Family Services Specialist IV

Hiring Range: $48,000.00 to $83,387.00

Full Time or Part Time: Full Time

Additional Detail

ABOUT US

King William County Department of Social Services seeks an energetic and versatile team player, committed to working towards the best outcomes possible for our families in the community to join our agency.

King William County, Virginia offers the best of both worlds: the calm, scenic beauty of rural life with easy access to urban amenities. With a growing population of roughly 19,200 people, the area has a strong sense of community without the congestion of a big city. Nestled in the Middle Peninsula, King William lies just 30 miles northeast of Richmond, making for a manageable commute or day‐trip to the capital for work, culture, or dining. The landscape is lush and gently rolling, with rivers, farmland, and ample outdoor space — ideal if you appreciate nature, quiet roads, and neighbors who know your name. Housing is more affordable than many urban and suburban areas, the pace of life is peaceful, but you're still close enough to schools, shops, healthcare, and the vibrant hubs of VA. If you're looking for work where you can make a difference — and a place where balance matters — King William is a beautiful place to plant roots

As an agency, we believe in the power of the team, exercising creativity and commitment in meeting the needs of our clients and community, and growing our agency and ourselves. Empathy and Work-Life harmony is an agency core value.

At King William DSS, we are looking for professionals who want more than a job— a career where empathy, character, and dedication are just as important as education and experience. If you are ready to join a mission-driven team that values flexibility, professional growth, and making a difference every single day, we want to hear from you.

Benefits & Incentives

• Flexible Work Hours – designed to promote work-life balance.
• Hybrid Telework Options
• Pay Incentives – available for strong performance and professional growth.
• Professional Development – ongoing training and advancement opportunities.
• Supportive Team Environment – join a department that values character, collaboration, and compassion.

JOB DESCRIPTION

This is the beginning leadership level in the occupational group for Family Services. Employees function as a lead worker for subordinate family services specialists and/or acts as an expert resource specialist. This position serves as support for the supervisor by performing tasks such as ensuring staff coverage, workload balance, training staff, reviewing case files, and providing back-up supervision of staff while providing expert services to customers and families in the areas of Adult Protective Services, Guardianship, Adult Assessments, Child Protective Services, In-home, Foster Care, and Adoptions.

This position provides consultation on complex cases and may also work on complex case assignments such as individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education. Employees work within established policies, procedures and guidelines with a high degree of independence, seeking supervisory assistance only in unusually complicated and difficult cases/situations. The Family Services Specialists IV class is distinguished from the Family Services Supervisor class by the latter's spending a majority of time in supervisory activities such as handling personnel issues, problems, and evaluating the work of others. This position is ideal for candidates who are dedicated, empathetic, and of high character—individuals who find fulfillment in making a lasting impact on the lives of children, families, and vulnerable adults in our community.

General Work Tasks

• Provides persons, families, or vulnerable populations with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses, neglect and abuse;
• Ensures that reports of suspected abuse/neglect are assigned to appropriate staff;
• Ensures that the local department has staff on duty 24 hours per day, seven days per week to respond to reports of abuse/neglect;
• Provides guidance, consultation and supervision to other staff in the absence of the supervisor;
• Prepares social histories and psychosocial diagnoses and develops treatment plans which identify problems, clinical methods for dealing with them, and the means by which services will be provided either within the agency or through referral to other community resources;
• Represents the agency in both civil and criminal court proceedings which involves interpreting laws, filing petitions, preparing court records, testifying before the court, preparing witnesses for examination, and compiling evidence;
• Provides direct intervention and service delivery for difficult, complex social work cases, and coordinates casework;
• Develops and conducts training for staff, interns and other professionals in the community;
• Supervises social work interns by guiding them in their service delivery, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, and communicating with the school liaison about their progress;
• Conducts field visits to residential facilities, consults with therapists and residential staff and participates in the staffing and planning of meetings;
• Functions as a lead worker providing guidance and training to other staff;
• May perform same functions described in Family Services Specialist I, II or III;
• Coordinates program functions, develops programs, and evaluates materials.

Minimum Qualifications

• 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 22VAC of the Administrative Code of Virginia).
• Considerable experience in assigned program area/human services programs and completion of required training programs.
• Work experience in a leadership role.
• Skill in operating a motor vehicle and personal computer with associated software (Microsoft Office including Word and Excel).
• Equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; plan and manage a team's work activities; and establish and maintain effective relationships while assisting staff in their development.

Preferred Qualifications

• Possession of a MSW degree is desirable.
• Experience working directly with diverse groups of clients, co-workers and community agencies, in a criminal justice and/or human services setting.
• Experience working with families that have been impacted by substance abuse disorders and/or generational poverty.
• Working knowledge of the Practice Profiles (Advocating, Assessing, Collaborating, Communicating, Demonstrating Cultural and Diversity Competence, Documenting, Engaging, Evaluating, Implementing, Partnering and Planning).
• Experience working with families to prevent out of home placements.
• Demonstrated ability to provide Court testimony.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge – Comprehensive knowledge of: social work principles and practices; human behavior and motivational theory; laws, policies, and regulations relating to human services program areas; investigating and interviewing techniques; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders; principles and processes for providing customer and personal services to include needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of satisfaction; principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance; and therapeutic treatment technique. Some knowledge of supervisory practices and principles if required in specific assignment.

Skills – Skill in operating a motor vehicle and personal computer with associated software.

Abilities – Demonstrated ability to: provide guidance and training in program areas to other employees if required in specific assignment; write court reports, home studies, evaluations, mediation agreements, letters, committee reports, presentations, and general information; make clinical judgments, assess clients' needs, and formulate plan of action; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; interview, assess needs, counsel and refer clients to other resources as needed; investigate high profile cases; testify in court proceedings; develop and present training programs and other presentations; interpret program laws, policies and regulations; develop and implement service plans in order to insure the delivery of appropriate services to the client; analyze case information to make sound judgments within the framework of existing laws, policies, and regulations; respond to the client's emotions in order to accomplish services objectives; develop speeches and represent the agency on program training and workshops; work in stressful situations and maintain diplomacy; plan and manage own work activities including service delivery preparing reports, and correspondence, record keeping responsibilities and related activities; establish and maintain effective relationships with others; and stay abreast of current trends and developments in the social work field.

Special Requirements

This position is covered under Code of Virginia § or § requiring the finalist candidate to submit to fingerprinting and provide personal descriptive information for a criminal history record check through the Central Criminal Records Exchange and a search of the Virginia Child Abuse Central Registry. Applicants may be subject to additional background checks including a DMV/driving record check, pre-employment drug screening, local agency checks, employment verification and references, verification of education (relevant to employment}, credit checks (relevant to employment), and other checks as determined necessary and appropriate to the position to be filled.

• All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory results of the required checks and screenings.
• Employee will be required to participate in afterhours on call schedule on a rotating basis and must be willing to work in community emergency shelter in the event of a natural disaster or emergency, or work during unscheduled office closures
• Employee must be able to telework if necessary.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Applications for this position must be submitted electronically through this website of Mailed, e-mailed, faxed, or hand delivered applications will not be accepted. Applicants are encouraged to provide a complete relevant listing of work experience and qualifications in the applicable sections of application. Selection of candidates for interviews is based upon the information contained in the application package.

Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force. Equal Opportunity Employer.

Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force. Equal Opportunity Employer