Family Services Specialist I - Adult Protective Services
HS-SS FAMILY SERVICES
Are you an experienced Adult Protective Services (APS) professional with a passion for the safety and well-being of families? Are you hard-working, organized and able to prioritize competing priorities? Do you enjoy facilitating meetings and finding solutions to complex issues? If so, the Family Services Specialist I in the APS is for you. Chesapeake Human Services is seeking an experienced human services professional to work the Hotline, facilitate Family Partnership Meetings, and otherwise support the complex needs of the child welfare and adult services’ team. This person would join the Hotline unit.
Under general supervision, the Family Service Specialist I performs a variety of case related activities involved in providing direct and indirect assistance to vulnerable, elderly and/or incapacitated adults. Major duties include the answering APS Hotline and completing data entry into the PeerPlace System, investigation, assessment, evaluation and provision of services for vulnerable or incapacitated adults, 18 years and older, who are alleged to be abused, neglected or exploited and determines if there is a need of any protective and/or services. This position makes time sensitive contacts with clients, significant others, interviews those who may have knowledge of the situation; and researches, obtains and analyzes complex financial and medical documents including psychological evaluations, as appropriate. Initiates legal actions such as petition for guardianship, conservatorship, and protective orders as identified to protect the incapacitated person or his or her assets from abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The Family Service Specialist is also required to perform after-hours on-call duty of Child Welfare and Adult Protective Services.
ESSENTIAL TASKS
Under general supervision, the Family Service Specialist I performs a variety of case related activities involved in providing direct and indirect assistance to vulnerable, elderly and/or incapacitated adults. Major duties include the answering APS Hotline and completing data entry into the PeerPlace System, investigation, assessment, evaluation and provision of services for vulnerable or incapacitated adults, 18 years and older, who are alleged to be abused, neglected or exploited and determines if there is a need of any protective and/or services. This position makes time sensitive contacts with clients, significant others, interviews those who may have knowledge of the situation; and researches, obtains and analyzes complex financial and medical documents including psychological evaluations, as appropriate. Initiates legal actions such as petition for guardianship, conservatorship, and protective orders as identified to protect the incapacitated person or his or her assets from abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The Family Service Specialist is also required to perform after-hours on-call duty of Child Welfare and Adult Protective Services.
ESSENTIAL TASKS
- Conducts interviews or investigations and makes client/family assessments; formulates and implements plan; screens interstate referrals; sends out and reviews home study information.
- Provides individual and group counseling for client and family.
- Prepares purchase orders for client services, and negotiates provider rates; confirms provider availability and service authorization; verifies client information; processes invoices for payment.
- Interacts/coordinates with other agencies, organizations, or family/community members to provide services for client and family/prior custodians; makes referrals for other social services.
- Conducts home visits to supervise, observe, and document family interactions, activities, and environment; establishes schedule with parents/prior custodians for child visitation.
- Provides direct services to clients/families including teaching basic living, parenting, budgeting, or employment skills, providing mediation counseling, and accompanying clients to appointments.
- Collects and compiles information/data, and prepares periodic and special reports; maintains files/records for area of responsibility; develops program forms.
- Provides emergency services/crisis intervention for clients/families; protects clients through court involvement; testifies at local, state, and judicial appeals; provides client placement as needed.
- Conducts pre-service foster parent orientations and classes to evaluate/screen applicants; recruits and conducts training classes and orientations for volunteers.
- Provides information to public on eligibility requirements and available services for assigned area.
- Performs routine office tasks such as dictating case notes, data entry, typing correspondence or forms, filing, faxing, telephoning, or photocopying.
- Conducts training classes for service providers; certifies and recertifies approved providers; attends professional workshops and seminars to improve professional skills.
- Rotates through various service provider roles in such areas as CPS, foster care, and adoption.
- Performs other related duties as assigned
The City of Chesapeake offers an exceptional range of benefits. Please browse our Benefits Brochure, for a full list of benefits and employee perks.