments and write home studies for initial certification and act as a liaison between foster families and foster care workers to ensure appropriate services to the children and families. You will develop and nurture community partnerships to further advance the recruitment of families to meet the agency's assessed need for placements. You will also assist staff in identifying and referring children for placement in a variety of settings.

You will provide supervisory coverage and oversight of the foster home respite and training budgets. You will provide on-call supervision to staff and may represent the Department on the Family Assessment Planning Team (FAPT) and other state and local committees. The position could carry a small foster care caseload and provide direct supervision to interns and support staff if the need arises.

You will assist our agency in maintaining state and federal compliance with the continued oversight of the Resource Family program. Perform other work as required.

Here's What You Need:

We prefer a master's degree in social work, and foster care experience. A bachelor's degree in social work, or a bachelor's degree in the human services field and two years minimum in human services required; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Three years of foster care experience is desired. Training and certification in Family Partnership Meetings facilitation and administering the Virginia Enhanced Maintenance Assessment Tool preferred. Virginia foster care and adoption policy training preferred.

• Excellent leadership skills

• Ability to supervise staff

• Strong oral and written communication skills and solution focused

• Strong engagement, assessment, and interviewing skills

• Assertive and confident - especially when being challenged

• Independent thinker and decision maker

• Strong organization, time management and computer skills

• Ability to deal effectively with conflict

• Good personal boundaries and self-care

Current valid driver's license and good driving record required. Based on the Virginia DMV point system, record must not reflect a total of six or more demerit points within the twenty-four months preceding the anticipated hire date, or one major violation of six demerit points within the preceding thirty-six months.

Out of state driving records must be obtained by applicant and presented at time of interview. Records must reflect at least three years of history and be dated within thirty days of interview date. Pre-employment drug testing, FBI criminal background check and education/degree verification required.This position is considered Critical Safety Sensitive and is subject to random drug testing and alcohol testing. The use of medical marijuana for this position is prohibited.

Here's What's In it for YOU:

Chesterfield County offers an attractive benefits package and DSS offers incentives for candidates with a master's degree in social work and bilingual (Spanish & ASL) abilities. Did you know that working for a local government provides credit towards the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)?

Real Talk

Each day is unpredictable and very different. You will be called upon to lead staff through difficult situations.

We'll be honest-this is intense. It's a stressful high paced job with critical outcomes. You must be committed to serving families and some of our families have experienced trauma.

You will assist in the professional development of staff and work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders to find creative solutions to the challenges we face. You have the power to create positive change and have a direct impact on the Permanency Services program. You must be flexible and comfortable with taking a leadership role and champion interventions that are implemented.

You will work outside of normal business hours which include providing on-call supervision for emergencies 24 hours a day on a rotating schedule including weekends and holidays. Being a Lead Family Services Specialist in Permanency Services isn't for everyone, but if you are committed to making a real difference in the lives of others and are looking for a career rather than a job, we want you on our team.

Still Interested?

Complete the application by visiting our website at www.chesterfield.gov/careers

Shift

Monday

• Friday; 8:30 a.m.

• 5:00 p.m.; on-call and after-hours

Work Location

Social Services