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APPLICATION DEADLINE: 8/7/2025
The Child and Family Services Division of the Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking a Foster Care Social Worker. This position will work with mental health, education, legal, medical, and other human services professionals, with responsibility for assuring coordination and effectiveness of comprehensive services to children and families needing foster care and adoption services. This is a professional position in an integrated team, providing the full range of services in foster care to a culturally and ethnically diverse population.
Specific duties include:
• Serving in a leadership role as case manager, in planning, organizing, and coordinating service delivery by professionals representing a variety of disciplines;
• Overseeing and supporting permanency planning goals for children including: return home, placement with relatives, and adoption to include conducting relative, kin and resource family searches to identify resources for adoptive placement;
• Supporting resource families to maintain placements and help children work toward permanency;
• Assessing the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral function of children and families;
• Developing and implementing psychosocial case plans which integrate systemic, medical, and social-ecological treatment approaches, and incorporates concurrent planning;
• Ensuring provision of services including medical, psychological, education and social supports to include referrals to appropriate community resources;
• Complying with all mandates for service delivery including court reviews, record documentation (OASIS), and administrative requirements throughout the foster care and adoption process;
• Facilitating connections with birth families and other relatives through visitation and on-going contacts;
• Participating in family team meetings, “Bridging the Gap” services, and other multi-disciplinary team meetings to facilitate service delivery;
• Providing coverage after hours and on weekends, on an on-call basis, for emergencies involving abuse or neglect of children and adolescents, and for situations requiring immediate attention regarding children in the legal custody of the Department of Human Services; and
• Presenting and consulting community outreach for the purpose of educating resource families and the community on the needs of children awaiting services.
The ideal candidate will possess knowledge or experience in one or more of the following:
• Principles of child welfare practice
• Analytical Thinking
• Effective Written and Verbal Communication
• Adaptability and Learning Agility
Arlington County DHS is committed to delivering client services in an effective, equitable, respectful, and trauma-informed manner. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring our clients are approached, engaged and cared for in ways that demonstrate competency, sensitivity and awareness of factors which impact the client experience. This includes but is not limited to: cultural identity, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, religious/spiritual ascription, physical capability, cognitive and literacy levels, sexual orientation, and linguistic needs.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Minimum: This position may be filled at either the full-performance or trainee level depending on qualifications.
Trainee Level:
• Master's Degree in Human Services, Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, Child Development, Family Therapy or other directly related clinical discipline; and
• Practicum prior to graduation involving diagnostic, treatment, and case management services.
Full Performance Level
• Master's Degree in Human Services, Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, Child Development, Family Therapy or other directly related clinical discipline;
• Practicum prior to graduation involving diagnostic, treatment, and case management services; and
• Two years of post-Master's degree experience providing professional clinical human services, which included the application of diagnostic, treatment, and case management services.
Substitution: Directly related higher level clinical degrees may substitute for the Master's Degree education requirement and 1 year of experience.
Desirables: Preference may be given to candidates with experience in one or more of the following:
• Group facilitation for family decision making or family team meetings;
• Engaging families in clinical services to include individual/family therapy;
• Court system; and/or
• Virginia licensed or license eligible as a clinical social worker.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Applicant must possess or obtain by the time of appointment, a valid motor vehicle operator's license from the applicant's place of residence or the applicant must have the ability and willingness to use alternative methods of transportation to perform assigned duties and responsibilities at locations other than the primary worksite. The applicant must authorize Arlington County to obtain, or the applicant must provide, a copy of the applicant's official state/district driving record. Any offer of employment may be contingent upon a favorable review of the applicant's driving record.
A background check is required and may include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit check and may require signing a release authorizing the County to obtain this information. The position will require travel around Arlington County. Applicant must possess or obtain by the time the appointment a valid Driver's license from the applicant's place of resident or be willing to use alternative modes of transportation.
A pre-hire background check and State of Virginia Child Welfare and Neglect Central Registry will be required.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Work hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. After hours and weekend emergency on-call coverage for approximately one week every 5 weeks will be required. Some telework may be available, contingent upon workload and supervisor approval.
The official title of this position is Human Services Clinician II.
Trainee: This position may be filled at either the full performance level or trainee level. If a trainee is hired, depending on qualifications, a training period will be established to last no longer than the equivalent of two years. At the end of the training period, employee must meet experience, training and proficiency requirements for the journey level position. Once the candidate qualifies, the probationary period will begin.
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