Job Abstract

• Supervises social services specialists to include conducting one on one supervision, unit meetings, ensuring work is performed in a timely and accurate manner and assigning duties as appropriate. Conducts performance appraisals and motivates employees to achieve peak productivity and performance; participates in the hiring and disciplinary processes.
• Plans, assigns, reviews, and manages the work and day to day activities of the Family Engagement Meeting Facilitation unit
• Monitors and ensures that the values and principles of the identified family engagement model and Safe and Connected ™ practice model are preserved for families referred for intervention to enhance engagement and strengthen the Department's ability to partner with families for the safety and permanency of children
• Provides direction, support, guidance and training on policy and best practices for Family Engagement Meetings to include Family Partnership and Child and Family Team Meetings (CFTM) to all programs within CYF
• Develops and updates policies and protocols for the convening of Family Engagement Meetings, infusing the philosophy into daily social work practice
• Works with other Fairfax County Human Services Agencies within the Systems of Care structure to collaborate and infuse the practice of Family Engagement system wide
• A flexible schedule including evening and/or weekend will be required
• Perform other duties as assigned to ensure child safety and improve outcomes in families

• Knowledge of child protection and foster care and adoption laws, rules and regulations.
• Knowledge of family engagement theory and strength base approach
• Ability to use automated technology to include OASIS to maintain meeting records and facilitate meetings virtually
• Ability to lead and provide supervision within a team structure
• Ability to apply and model practice of family engagement and involvement of family in making decision regarding their children
• Ability to apply and model the Safe and Connected™ Practice model.
• Knowledge of multidisciplinary approach to service planning.
• Strong interpersonal, communications and public speaking skills
• Ability to manage and coach around conflict resolution

• Provides day-to-day guidance and direction to a group of social services specialists on case related issues, policies and procedures, and agency initiatives;
• Ensures acceptable levels of quality and quantity in the delivery of services;
• Plans caseloads, assigns cases and reviews case records and reviews and signs off on service plans, case assessments, and other reports which require supervisory review;
• Identifies crisis situations and provides intervention as needed to address difficult or dangerous client situations;
• Interviews job applicants and makes recommendations for hiring, prepares and conducts formal and informal performance evaluations, and handles performance and discipline issues in a timely manner and in accordance with County personnel policy;
• Reviews the work of individual social services specialist and provides feedback and instruction;
• Communicates performance expectations; monitors performance and outcomes of staff against the goals and objectives of the program;
• Approves and monitors expenditures for client services consistent with the program budget and client outcomes;
• Solicits concerns, issues and recommendations from staff regarding programmatic needs and systemic is sues;
• Evaluates the effectiveness of policies and procedures and recommends changes;
• Holds group and individual conferences with staff to discuss general policies and to interpret related rules, regulations or laws and to assess cases objectively based upon the significant risk factors and to monitor casework progress;
• Facilitates open communication between staff and senior management to achieve agency and unit goals;
• Plans for and facilitates social services specialists' professional growth and development. Provides staff development including training, mentoring, and encouragement for staff to improve professional skills in order to support access to human services;
• Develops and implements ongoing team training plan;
• Works with the community to identify families and children needing services and to coordinate these services;
• Communicates effectively with social services specialists and senior management regarding the needs of the agency, social services specialist, and clients;
• Participates in intra and interagency work groups, supervisors' meetings and special projects;
• Provides oversight for required data systems and uses data systems for management of day-to-day work;
• Prepares or oversees and presents narrative and statistical reports documenting the work of the unit and/or in relation to case activity;
• Promotes the attainment of agency and individual staff goals related to service access components (Automatic Call Distribution service levels, case objective outcomes, time studies, silent monitoring, and customer service surveys) through the ongoing monitoring of service requests and subsequent service delivery;
• Establishes and maintains ongoing collaborative relationships with public and private providers, community-based groups, and residents to coordinate and integrate services, improve access, and identify community needs and barriers to service delivery;
• Participates as a team member in the continuous improvement of the human services access process.

• Extensive knowledge of the principles, methods and problems of organization and management;
• Extensive knowledge of regulations and guidelines relating to the assigned area of social service specialization;
• Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of social work and casework supervision;
• Thorough knowledge of current social service problems and methods/approaches to address them;
• Ability to accurately apply, interpret and administer regulations and guidelines relating to the assigned area of social service specialization;
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing;
• Ability to use automated technology;
• 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 plan and direct the activities of a group of social service professionals.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree; plus four years of increasingly responsible, directly-related professional experience in the social services or human services field. A master’s degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of required experience.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Valid driver's license.

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

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in social work (MSW) or a related human services degree.
• Minimum of two (2) years of professional social or human services work including but not limited to: trauma, aggression, denial, depression, physical injury, family/societal influences and actions, intervention techniques, engaging involuntary clients including alleged abusers and caretakers of victim children, conflict resolution, and the legal system.
• At least two (2) years of experience in child welfare.
• Demonstrated a year of supervisory experience or overseeing the work of staff
• Demonstrated knowledge of Comprehensive Services Act (CSA).

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.