Job Description

Job Announcement This position includes a signing bonus of $2,500 (full-time) for new county hires. Duties of the CPS Practitioner: In this job, you will be supported by a team of caring people working together to keep children safe and strengthen families. You will make an impact by: Conducts child abuse and neglect family assessment/ investigations Assesses allegations of child abuse and neglect, which includes interviewing children, parents, and other involved parties, often in their homes or community spaces Uses our practice model to comprehensively assess children and their families, including assessments of protective, risk, and safety factors Takes appropriate actions based on informed decisions and relevant policy to keep children safe and support families. This may include creating and monitoring safety plans, connecting families with services, providing brief clinical interventions to address immediate concerns, de-escalating tense situations, supporting families' decisions for alternate living arrangements, or separating children and placing them in foster care. Collaborates with other professionals to gather and share information and inform decision-making. Assists the CPS supervisor with providing technical guidance and training to staff Attends monthly Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings. Participates in training of MDT members Obtains forensic interview training certification and subsequent related training Participates in peer reviews Works in collaboration with law enforcement and Inova Fairfax hospital staff in the conducting of SANE exams Represents the agency's sexual abuse unit in the county including community and professional training regarding issues of sexual abuse Takes legal action when needed to ensure children are safe. This includes preparing and filing court paperwork and attending and testifying in court hearings. Documents interactions and observations related to assessments and decision-making in a timely manner. What you will need to be successful: Ability to manage conflict and cope with pressure in a professional manner Ability to work flexible hours as needed, including on-call rotation Ability to work collaboratively Knowledge of child development and family functioning Ability to use critical thinking skills to analyze information and develop goals for the safety and well-being of children Ability to partner with families to address issues such as parenting, financial stability, mental health, substance abuse, intimate partner violence, etc. Ability to work with individuals and families across cultures Strong verbal and writing skills Ability to plan and organize your work while adjusting to changing situations and priorities Commitment to learning about process, policy, best practices and our practice model and apply the learning to daily tasks. ILLUSTRATIVE DUTIES: Contributes to the development of protocols, policies, procedures, grants and contracts for a social services program, department, and other entities; Manages service contracts and provide and directs other contract-related functions; Assists the supervisor in planning and carrying out training for new staff, providing guidance to staff; Serves as a policy and practice expert in mandated services that supports the protection and wellbeing of vulnerable populations, governed by state and federal laws, administrative code, state-level policies and procedures, accreditation standards, and/or court orders for compliance with public welfare or other court-mandated services; Coordinates or oversees the daily activities of a program or project to include staff supervision, oversight of administrative functions/requirements associated with the program or project, evaluation of the program or project for its impact/effectiveness and making recommendations for changes or improvements; Uses case management, documentation management technology, and hard copy files to maintain and update case data, notes, documents, records, contacts, and summaries of information in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and policies; Manages and maintains program data and outcomes; Conducts initial and ongoing, comprehensive clinical and social assessments of the family system; Advocates for and assists families and individuals in obtaining services (e.g., mental health, intellectual disability, alcohol and drug, housing referrals, financial assistance for basic needs, home based services, training, and medical services); Investigates complaints of alleged abuse or neglect, and in consultation with supervisor, makes assessment of risks posed to clients in accordance with state and local policies, and works to ensure risks are eliminated or minimized; Performs risk and safety assessments to determine if people at risk of harm should be separated from their current living situation including, emergency separations of children from their homes when required; Addresses, and if necessary, diffuses initial and ongoing crises with clients, assesses safety issues and refers clients to emergency services as needed (e.g., mental health services, child protective services, foster care, adult protective services, emergency shelter, homeless shelter); Prepares written reports and required documentation supporting decisions related to immediate and ongoing safety needs; Provides crisis intervention on a timely basis to clients or families whose wellbeing are seriously and imminently threatened; Assists clients with identifying and utilizing available personal and community resources and refers clients to other public and private agencies and services. Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or a *related field, plus four years of experience in social work, psychology, sociology, or a *related experience. A master's degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience. *A related field/experience is based solely on the position description.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

Valid driver's license. Positions within this class are required to complete the state mandated training in the functional area within a specified time period.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

The appointee to the position must satisfactorily complete a criminal background check, driving record check, and a Child Protective Services check. This position is considered essential personnel and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster). Requires being part of an on-call rotation that includes evening, overnight, weekend, and holiday hours which may require immediate response into the field.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Master's degree in social work (MSW) or a related human services degree Experience performing child protective services, foster care and/or family preservation. Experience working with the court system or family group facilitation. Experience working with a diverse multicultural population

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to navigate through and make decisions in stressful and crisis situations Work requires performing tasks with risks of secondary traumatic stress (STS). Sufficiently mobile to travel outside the office for client contact, court appearances, community events, and to conduct family assessments and investigations of allegations of child abuse and neglect. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Ability to use automated technology. Must be able to operate a motor vehicle and make use of personal vehicle. Ability to lift up to 40 lbs. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Panel interview; may include practical exercise. The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity. Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce. Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview process es per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.

#LI-RS1

#J-18808-Ljbffr MedStar Health

Job Tags

Full time, Contract work, Work at office, Local area, Immediate start, Work from home, Relocation package, Flexible hours, Night shift, Afternoon shift,

Similar Jobs