Senior Social Services Specialist (IV)

Job Location: This position will be located in St. Louis, MO.

The Department of Social Services partners with families and communities to protect children, rehabilitate youth and move families to self-sufficiency so that Missourians can lead safe, healthy and productive lives.

Why you’ll love this position:

Are you passionate about helping people? Do you love working with children and families? Do you enjoy assisting people in difficult circumstances? The Department of Social Services - Children’s Division cares for at-risk children and families by providing family preservation and reunification services, investigating allegations of abuse and neglect, and conducting foster care and adoption case management. If you want to be part of a great team working to make a difference, please come join us!

What you’ll do:

• Consult with CA/N (Child Abuse and Neglect) staff on all potential removals to ensure that all efforts are made to ensure child safety, while providing reasonable efforts to prevent the removal.
• Tracking and managing the timely scheduling of Team Decision Making (TDM) meetings and developing family-centered social service plans for children that enter the state’s custody.
• Assessment of families and information gathering to create social service plans
• This position will consult with the Child Abuse and Neglect staff on all cases where a safety threat has been identified and the child is at risk of being removed from the home.
• Make recommendations about the least restrictive level of care for children at risk of removal.
• This position is responsible for tracking the timely scheduling of Team Decision Making meetings and developing family-centered social service plans.
• This position will provide ongoing consultation through the Child Abuse and Neglect process to ensure Team Decision Making is completed in a timely manner.
• This position will provide ongoing consultation through the Child Abuse and Neglect process to ensure a timely transfer to Family-Centered Services or Alternative Care.
• Completes a timely and thorough assessment in cooperation with identified family and by gathering all necessary information from the CA/N and AC worker to negotiate a comprehensive Social Service Plan with clients, including clear conditions for family reunification.

All you need for success:

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or High School Equivalent and Nine or more years of professional experience with a public or private agency in the delivery of protective services, including casework/case management in: investigation of abuse or neglect; coordination of foster care, adoptions, and family centered services; treatment/rehabilitation; and/or providing in-home family crisis intervention services, and possession of a valid vehicle operator’s license.

OR

• One or more years of experience as a Social Services Specialist (III), Social Services Unit Supervisor or Senior Social Services Specialist with the Missouri Uniform Classification and Pay System.

OR

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, preferably a degree in Social Work or comparable human services field (Substitutions allowed); and,

Five or more years of professional experience with a public or private agency in the delivery of protective services including casework/case management in: investigation of abuse or neglect; coordination of foster care, adoptions, and family centered services; treatment/rehabilitation; and/or providing in-home family crisis intervention services, and possession of a valid vehicle operator’s license.

(A combination of earned credit hours from an accredited college or university in the preferred fields such as social work, family and child development, special education, psychology, sociology, or related behavioral sciences and experience described may substitute for the stated qualifications. 30 credit hours are equivalent to 1 year of experience. Professional experience as described must be of a substantial period of time (over 50% of time)).

(Lack of post-secondary education will not be used as the sole basis denying consideration to any applicant)

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to travel throughout the State of Missouri as needed
• Availability to be in the “on call” rotation one weekend a month.
• The operator of a motor vehicle is an essential function of this classification. Must be able to legally operate a motor vehicle in the performance of assigned duties upon the date of hire and throughout employment.

More reasons to love this position:

The State of Missouri offers an excellent benefits package that includes a defined pension plan, generous amounts of leave and holiday time, and eligibility for health insurance coverage. Your total compensation is more than the dollars you receive in your paycheck. To help demonstrate the value of working for the State of Missouri, we have created an interactive Total Compensation Calculator. This tool provides a comprehensive view of benefits and more that are offered to prospective employees. The Total Compensation Calculator and other applicant resources can be found here .

If you have questions about this position please contact: CD-HR@dss.mo.gov

The State of Missouri is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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• State of Missouri

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