ADRC Human Services Specialist

Important Notice: Arlington County requires all applicants to thoroughly complete each section of the application, including prior job responsibilities, duties, and supplemental questions. While you may attach a resume, it will not replace a completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) Aging and Disability Services Division (ADSD) is hiring a Human Services Specialist for the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) within the Agency on Aging (AAA), a program that strives to ensure older adults live as an integral part of society with dignity and access to programs and services that meet their needs and preferences. The ADRC is the Division's No Wrong Door entry point for Arlington residents aged 60 and older, persons with disabilities and caregivers who are seeking information, referrals, and emergency assistance. Many of these customers have complex needs and seek critical supports such as emergency financial assistance to prevent evictions or utility shut-off. The Human Service Specialists provide short-term case management and support to connect these residents to long-term services and supports that allow them to effectively age in the community.  

Specific duties include:  

• Conducting intake by phone, email or in-person walk-ins to the ADRC seeking long-term services and support or emergency assistance;  
• Completing initial assessment and reassessment of aging services and AAA programs;
• Utilizing information from comprehensive assessments to determine potential need for resources and services and assessing the individual needs and strengths of older adults and designing activities accordingly to meet their needs;
• Performing short term case management to connect the client to the needed/requested services;  
• Supporting the Benefits Enrollments center at outreach events and completing benefits check ups;
• Documenting all interactions in the No Wrong Door System of Record (Peer Place);
• Recording clients' progress and maintaining a record-keeping system; and
• Serving as an active member of the ADRC team and seeking advice and direction in consultations with clinical staff for complex cases and situations.

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 including but not limited to: cultural identity, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, religious/spiritual ascription, physical capability, cognitive and literacy levels, sexual orientation, and linguistic needs.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Interpersonal skills to persuade or manage others and to resolve complaints; and/or 
• Problem solving skills to gather relevant information to solve vaguely defined practical problems.  

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Health, or Counseling. A Master’s Degree is preferred.

Experience: Some experience in human services/social services program delivery including teaching/applying behavior management techniques, counseling, training/teaching, and/or making human services/social services referrals.  

Desirables: Preference may be given to candidates with experience or knowledge in one or more of the following:

• Working in an Aging and Disability Resource Center providing support and social work services to older adults and persons with disabilities who choose to live independently and age-in-place;  
• Documenting client encounters in an electronic record keeping system, with a No Wrong Door system of record and/or Peer Place electronic database;
• Working with individuals from diverse cultural/ethnic backgrounds;  
• Coordination and delivery of services through an integrated service model and throughout the range of service intensity in the continuum of care; and/or
• Bilingual in Spanish, Korean, Amharic, or Vietnamese.

Special Requirements:  

The applicant must possess, or obtain by the time of appointment, a valid motor vehicle operator's license or the applicant must have the ability or 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 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 t