Human Services Specialist

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Arlington County requires all applicants to thoroughly complete each section of the application, including prior job responsibilities, duties, and supplemental questions. While you may attach a resume, it will not replace a completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Arlington County Department of Human Services (DHS) is hiring a Human Services Specialist for the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) within the Agency on Aging (AAA), a program that strives to ensure older adults live as an integral part of society with dignity and access to programs and services that meet their needs and preferences. The ADRC is the Division's No Wrong Door entry point for Arlington residents aged 60 and older, persons with disabilities and caregivers who are seeking information, referrals, and emergency assistance. Many of these customers have complex needs and seek critical supports such as emergency financial assistance to prevent evictions or utility shut-off. The Human Service Specialists provide short-term case management and support to connect these residents to long-term services and supports that allow them to effectively age in the community.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Conducting intake by phone, email or in-person walk-ins to the Aging and Disability Resource Center seeking long-term services and support or emergency assistance;
• Completing initial assessment and reassessment of aging services and AAA programs;
• Recording information from client assessments in database system of record;

• Utilizing information from comprehensive assessments to determine potential need for resources, services and assesses the individual needs of older adults
• Designing activities based on assessment accordingly to meet the needs of older adults;
• Documenting all interactions in the No Wrong Door System of Record (Peer Place);
• Documenting clients' progress and maintaining record-keeping system;
• Serving as an active member of the ADRC team and seeks advice and direction in consultations with clinical staff for complex cases and situations.

• Performing short term case management to connect the client to the needed/requested service(s), including completion of all necessary paperwork and the referral process required for the request/service;
Supporting the Benefits Enrollments center at outreach events and completing benefits check ups;

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills:

• Interpersonal skills to persuade or manage others and to resolve complaints.
• Problem solving skills to gather relevant information to solve vaguely defined practical problems.
• Coordination and delivery of services through an integrated service model and throughout the range of service intensity in the continuum of care.

Arlington County DHS is committed to delivering client services in an effective, equitable, respectful, and trauma-informed manner. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring our clients are approached, engaged and cared for in ways that demonstrate competency, sensitivity and awareness of factors which impact the client experience including but not limited to: cultural identity, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, religious/spiritual ascription, physical capability, cognitive and literacy levels, sexual orientation, and linguistic needs.

Minimum:

• Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Special Education, Mental Health, or Counseling.
• Some experience in human services/social services program delivery including teaching/applying behavior management techniques, counseling, training/teaching the handicapped, applying job training techniques, and/or making human services/social services referrals.

Substitution: Additional directly related experience can substitute for the education requirement. A Master's degree in a directly related area may substitute for up to one year of experience.

Desirables: Preference may be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following education or experience(s):

• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Health, or Counseling
• Working in an Aging and Disability Resource Center
• Providing support and social work services to older adults and persons with disabilities who choose to live independently and age-in-place.
• Documenting client encounters in an electronic record keeping system, with a No Wrong Door system of record and/or Peer Place electronic database.
• Working with individuals from diverse cultural/ethnic backgrounds.
• Bilingual in Spanish, Korean, Amharic, or Vietnamese.

Work Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Some telework may be available contingent upon supervisor approval and workload.

Employment restrictions: To ensure that dual relationships are avoided and that employees who are also clients do not relate to their service provider as co-professionals, employees will not be hired by the County to provide or support services to the team or program in which they are current clients:

• You cannot concurrently receive behavioral health services from Arlington County Community Service Board (CSB) programs while employed in an Arlington County CSB program (exception Crisis Intervention services).
• At least 24 months must have passed between receipt of CSB services from Arlington County and employment in an Arlington County CSB program.

Special Requirements:

Applicant must possess, or obtain by the time of appointment, a valid motor vehicle operator's license from the applicant's place of residence or the applicant must have the ability and willingness to use alternative methods of transportation to perform assigned duties and responsibilities at multiple locations other than the primary worksite.

The applicant must pass a pre-hire background check that can include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history. You may be required to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain your background information.

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