Family Service Specialist

Recruitment #032722-MDDQ21-370500

Introduction

The Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families' (The Delaware Children’s Department) primary responsibility is to provide and manage a range of services for children who have experienced abandonment, abuse, adjudication, mental illness, neglect, or substance abuse.  Our services include prevention, early intervention, assessment, treatment, permanency, and after care.

We offer desirable career opportunities, attracting and retaining proud and talented employees who are motivated to think of the child first in all that they do.  The Department is the perfect place to kick-start your career!

For more information, please visit https://kids.delaware.gov/.

Summary Statement

DYRS and other juvenile justice partners have been committed to the use of residential and non-residential alternatives to secure detention to wait adjudication.  These resources coupled with secure detention have been consolidated into one statewide unit with Family Service Specialists being responsible for case management.  Unit members are responsible for family engagement, service planning and referrals for youth in pre-adjudicated status.  Unit members also use an evidenced based assessment to develop service plans and present to the court during adjudicator/sentencing hearings.

Essential Functions

Essential functions are fundamental, core functions common to all positions in the class series and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties for any one position in the class.  Since class specifications are descriptive and not restrictive, incumbents can complete job duties of similar kind not specifically listed here.

  • Provides services to advocate for health, safety and welfare or rights of clients and their families and assists them in obtaining needed services. 
     
  • Interviews clients and family members and/or professionals to gather personal, social and background information; works closely with the client and family to formulate a clear description of the client and family’s problems; identify the key forces which maintain the problems; discover resources and strengths available to the client and family to resolve the problems; and identify the blocks, if any, that prevent the client and family from resolving the problems without the intervention of the State agency. 
     
  • Determines eligibility for various social service programs offered by the agency or available in the community. 
     
  • In collaboration with the client and family, and with consultation from a technical superior, develops and implements service/treatment plans, outlining the goals and objectives to be accomplished, methods and techniques to be used, and anticipated results; helps the client and family to obtain community, social and/or therapeutic services and resources needed to accomplish plans and objectives. 
     
  • Conducts individual and family counseling sessions with clients and members of the family to aid in achieving satisfactory social development and adjustment to specific problems and situations. 
     
  • Assesses progress toward goals and makes recommendations on plans such as reclassification, discharge, aftercare, emergency protective placement in emergency or crisis situations, guardianship, petitions or options counseling. 
     
  • Prepares social histories, client progress reports, evaluation and discharge summaries, court reports or petitions; prepares and maintains a variety of records and files pertaining to clients assigned to caseload. 
     
  • Enforces court orders and conditions of community supervision as required. Attends court hearings and other judicial proceedings to answer questions; makes recommendations and prepare progress reports regarding clients.  
     
  • May be called upon to intervene in crisis situations such as potential suicides, assault and battery against clients, and sexual abuse cases.  May coordinate with law enforcement and other emergency staff if needed. May be required to isolate and/or physically restrain clients who are acting out.
     
  • May be required to perform emergency duty which requires being on call for an assigned time period.

Job Requirements

JOB REQUIREMENTS for Family Service Specialist
Applicants must have education, training and/or experience demonstrating competence in each of the following areas: 

  1. Possession of a Bachelors degree or higher in Behavioral or Social Science or related field.
  2. Knowledge of health or human services work such as applying theories, principles, laws and practices of health or human services programs and services that assist with and improve life for individuals, families, or communities such as financial support, employment, unemployment, housing, health care, disease prevention, substance abuse, child protective services, physical/mental health treatment and prevention or rehabilitation.
  3. Knowledge of interviewing to obtain facts, explore issues and identify courses of action.
  4. Knowledge of case management which includes assessing, planning, developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating options and services to meet an individuals human service needs.
  5. Possession of a valid Driver's License (not suspended, revoked or cancelled, or disqualified from driving).

Additional Posting Information

This is a Casual/Seasonal position which is a non-pension eligible position without healthcare and/or other benefits.

Conditions of Hire

Pre-employment Drug Testing:  Upon a conditional offer, you must undergo pre-employment drug testing as part of the hiring process.

Criminal background check:  A satisfactory criminal background check is required as a condition of hire.  The recruiting agency may require the applicant to pay for the criminal background check as part of the conditional offer of hire.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. The State of Delaware Executive Branch participates in the Federal E-Verify system where the State will provide the federal government with each new hires Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. For more information refer to our job seeker resources.

Selection Process

The application and supplemental questionnaire are evaluated based upon a rating of your education, training and experience as they relate to the job requirements of the position.  It is essential that you provide complete and accurate information on your application and the supplemental questionnaire to include dates of employment, job title and job duties.  For education and training, list name of educational provider, training course titles and summary of course content.   Narrative information supplied in response to the questions must be supported by the information supplied on the application including your employment, education and training history as it relates to the job requirements.

Once you have submitted your application on-line, all future correspondence related to your application will be sent via email.  Please keep your contact information current.  You may also view all correspondence sent to you by the State of Delaware in the “My Applications” tab at Delaware State Jobs.

Accommodations

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities in all phases of the application and employment process.  To request an auxiliary aid or service please call (302) 739-5458. TDD users should call the Delaware Relay Service Number 1-800-232-5460 for assistance.

The State of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity employer and values a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage and seek out a workforce representative of Delaware including race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.