State of Maryland

A Social Service Administrator I is a managerial level of administrative social work within the Social Services Administration in the Maryland Department of Human Services.  Employees in this classification may function as administrators of social services components in a local operation or provide administrative staff services in a local department of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services or the Social Services Administration.  Employees in this classification perform work that may include the administration of a variety of social service programs or involve specialization in the development of program and policy in one service area.  Employees in this classification may be required to act as case consultants and subject matter specialists in the assigned program area(s).  Employees in this classification may supervise professional, paraprofessional, clerical and other support staff.

Employees in this classification receive managerial supervision from a higher-level Social Service Administrator or other designated administrator.

Position allocation within the Social Service Administrator I-VI series is determined on the basis of relative job evaluation among similarly functioning positions.  The job evaluation factors include: qualifications; nature and purpose of personal contacts; nature of recommendations, commitments, decisions and conclusions; creative thought; responsibility for planning; responsibility for administration; and nature of supervision received.

Develops, implements and monitors program policies, regulations, procedures and proposed legislation;

Interprets and explains State and federal policies, procedures, rules and regulations to agency staff;

Provides technical assistance and social work consultation on problematic cases;

Represents the agency at meetings with other public and private agencies and community groups;

Reviews case material to evaluate the quality of casework services rendered;

Monitors casework for adherence to State, federal and Social Services Administration program policies, procedures, rules and regulations;

Participates in the annual program planning and evaluation process;

Coordinates systems of service delivery within the agency and with other public and private agencies and groups;

May act as a Family Service Specialist in a decentralized district operation of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services;

May act as a Policy Specialist with state-wide responsibility for developing and interpreting policies, rules and regulations for assigned social service programs;

May act as a Regional Representative providing technical supervision and administrative review services to local county departments of social services;

May act as a Program Specialist in the Baltimore City Department of Social Services developing, monitoring and reviewing programs, policies and procedures on a city-wide basis;

May assess staff training needs and arrange or provide training as needed;

May assist in the preparation of local departmental budgets;

May attend and participate in social work standard setting committees and professional social work organizations;

May observe and investigate living conditions and quality of services given children in institutions and agencies;

May supervise, professional, paraprofessional, clerical and other support staff;

May train subordinate professional, paraprofessional, clerical and other support staff;

Performs other related duties.

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions.  Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated as Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.