ADAPT Domestic Violence Counselor (Social Services Specialist III)

Job Announcement

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

This job announcement is being re-advertised. If you previously applied, you do not need to reapply in order to be considered.

Anger Domestic Abuse Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) Counselor (Social Services Specialist III) provides a full range of assessment and intervention services in an innovative, competency based domestic violence intervention program for adults. Responsible for intake, referral, comprehensive behavioral health assessment (including mental health and substance abuse clinical assessment) and referral, collaboration with the criminal justice system and social services referral agents, psych educational skills-based group preparation and leadership, volunteer and intern supervision, and strong team-based collaboration skills. Requires strong communication, teaching, and counseling skills to be able to provide compassionate, competency based, motivation enhancing intervention with typically court mandated clients in a context of safety and accountability. Position requires travel across multiple work sites in Fairfax County and regular schedule will include work up to three evenings per week with semi-annual training events on weekend days. Position also requires participation with the agency domestic violence and sexual assault hotline to include several monthly shifts on the hotline on both direct and on-call (24-hour) status.

Desired competencies:

• Knowledge of and ability to assess and provide treatment for clients with mental health and substance use disorders and or to support such intervention when needed with other agencies and personnel.
• Knowledge of how trauma impacts and relates to domestic violence problems (as a victim, perpetrator and/or witness).
• Knowledge about current practices and controversies in domestic violence intervention.
• Ability to establish rapport with mandated clients and other concerned persons.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with subordinates, co-workers, county officials, public and private sector organizations, community groups and the general public.
• Public speaking competency. Position requires frequent participation in panel discussions, work groups and workshops. Ability to prepare and deliver effective presentations.
• Competency based counseling and motivational interviewing skills. Required to intervene with clients who may at times challenge program limits and expectations.
• Risk and lethality assessment skills as well as the ability to intervene when risk (harm to self/others) is high to ameliorate risk. This may include crisis intervention skills.
• Ability to teach group and individual participants specific emotional regulation techniques, monitor progress, and address needs for remediation when progress is hampered by motivational, language, cognitive or other barriers.
• Ability to provide telephone emergency counseling, support, lethality assessment, safety planning over 24-hour on call shifts and to provide face-to-face accompaniment support to sexual assault and domestic violence victims in a hospital setting.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish

Illustrative Duties:

• Contributes to the development of protocols, policies, procedures, and contracts for a social services program, department, and other entities;
• Assists the supervisor in planning and carrying out training for new staff, providing guidance to staff.
• Serves as a policy expert in an area of social work specialization;
• Coordinates or oversees the daily activities of a program or project to include, 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;
• Conducts comprehensive clinical assessments and prepares and implements service plans;
• Works with clients to develop a plan of service to meet social, emotional and needs. With the client, formulates objectives and identifies actions to resolve the clients' problems;
• Makes assessment of risks posed to clients in accordance with state and local policies, and works to ensure risks are eliminated or minimized;
• Represents the agency in court proceedings; prepares testimony and testifies in Juvenile, Circuit, Criminal, Civil and Federal Courts;
• Works with the community to identify families, children and individuals needing services and to coordinate these services using a wrap-around approach;
• Advocates and assists families and individuals in obtaining services (e.g., mental health, intellectual disability, alcohol and drug, housing referrals, home based services, training and medical services);
• Communicates and works with colleagues, clients and the community in a manner that supports the agency and program goals and objectives;
• Participates as a contributing member on interagency, multi-disciplinary teams, community groups and professional organizations;
• Provides training and education on a variety of social work topics;
• Uses automated technology and hard copy files to maintain and update case data, notes, documents, records, contacts and summaries of information;
• Manages and maintains program data and outcomes.

Illustrative Duties

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.)
Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of social work;
Thorough knowledge of current social service problems and methods/approaches to address issues;
Thorough knowledge of regulations and guidelines relating to the assigned area of social service specialization;
Knowledge of casework supervision practices and procedures;
Ability to analyze case information and to reach sound decisions on the basis of such information;
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing;
Ability to use automated technology to establish and maintain case records;
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.

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
License eligible within two (2) years (LCSW, LMFT, LPC, or License in Clinical Psychology).

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

Must be Bilingual in English and Spanish.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Master’s degree in social work, counseling or related field
At least three years of clinical case management
Experience leading groups in a clinical setting

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Must be able to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing. Ability to use automated technology to access, input, and retrieve computer data. Must be able to lift/carry up to 30lbs materials up to 300 feet for transportation of educational materials to service site. 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.