Hiring Range: $64,561.38 to $86,480.68

Full Time or Part Time: Full Time

Additional Detail

The City of Alexandria is bordered by Washington D.C. and the Potomac River, Arlington and Fairfax counties, and Maryland. Thesmall city has a cosmopolitan feel with 150,000 people living within its 15.75 square miles. At the Department of Community and Human Services, we provide essential safety net services to help city residents enjoy a sense of well-being, safety and self-sufficiency. Our behavioral health programs provide compassionate services that support self-determination and recovery. The beauty of our diverse and resilient people and our commitment to race and social equity, coupled with a historic district dating to 1749, charming waterfront, vibrant arts community and unique places for foodies and shopping, make the City of Alexandria a uniquely wonderful place to live, work and play. We invite all qualified candidates to learn more and apply for ourFamily Services Specialist II - Resource Home Recruiter & Trainer position.

General Statement of Duties:

A Family Services Specialist II provides intensive and specialized, culturally competent social work services to individuals and families. Alexandria DCHS utilizes a racial equity approach in all decision making.

This position uses social work theory to provide intensive and specialized culturally competent social work services to identify, engage, assess, and train prospective resource families. Resource families-which include foster parents, foster-to-adopt families, and kinship caregivers-are critical partners for child welfare professionals because they provide care for children who cannot live with their parents, and they can play a supportive role in reunification.

Telework may be available with appropriate consideration given to work assignment location, and in accordance with current City policy.

Examples of Duties:

• Provides approved curriculum to resource parent and fictive kin applicants;
• Assesses applicants understanding of training materials, assess their ability to participate in the resource parent program and their ability to provide a safe, nurturing home for a child in need;
• Prepares written resource home assessments and ICPC assessments utilizing information gathered through training, face to face interviews, collateral interviews and visits to the home and monitors homes after initial approval;
• Provides case management of resource homes including entering contacts into OASIS statewide system, teaming with the placement coordinator on placement options and support of families, adding families to the Resource Home data base, and gathering statistical data;
• Provides supportive counseling to resource families in identifying and resolving emotionally challenging decisions;
• Provides crisis intervention on a timely basis to resource families who are caring for children placed in their home;
• Makes presentations to community groups, schools and other professional groups on the need for resource parents in the City of Alexandria;
• Participate in the development and implementation of a recruitment plan to increase the resource families of color;
• Assist in the development of agency approved resource home recruitment materials such as brochures, media campaigns and events;
• Responsible for the recruitment, marketing materials and posting info meetings (city website, one church one child, Alexandria Gazette, etc.); holding on a regular basis, timely in person, community, or virtual foster parent information meetings; ability to work evenings and weekends at community recruitment events for effective recruitment;
• Represents the agency by serving on community workgroups and regional professional groups;
• Teams with Resource Parent Placement Coordinator, as needed, on placement decisions;
• Assists unit in organizing special training and recognition events for agency approved resource parents;
• Conducts reassessment visits with approved resource families to maintain certification;
• Participates in the Adoption Placement Panel process;
• Serves as a policy expert in the area of resource home approval guidance;
• Teams with unit members to develop recruitment and training materials;
• Participate in Family Partnership Meetings, Treatment Team Meetings, and case consultations as requestedto support resource families and help team in making decisions;
• Provides after hours on-call on a rotating basis;
• Performs related work as required.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Ability to apply knowledge of antiracist practices, diversity, equity, and inclusion in addition to application of a racial equity lens in service provision. Knowledge of social work principles; including normal and abnormal behavior, child development, social challenges and family dynamics. Knowledge of current literature in the field of social work. Knowledge of interviewing and assessment skills and how to implement and utilize them effectively. Demonstrated ability to relate to individuals and families in diverse communities. Ability to interpret policy and guidance related to foster care and adoption. Ability to work collaboratively with other professionals in the field. Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing.

Minimum Qualifications:

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 22VAC40-670-20 of the Administrative Code of Virginia). Employees must possess a valid driver's license issued by the state of their residence if they are in a position with driving responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications:

Master's degree in human services field and one year of social work experience at the level of Family Services Specialist I; Licensed or license-eligible candidate in the field of Social Work.