Foster Care Social Worker (Bilingual) (Trainee Eligible)

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 Child and Family Services Division of the Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking a Foster Care Social Worker. 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.

Major Job Duties:

• Serving in a lead case management role to plan, coordinate, and oversee service delivery for children and families involved in foster care and adoption services in collaboration with mental health, education, legal, medical, and other human services professionals;
• Supporting permanency planning goals, including reunification, relative placement, and adoption, by conducting relative, kin, and resource family searches and coordinating placement resources;
• Securing, supervising, and supporting foster and adoptive placements, including assessing prospective foster and adoptive homes, providing post-placement supervision, and supporting resource families to maintain stable placements;
• Assessing the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning of children and families and developing and implementing psychosocial case plans that incorporate systemic, medical, social-ecological, and concurrent planning approaches;
• Ensuring provision and coordination of medical, psychological, educational, and social support services through referrals and collaboration with community resources and multidisciplinary teams;
• Facilitating connections between children, birth families, and relatives through visitation, ongoing contact, family team meetings, and other supportive services;
• Completing monthly visits with children, providing crisis intervention services, and participating in after-hours and weekend on-call coverage for emergencies involving abuse, neglect, or children in the legal custody of the Department of Human Services;
• Maintaining compliance with court reviews, OASIS documentation requirements, and other administrative and regulatory mandates throughout the foster care and adoption process; and
• Participating in community outreach, presentations, consultations, and educational efforts to support resource families and increase awareness of the needs of children awaiting placement.

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.

Minimum Qualifications: 

Trainee:

• Master's Degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or other directly related clinical discipline, all of which required a clinical practicum involving diagnostic, treatment, and case management services; and
• Bilingual (English/Spanish).

Full Performance:

• Master’s Degree as above;
• Two years of post-Master’s degree experience providing professional clinical social work services, one year of which should include experience in a child welfare setting (foster care, adoption, child protective services); and
• Bilingual (English/Spanish).

Substitution(s): Directly related higher level clinical degrees may substitute for the Master's Degree education requirement and 1 year of experience.

Desirable Qualifications: Preference may be given to applicants with experience in one or more of the following:

• Providing direct services to children and families involved with child welfare; and/or
• Supporting and promoting an inclusive and diverse environment.

Special Requirements

Background Check: A pre-employment criminal records check will be conducted. It will include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history. You will be required to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain your background information.

Driver's License: Applicant must possess, or obtain by time of appointment, a valid driver’s license, and must provide or authorize Arlingt