Social Services Specialist III - Crisis Response

Job Announcement

This position includes a signing bonus of $2,500 (full-time) for new county hires.

This is an exciting time to join Fairfax County Government as we shape racial and social equity policies in the county through the One Fairfax Policy. Using this framework, we intentionally consider equity when making policies or delivering programs and services. To learn more, we highly encourage you to view the One Fairfax webpage. Plus, check out the Top 5 Reasons to Work with the Department of Family Services Domestic and Sexual Violence Services.

Under general guidance of the Crisis Response Services Supervisor, the Crisis Line Specialist performs the following duties and responsibilities:

• Provides support to victims of domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking.
• Conducts assessments of customers based on risk/lethality factors, focusing services on risk reduction, safety planning, and providing community resources and with making appropriate referrals based on customers' needs, strengths, and available formal and informal resources.
• Provides coverage for two crisis lines - the Lethality Assessment Protocol (LAP) line and the 24 hours Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline.
• Serves as a subject matter expert on issues related to CRS concerning domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking.
• Provides supervisory assistance to the Social Services Specialist II within the team.
• Provides training to new staff, volunteers, partners, and the community.
• Coordinate projects, as needed.
• Provides rotational coverage for Hospital Accompaniment and On-call After Hours.
• Provides support with coordination of staff and volunteers to ensure 24-hour coverage of the crisis lines.
• Works from various location throughout the county, attending evening and/or weekend meetings and events as needed.
• Completes other duties as assigned.

Illustrative Duties

• Assists the supervisor in planning and carrying out training for new staff, providing guidance to staff. May directly supervise staff, and covers for the supervisor in their absence;
• Coordinates the daily activities of a program or project to include staff supervision, oversight of administrative functions/requirements associated with the program or project, evaluation of the program or project for its impact/effectiveness, and making recommendations for changes or improvements.
• Utilizes motivational interviewing strategies to encourage and assist customers in providing information to assess their situation; triages information based on priority and immediate needs and safety of victims; collaborate with victims on the development of safety planning to help keep victims safe; coordinates referrals to resources; and provides follow-up as needed.
• Maintains knowledge of DSVS policies and federal law for operation of the domestic and sexual violence crisis lines and confidentiality of callers.
• Applies knowledge of best practice standards related to supporting victims of domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking.
• Collaborates with other professionals on identifying community resources and services for victims.
• Maintains working knowledge of Department of Family Services and County Human Services System policies and resources.
• Trains staff, volunteers, and partners on the operation of the crisis lines and how to respond to callers.
• Develops, organizes, and schedules trainings.
• Explores and secures opportunities to educate the community on domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking, and facilitates community presentations.
• Leads the Crisis Line Team in assisting with conducting trainings and presentations as needed.
• Conducts routine reviews of the effectiveness and/or efficiency of program or project by soliciting feedback from staff, volunteers, and partners, and by reviewing supporting data, and implements feedback to help strengthen program or project.
• Meets on a regular and consistent basis with unit supervisor or designee to discuss ongoing work and unique or special situations/reports.
• Provides hospital accompaniment which requires driving to various hospital sites and after-hours coverage on a rotational basis.
• Supports with the coordination and maintenance of staff and volunteer schedules for the LAP and Domestic and Sexual Violence crisis lines to ensure 24-hour coverage, maintenance of accuracy of scheduling in required systems, and provision of updates and announcements to staff and volunteers on scheduling-related changes.
• Serves as liaison to staff and volunteers for crisis line-related issues.
• Provides data, narratives, and other information as requested, e.g. DSVS annual report, grants reports.
• Participates as a contributing member on interagency, multi-disciplinary teams, community groups and professional organizations.
• Manages and maintains program data and outcomes.
   

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities
 

• Knowledge of domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking.
• Knowledge of federal law and local policies and practices related to domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking.
• Ability to interview, assess needs, counsel, and refer callers to other resource as needed.
• Ability to assess safety and risk.
• Ability to apply critical thinking and knowledge and research.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to maintain professional ethics and confidentiality of client information.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of individuals.
• Ability to schedule and manage workload sufficiently to meet deadlines.
• Ability to provide guidance, direction, supervision and coaching to less-experienced staff.
• Ability to provide management and oversight of a program or project.

Illustrative Duties

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree, plus three years of professional social work experience. A master's degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED
Valid driver's license.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, a driving record check, and a Child Protective Services Registry check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
At least one year of experience providing services to individuals impacted by domestic and/or sexual violence, stalking or human trafficking
At least one year of experience working or volunteering with crisis intervention service
At least one year of experience working in a crisis hotline
At least one year of experience in maintaining, retrieving, entering, and using information from a computer system.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Must be able to transport self to different worksites and locations, as needed.
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing
Ability to concentrate and multi-task in a fast pace environment
Ability to perform duties in a position that is sedentary in nature
Ability to use automated technology
Work requires performing tasks with risks of secondary traumatic stress (STS).
All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include a practical exercise.
 
The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.  

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.