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Social Services Specialist III - Mental Health Specialist (Nutrition Unit)

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

 


This position, within the Nutrition Unit of the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging in the Adult & Aging Division. Ensures resources, advocacy, safety and well-being of older adults, adults with disabilities and caregivers are addressed. To ensure that the division can carry out its purpose and meet the agency’s responsibilities related to advocacy, protection and well-being, related work duties and responsibilities within the job class may be moved or reassigned.

Duties and responsibilities include:
 

  • Provides case management services and a variety of professional treatment services to homebound adults and adults with disabilities and family caregivers and performs tasks independently to advocate, protect and provide resources to this population as articulated by local, state, and federal policies and laws.
  • Completes comprehensive assessments of clients using the Virginia Uniform Assessment (UAI to establish nutritional support services through the Home Delivered Meals (HDM) program in compliance with local, state, and federal policies and procedures.
  • Assists with coordinating health and education information materials provided to clients.
  • Coordinates the ordering, distribution, and data collection of emergency meals for HDM clients.
  • Facilitates ordering, distribution, and data collection of liquid nutrition program.
  • Uses automated technology to maintain client data, case records, correspondence, and archival of records.
  • Responsible for the facilitation of program data collection.
  • Provides presentations and training to staff and community groups.
  • Participates in agency, division, unit, and vendor meetings, as necessary.
  • Manages competing priorities and responds effectively to crisis situations.
  • Supervises the unit and performs duties of the Social Services Supervisor as backup, as needed.
  • Provides support, case management, and consultation for complex Nutrition cases involving mental health.
  • Supports supervisors by staffing challenging cases with SSSIIs and SSSIIIs in the Nutrition unit to recommend interventions.
  • Collaborates with other service professionals and participates in Interdisciplinary team meetings as appropriate.

 

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position job description.)

Assists the supervisor in planning and carrying out training for new staff, providing guidance to staff. May directly supervise staff, and covers for the supervisor in their absence;
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 and assists families and individuals in obtaining services (e.g., mental health, intellectual disability, alcohol and drug, housing referrals, home based services, training and medical services);
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;
Uses automated technology and hard copy files to maintain and update case data, notes, documents, records, contacts and summaries of information;

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of social work;
Thorough knowledge of current social service problems and methods/approaches to address issues;
Thorough knowledge of regulations and guidelines relating to the assigned area of social service specialization;
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 schedule and manage workload sufficiently to meet deadlines;
Ability to provide guidance, direction, supervision and coaching to less-experienced staff;

 

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree, plus three years of professional social work experience. A master's degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

Contingent upon the area of assignment, some positions within this class may require specific certification(s) prior to employment and/or the ability to acquire necessary certification(s) within a specified time period following employment. The certifications are identified in the position description and employment advertisement.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Valid driver's license.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background, a driving record check, and a Child Protective Services check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Master’s in Social Work (MSW).
  • Two years of professional social work experience working with older adults and/or adults with disabilities
  • One year of professional social work experience working with clients experiencing mental health issues.


PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Ability to use automated technology.
  • Sufficiently mobile to travel throughout the Northern VA region to include facilities and locations not accessible by public transportation to make presentations, conduct investigations and attend meetings and events outside the office.
  • Job requires walking, standing, sitting (for long periods of time), kneeling, reaching, bending, climbing stairs; uses hands to grasp, handle, or feel.
  • Visual acuity is required to read data on a computer monitor; ability to operate keyboard driven equipment and computer.
  • Employee may be required to lift or carry up to 25 lbs. occasionally.
  • All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodation.


SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include a practical exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) 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. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.