Virginia Jobs
Family Services Specialist II (Kinship)
Virginia Jobs, Alexandria, Virginia, us, 22350
Hiring Range:
$65,852.54 to $88,210.20
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 our Family Services Specialist II(Kinship)
position.
General Statement of Duties:
The job duties for this position includes providing formal agency support to relatives and fictive kin caregivers of children in foster care or at risk of entering foster care. Kinship care refers to the care of children by relatives or close family friends (often referred to as fictive kin). Relatives and fictive kin are the preferred resource for children who must be removed from their birth parents because it helps maintain the children's connections with their families as well as their language and culture, increases stability, and minimizes the trauma of family separation.Kinship care is built upon an age-old, informal traditional practice.It is imperative that kinship caregivers have the support they need when a child is placed in their care.
Alexandria DCHS utilizes a racial equity approach in all decision making. The Kinship Specialist uses social work theory to provide intensive and specialized culturally competent social work services to identify and engage kin and fictive kin of all cultures who are interested in providing family homes for children and youth. In some cases, the Kinship Specialist supports kin caregivers who wish to become formal kinship foster care providers. The duties of this position provide supportive services to kinship caregivers, kinship resource parents, and the children and youth in their care.
Examples of Duties:
Conduct Case Consultations with potential kin caregivers to evaluate and support their readiness to provide kinship care in Virginia and out of state;Assess prospective kin caregivers for eligibility for kinship waivers using the state approval process that includes supporting kin in completing CPS and criminal background checks for initial placements;Complete Mutual Family Assessments with kin and make recommendations and approval decisions that acknowledge cultural strengths;Assess kinship family needs and provide kinship information and referral to internal and external community resources;Participate in Family Partnership Meetings, Treatment Team Meetings, and Case Consultations as requested;Collaborate and communicate with Family Services Specialist colleagues and other agency staff on the kinship approval process;Co-facilitate Traditions of Caring and Collaborating Training (TOCC) for kin resource parents;Maintain documentation in the OASIS database and collect data for agency reporting;Carry a caseload of Kinship Families post approval and complete home visits with Kinship Families to provide support as needed;Complete adoption addendums for Kinship families on caseload as needed;Co-coordinate kinship community events to encourage peer support among the kinship providers;Participate in family search and engagement activities as needed in order to locate kinship placement options for children in foster care;Send the 30-day relative letter for children recently placed in foster care;Facilitate a monthly kinship support group;Coordinate kinship community events to encourage peer support among the kinship providers;Represent agency on NOVA Regional Kinship Committee and subcommittees;Serve on the afterhours on call rotation for Foster Care;Other duties as assigned.Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge, skills, and abilities that promote antiracist practices, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and application of a racial equity lens in service provision. Knowledge of social work principles including the model of systems theory, family engagement, child development, human behavior in the social environment, the critical need for attachment to birth family and cultural connections for children in foster care, trauma informed practice, the impact of racism on the children and families involved in the child welfare system, solution-focused practice, and advocacy. Knowledge of culturally based interviewing and assessment skills and how to implement and utilize them effectively. High organizational skills. Excellent communication skills to represent the agency and initiate, develop, and support working relationships with community members as resources for kinship care. Ability to interpret policy and information related to kinship care. Ability to work collaboratively and represent the kinship perspective on interdisciplinary teams. Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing. Ability to work in the office and in the community. Telework may be available with appropriate consideration given to work assignment location, and in accordance with current City policy.
Minimum Qualifications:
Master'sdegree in a human services field and two (2)yearsofrelevant experience.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 Social Work or related human services field. At least one year of social work experience at the level of Family Services Specialist I. Licensed or license-eligible in the field of Social Work. Fluent and Bilingual in both English and Spanish.
$65,852.54 to $88,210.20
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 our Family Services Specialist II(Kinship)
position.
General Statement of Duties:
The job duties for this position includes providing formal agency support to relatives and fictive kin caregivers of children in foster care or at risk of entering foster care. Kinship care refers to the care of children by relatives or close family friends (often referred to as fictive kin). Relatives and fictive kin are the preferred resource for children who must be removed from their birth parents because it helps maintain the children's connections with their families as well as their language and culture, increases stability, and minimizes the trauma of family separation.Kinship care is built upon an age-old, informal traditional practice.It is imperative that kinship caregivers have the support they need when a child is placed in their care.
Alexandria DCHS utilizes a racial equity approach in all decision making. The Kinship Specialist uses social work theory to provide intensive and specialized culturally competent social work services to identify and engage kin and fictive kin of all cultures who are interested in providing family homes for children and youth. In some cases, the Kinship Specialist supports kin caregivers who wish to become formal kinship foster care providers. The duties of this position provide supportive services to kinship caregivers, kinship resource parents, and the children and youth in their care.
Examples of Duties:
Conduct Case Consultations with potential kin caregivers to evaluate and support their readiness to provide kinship care in Virginia and out of state;Assess prospective kin caregivers for eligibility for kinship waivers using the state approval process that includes supporting kin in completing CPS and criminal background checks for initial placements;Complete Mutual Family Assessments with kin and make recommendations and approval decisions that acknowledge cultural strengths;Assess kinship family needs and provide kinship information and referral to internal and external community resources;Participate in Family Partnership Meetings, Treatment Team Meetings, and Case Consultations as requested;Collaborate and communicate with Family Services Specialist colleagues and other agency staff on the kinship approval process;Co-facilitate Traditions of Caring and Collaborating Training (TOCC) for kin resource parents;Maintain documentation in the OASIS database and collect data for agency reporting;Carry a caseload of Kinship Families post approval and complete home visits with Kinship Families to provide support as needed;Complete adoption addendums for Kinship families on caseload as needed;Co-coordinate kinship community events to encourage peer support among the kinship providers;Participate in family search and engagement activities as needed in order to locate kinship placement options for children in foster care;Send the 30-day relative letter for children recently placed in foster care;Facilitate a monthly kinship support group;Coordinate kinship community events to encourage peer support among the kinship providers;Represent agency on NOVA Regional Kinship Committee and subcommittees;Serve on the afterhours on call rotation for Foster Care;Other duties as assigned.Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge, skills, and abilities that promote antiracist practices, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and application of a racial equity lens in service provision. Knowledge of social work principles including the model of systems theory, family engagement, child development, human behavior in the social environment, the critical need for attachment to birth family and cultural connections for children in foster care, trauma informed practice, the impact of racism on the children and families involved in the child welfare system, solution-focused practice, and advocacy. Knowledge of culturally based interviewing and assessment skills and how to implement and utilize them effectively. High organizational skills. Excellent communication skills to represent the agency and initiate, develop, and support working relationships with community members as resources for kinship care. Ability to interpret policy and information related to kinship care. Ability to work collaboratively and represent the kinship perspective on interdisciplinary teams. Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing. Ability to work in the office and in the community. Telework may be available with appropriate consideration given to work assignment location, and in accordance with current City policy.
Minimum Qualifications:
Master'sdegree in a human services field and two (2)yearsofrelevant experience.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 Social Work or related human services field. At least one year of social work experience at the level of Family Services Specialist I. Licensed or license-eligible in the field of Social Work. Fluent and Bilingual in both English and Spanish.