Human Service Worker III

Job Announcement

The Public Assistance and Employment Services (PAES) Division seeks an energetic, flexible, reliable, well-organized individual to join the Employment Services team, providing intensive case management to unemployed and underemployed job seekers. The position will be an active member of a collaborative and compassionate team that supports the operation of federal, state, and local workforce development program such as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Flexible and organized individuals with a strong case management background who are ready to work with individuals of different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Learn more about working for DFS, our agency culture, and meet some of our employees online.

About the position:
As a case manager for WIOA, this position will support eligible jobseekers to address barriers to employment through education and training services. While providing intensive case management, this position will interview, advise, and guide a diverse population of clients as it relates to their pre- and post-employment needs, including developing employment plans, coordinating referred services with partner programs, developing community partnerships, providing support to the Fairfax County employment centers, and connecting job seekers to the community resources. The position will additionally be responsible for maintaining administrative case files for program participants including but not limited to maintaining regular documentation and service updates in local and state systems.

What you will do:

• Interview clients to determine eligibility for employment programs (OR specifically state WIOA), discuss career goals, mental health and employment supportive service programs, and advocate for and assist families and individuals in obtaining services.
• Work closely with individuals of diverse socio-economic backgrounds to create employment plans, set career and education goals, provide resources and support for participants to obtain employment.
• Collaborate with other WIOA case managers and partners to identify the resources, referrals and activities needed to obtain and maintain gainful employment.
• Provide ongoing, intensive case management and follow-up, including counseling clients on career planning and advancement, develop an individual employment plan, and assist clients with identifying and accessing appropriate vocational training and education.
• Assess the local job market to identify current trends and job opportunities to develop customized job placement activities for clients who have disabilities and may need accommodation. Advocate for clients with employers.
• Collaborate with other workforce professionals to identify and develop on-the-job training and/or work-based learning opportunities.
• Serve as a resource for the WIOA program for other human service workers and review the work and provide guidance to less experienced staff.
• Develop community partnerships, provide support to the local One-Stop employment centers, and connect job seekers to community resources; Conduct outreach activities and event to raise awareness of the WIOA program.
• Oversee and perform data collection as required for reporting program outcomes and for program evaluation.
• Connect job seekers to resources for meeting needs such as transportation, childcare, clothing, and other requirements that support readiness for maintaining a job.

The successful applicant should have the following qualifications:
 

• Demonstrated knowledge of social, economic, health, and cultural factors that can serve as barriers to employment.
• Flexible individual with experience providing excellent customer service.
• Able to support the varying needs of vulnerable populations.
• Be highly detail-oriented and organized, with a dynamic professional attitude.
• Ability to thrive in a hybrid work environment: self-directed; proactively reaches out, responsive, comfortable in a virtual setting.
• Ability to schedule and manage workload sufficiently to meet deadlines.
• Be a curious and quick learner with the ability to work collaboratively with other members of the Employment Services team.
• Clear and concise oral and written communications skills; knowledge of word processing and data management programs (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, survey software).
• Demonstrated experience providing ongoing case management using electronic records management systems.
• Ability to use technology to establish and maintain all aspects of case records.

Note: The location varies depending on the needs of the department. The WIOA grant is operated in Northern Virginia which includes Fairfax County, Prince William County, Loudoun County, and the cities therein. This position will be based out of the Prince William County Virginia Career Works center but may be location may change based on program needs. This position requires travel throughout the Northern Virginia region. Additionally, this position will occasionally require you to work evenings, holidays, and/or weekends.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position job description.)
Maintains knowledge of current public assistance and employment policies and applies, explains and interprets complex federal, state, and local policies to clients, service providers, attorneys, the public, and other interested parties;
Conducts in-depth interviews of clients to determine and reassess eligibility of clients for financial, publicly supported medical services and/or medical public assistance programs;
Performs client needs assessment to aid in making appropriate referrals to other services;
Works with clients to assist with gathering of information necessary to establish eligibility;
Compiles and maintains data and documents and may prepare written narratives to support eligibility determinations;
Ensures timely processing of applications to meet client needs and program policy mandates;
Authorizes public assistance (e.g., medical aid, financial assistance, food stamps) based on client circumstances and public assistance program requirements;
Uses various forms of automated technology to document, obtain, and verify information, to generate reports, and to authorize benefits and services for clients, service providers, attorneys, the public, and other interested parties;
Assists clients in obtaining the resources necessary to meet emergency needs;
Assists clients in obtaining services and coordinates these with other service providers as needed;
Coordinates and manages clients' participation in a variety of services;
Participates in case staffings with other county staff or community organizations to assess and address needs of clients;
Prepares appeal documents and may represent the agency in administrative appeals filed by clients;
Provides guidance and assistance to employers and clients in the operation of an employment resource center;
Performs employability assessment of economically disadvantaged clients to develop a plan of service to aid them in securing employment;
Works with clients to identify and address barriers to employment;
Provides career counseling;
Assists job seekers with job search and resume development;
Participates in curriculum development, facilitates workshops, and works with businesses and workforce partners in response to customer needs;
Plans and participates in orientations and workforce related workshops;
Identifies, recruits and develops job opportunities with employers to place program participants including job sites for community work experience and on-the-job training;
Tracks, monitors, and reports on employment resource center resources, job leads and employment databases;
Develops marketing and presentation materials for the business community, the public and other human service providers;
Researches available grants and determines feasibility of acquisition of funds and appropriate projects for funding;
Assists with writing grant applications and proposals for funding;
Prepares required reports on federal, state and local grant performance outcomes;
Oversees and coordinates a program or project;
Assists the supervisor with duties that may include training, coaching, and reviewing the work of less experienced staff;
Serves as policy expert in one or more program areas, providing guidance, direction, and information to other staff;
Assist in the development of service strategies.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)
Knowledge of basic human behavior and social problems;
Knowledge of social, economic, health and cultural factors that can serve as barriers to employment;
Knowledge of federal, state and local laws and policies governing public assistance and welfare reform;
Ability to read, interpret and apply complex program policies and procedures;
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
Ability to make mathematical computations;
Ability to schedule and manage workload sufficient to meet deadlines;
Ability to use automated technology to establish and maintain case records;
Ability to handle multiple deadlines, computer systems, high volume of client contact, high caseloads, and competing priorities;
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, co-workers and other human service providers;
Ability to work effectively with people under stress and those from various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds;
Ability to maintain professional ethics related to confidentiality of client information;
Ability to provide excellent customer service;
Ability to work in a team environment;
Ability to maintain flexibility.
Ability to manage a complex caseload;
Ability to assess client needs through collection and analysis of employment history and other personal, family and cultural information;
Ability to use supportive counseling techniques to enhance and develop clients'  problem solving capabilities;
Ability to identify clients in crisis and intervene to stabilize the situation;
Ability to identify client issues needing referral to other human service providers (e.g., substance abuse, spousal abuse);
Ability to lead and coach other professional level staff;
Ability to develop and present training programs;
Ability to conduct research to identify grant opportunities;
Ability to develop presentations using automated technology.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following:
(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree plus two years of human services or related professional work experience.

Contingent upon the area of assignment, some positions within this class may require specific certification(s) prior to employment and/or the ability to acquire necessary certification(s) within a specified time period following employment. The certifications are identified in the position description and employment advertisement.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

• Valid driver's license
• Virginia Workforce Development Professional Certification (Required within 12 months)

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to the position must satisfactorily complete a criminal background check, driving record, and a Child protective services check.

This position is considered essential personnel and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience delivering services and providing resources to individuals with barriers to employment (i.e., individuals with disabilities, ex-offenders, etc.).
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, performance measures, and quality standards governing federal workforce programs, to include but not limited to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA),
• Knowledge of labor market conditions, career guidance, and job development techniques.
• Certified Virginia Workforce Development Professional (VWDP) or National Workforce Development Professional (NWDP) or commitment to acquire within 12 months of hiring.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 
Ability to input, access, and retrieve information from a computer.
Ability to perform repetitive hand, arm, wrist and shoulder movements.
Ability to travel to various locations throughout Fairfax County to provide coverage, attend meetings and trainings.
Visual acuity to review detailed drawings, plans and documents.
All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include 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.