Family Safety Practitioner II - Adult Protective Services

Salary : $67,425.90 - $112,377.41 Annually
Location : FAIRFAX (EJ27), VA
Job Type: FT Salary W BN
Job Number: 25-00564
Department: Family Services
Opening Date: 03/08/2025
Closing Date: 3/21/2025 11:59 PM Eastern
Pay Grade: S24
Posting Type: Open to General Public

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

Make a difference in our community by protecting older adults and adults with disabilities from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Work with a team of dedicated professionals to stabilize emergency situations and coordinate with community organizations as needed to implement services to improve the quality of life of older adults and adults with disabilities. Use your expertise and compassion to positively change people's lives.

This is an exciting time to join Fairfax County Government as we shape racial and social equity policies in the county through the One Fairfax Policy. Using this framework, we intentionally consider equity when making policies or delivering programs and services. To learn more, we highly encourage you to watch the Becoming One Fairfax-An Introduction to Key Concepts video by clicking here and visit the One Fairfax webpage

About this position: Under supervision, this position works as part of a comprehensive Adult Protective Services program. Many of the duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Conducts investigations in response to reports of abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation involving older adults and incapacitated adults in their own homes, community, and facility settings.
• May coordinate contracts related work to perform APS services with the assistance of the Supervisor and Program Manager and manage a county credit card for emergency expenditures. The contract work may be related to Home Base Care services.
• Assesses the need and extent of protective services required and in collaboration with the client, their support systems, and other public and private service providers, arranges for the necessary services to prevent/ameliorate the abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
• Responds to emergency cases to stabilize the situation.
• Attends court hearings and provides professional testimony.
• Coordinates the daily activities of team to include staff supervision support.
• Provides limited oversight of administrative functions/requirements associated with quality assurance and evaluation of the program for its impact/effectiveness and making recommendations for changes or improvements.
• Serves as a consultant, trainer, and policy expert for division social workers and staff from other agencies.
• Serves as a resource and member of interdisciplinary teams and work groups.
• Makes public presentations to promote community awareness of services available to prevent and address abuse, neglect, and /or exploitation.

Illustrative Duties:

• Conducts comprehensive clinical assessments and prepares and implements service plans;
• Works with clients to develop a plan of service to meet social, health, emotional and economic needs. With the client, formulates objectives and identifies actions to resolve the clients' problems;
• Advocates for and assists families and individuals in obtaining services (e.g., mental health, intellectual disability, alcohol and drug, housing referrals, financial assistance for basic needs, home based services, training and medical services);
• Works with the community to identify families and individuals needing social services and coordinates these services using a wrap-around approach;
• Investigates complaints of alleged abuse or neglect, and in consultation with supervisor, makes assessment of risks posed to clients in accordance with state and local policies, and works to ensure risks are eliminated or minimized;
• Provides crisis intervention on a timely basis to clients or families whose well being are seriously and imminently threatened, to include Adult Protective Services after-hours;
• Represents the agency in court proceedings and prepares testimony and testifies in Circuit, Criminal, Civil and Federal Courts;
• 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 community education on a variety of social work topics;
• Assesses and authorizes purchase of social services to qualifying clients that will help to meet their social, health, emotional and economic needs;
• Conducts home visits to families for the purpose of monitoring, counseling and supervision;
• Recruits, develops, trains, and monitors individual service providers. Recruits volunteers and manages volunteer services;
• Uses automated technology and hard copy files to maintain and update case data, notes,
  documents, records, contacts and summaries of information. Maintains case notes, documents and records, enters and updates case load data, contacts and summaries of information;
• Prepares and provides reports on casework;
• Performs or reviews initial assessment of client's presenting need and conducts additional assessment as necessary to develop a coordinated service plan that establishes goals, tasks, and time frames with appropriate county and community-based service providers;
• Addresses, and if necessary diffuses, initial crisis situation with clients, assesses safety issues and refers clients to emergency services as needed (e.g., mental health services, child protective services, adult protective services, women's shelter, homeless shelter);
• Demonstrates expertise in community service resources to identify, classify and describe services that address a broad array of client service needs-collaborates with service delivery professionals from all disciplines to identify service resource information requirements-translates those requirements into an automated catalog of resources necessary for client referrals and the development of client service plans;
• Negotiates, facilitates, and coordinates the creative use of limited community-based service alternatives and assists staff from other county human service agencies in creative use of community resources;
• Consults with community-based organizations (CBO) staff on resources and service strategies that support service area work with individuals and families.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of social work;
• Knowledge of current social service problems and methods/approaches to address issues;
• Knowledge of regulations and guidelines relating to the assigned area of social service specialization;
• 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.

All Fairfax County Government employees are expected to adhere to the Standards of Conduct. In maintaining a drug free workplace, employees are prohibited from manufacturing, distributing, possessing, using or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while at work or on county premises.
Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or a related field*; plus, two years of experience in social work, psychology, sociology, or a *related experience. A master's degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience. *For Virginia Child Welfare Stipend Program Graduates: A master's degree in social work, plus and eligible practicum in child welfare may be substituted for two years of the required experience.

*A related field/experience is based solely on the position description.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Valid driver's license.
Positions within this class are required to complete the state mandated training in the functional area within a specified time period.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to the position must satisfactorily complete a criminal background check, driving record check, and a Child Protective Services check.

This position is considered essential personnel and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Masters in social work
• Experience in working with older adults and/or adults with disabilities.
• Adult protective services experience
• Experience in working with diverse multicultural populations.
• Previous work experience with a public, state, or local social services agency

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Work requires performing administrative tasks to support the general work of advocacy, well-being and protection for older adults and adults with disabilities.
Job requires walking, standing, sitting (for long periods of time), kneeling, reaching, bending, climbing stairs; uses hands to grasp, handle, or feel
Ability to read data on a computer monitor/screen
Ability to operate keyboard driven equipment
Ability to enter, retrieve, and use computer data in the execution of job duties
Ability to operate a motor vehicle
Sufficiently mobile to work with clients, service providers, and community groups outside the office
Ability to lift and carry 15 lbs.
Ability to work effectively in a variety of work environments
Ability to access locations not accessible via public transportation.
All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview; may include practical exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home () 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. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.

#LI-RS1
NA
01

What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

• Less than 12th grade
• High school diploma or GED
• Some college
• Associate's degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Doctorate degree

02

Please indicate all major(s) or minor(s) for your completed degree(s). Check all that apply.

• Psychology
• Social work
• Sociology
• Counseling
• Human services
• Other (related)
• Other (non-related)
• None of the above

03

If you answered "Other (related field)" or "Other (non-related field)" for the previous question, please list all of your completed majors and minors. If this question does not pertain to you, or you do not have a degree, enter "Not applicable."
04

If you answered "Some college" for the highest level of education completed, please indicate the number of quarter or semester hours you have completed towards a degree.

• Less than 45 quarter hours
• 45 to less than 90 quarter hours
• 90 to less than 135 quarter hours
• 135 to less than 180 quarter hours
• 180 or more quarter hours
• Less than 30 semester hours
• 30 to less than 60 semester hours
• 60 to less than 90 semester hours
• 90 to less than 120 semester hours
• 120 or more semester hours
• Not applicable

05

Are you a Virginia Child Welfare Stipend Program Graduate?

• Yes
• No

06

How many years of full-time equivalent professional social work, psychology, sociology, or related experience do you have?Note: "Social Work" is defined as an academic discipline and profession that concerns itself with individuals, families, groups and communities in an effort to enhance social functioning and overall well-being.

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight or more years

07

Do you currently possess a valid driver's license?

• Yes
• No

08

Which of the following are included in your professional social services work experience? Check all that apply.

• Adult protective services
• Alcohol and drug services
• Child protective services
• Children and families
• Domestic violence
• Education
• Foster care
• Housing
• Homeless shelters
• Intellectual disabilities
• Mental health
• Older adults
• Physical disabilities
• None of the above

09

How many years of full-time equivalent professional case management experience do you have?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

10

How many years of full-time equivalent professional experience do you have conducting home visits?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

Required Question