Job Title: Social Service Specialist 2-3 (In-Training). We're hiring for multiple offices, programs, and units for Child Protective Services (CPS)- which includes Family Assessment Response (FAR), and Child and Family Welfare Services (CFWS).
Locations: Region 4 - King County. Offices are in Kent, Queen Anne (Seattle), Rainier Valley (Seattle), Bellevue, and West Seattle.Region Map
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent, & Non-Perm.
Monthly Salary: Social Service Specialist 2: $5,117 - $6,876; Social Service Specialist 3: $5,370 - $7,226. King County Premium: The salary listed does not include the additional 5% premium granted to all King County employees. Assignment Pay: When the incumbent reaches the goal class of Social Service Specialist 3, they will receive 10% assignment pay. This assignment pay is in addition to the regular base salary as the required duties include performing visits in unregulated environments, such as private residences, to conduct investigations for allegations of abuse and/or neglect to assess the safety of vulnerable children.
Review Date:Applications are reviewed regularly.This announcement will be used to generate a candidate pool to fill multiple vacancies within Region 4.
We're looking for Social Service Specialists (SSS2 and SSS3 levels) to join DCYF in one of our office locations in Region 4, King County. If you are passionate about working with parents to safely care for their children, and secure a safe, nurturing, and permanent family for every young person, whether through reunification with their birth family, kinship care, or adoption one of these positions may be perfect for you! We are hiring for Social Service Specialist 3s or Social Service Specialist 2s "in-training" with the goal class being Social Service Specialist 3.
Click here to learn more about DCYF.
CPS (Child Protective Services): CPS Specialists investigate allegations of child abuse or neglect and provide the appropriate recommendations and services for families. Under the CPS umbrella is FAR (Family Assessment Response) an alternative CPS pathway for families with low and moderate allegations of child abuse or neglect. Qualifying families may choose this pathway. Social Service Specialists work with the families to keep children safe and build on their strengths to establish community support for long-term success.
CFWS (Child and Family Welfare Services): CFWS Specialists provide a variety of strategies to achieve safe and timely permanency for children. Permanency planning involves active and reasonable efforts for timely reunification. Identifying and monitoring placement that is in the child’s best interests, safe, stable, least restrictive, and near the parent and the child’s school when possible. This requires safety, permanency, and well-being activities.
Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Determine if children are safe with their families through respectful investigation and/or assessments.
• Intervene to protect unsafe children and develop a case plan with the family to remedy the situation so families can safely parent their children.
• Follow child welfare laws, policies, and procedures.
• Conduct ongoing comprehensive assessments of safety and risk, develop case plans, and authorize services for children, youth, birth parents, and caregivers.
• Implement culturally appropriate, ADA-sensitive, and individualized service plans with families that are goal-directed, behavioral-specific, and time-limited.
• Refer, coordinate, and monitor the delivery of services.
• Utilize shared planning meetings to plan, develop, and coordinate with parents, relatives, attorneys, and other relevant professionals.
• Conduct health and safety visits to ensure the child's health, safety, and well-being needs are met.
• Develop and implement timely permanent plans that are responsive to the child's permanency needs.
• Provide reasonable and active efforts to parents to prevent removal and ensure early and prompt referrals for court-ordered services.
• Identify primary and concurrent permanent plans within legal and mandated time frames.
• Consult with agency attorney, and prepare required legal documents for court, placement, and service delivery.
• Assist in placing children in approved placements and prepare the child for visitation with parents and siblings.
• Transport children to placement, appointments, or family time/sibling visits.
• Schedule and supervise/monitor visitations.
• Document case notes/case activity in the State computer database, FAMLINK.
• Attend court and provide expert court testimony.

Required Qualifications:
Social Service Specialist 2:
Five (5) years of paid social service experience AND30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline.
OR
Bachelor’s degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or any Bachelor's degree which includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline AND one (1) year of paid social service experience.
OR
Master's degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences,or any Master's degree which includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline ANDa completed Practicum.
OR
One (1) year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 1.
Social Service Specialist 3:
Six (6) years of paid social service experience* AND 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline.
OR
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*.
OR
Master'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 one (1) year of paid social service experience*.
OR
One (1) year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 2.

• Paid Social Service experience must include at least one year of 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. For Degrees obtained outside the U.S.: Foreign Equivalency certification must be attached to the application. Incomplete applications may be screened out of the recruitment process.
How do I apply?

• Transcripts (Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for application submission)
• Cover Letter
• Current resume detailing experience and education

Supplemental Information:

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.
Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.

This position requires a valid unrestricted (other than corrective lenses) driver's license.

This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). For more information: https://wfse.org/2024-06860