Job Description

Title: Program Consultant “Safety Navigator” (Div. of Child Support Enforcement) – RE043

State Role Title: Prog Admin Specialist II

Hiring Range: $60,000-$67,000 (salary commensurate with experience)

Pay Band: 5

Agency: Department of Social Services

Location: DSS HOME OFFICE

Agency Website:

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

At the Virginia Department of Social Services, we put people at the center of everything we do. We believe that every Virginian can live a life of dignity and that all voices, ideas, and experiences contribute greatly to our pursuit of excellence. Inspired by continuous improvement, we commit ourselves to listening, learning, and cultivating environments of trust, respect, and positive engagement. Together, we are mission-driven, eager to achieve, and passionate about bringing the best of who we are to those we serve.

We design and deliver high-quality human services that help Virginians achieve safety, independence, and overall well-being. We are a $2 billion agency – one of the largest in the Commonwealth of Virginia – partnering with 120 local departments of social services and 31 community action agencies, along with faith-based and non-profit organizations, to promote the well-being of children, adults, and families statewide. We proudly serve alongside 1,650 (state) and 12,200 (local) human services professionals throughout the Social Services System, who ensure that thousands of Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens have easy access to the services and benefits available to them.

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) engages families for success. Its Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) manages nearly 246,000 cases to ensure that child support payments of $598 million per year reach families across the Commonwealth. Support Enforcement Specialists establish and sustain helping relationships with parents who have payment obligations as well as parents who depend on those payments. Virginia’s children need both financial and family support to grow and thrive. Children with actively involved parents perform better in school, have high self-confidence, and generally achieve greater success in life.

DCSE’s mission is to promote strong, self-reliant families by delivering child support enforcement services, as provided by law, through the location of noncustodial parents, establishment of orders, enforcement of orders, collection of child support, and distribution of child support.

The Program Consultant – Safety Navigator serves as the division's lead functional specialist for child support cases involving domestic violence (DV), safety risks, and heightened confidentiality. The position engages parents for success by ensuring that survivors of domestic violence can safely access and maintain child support services that support the stability and well-being of their families. As a member of the Safety Navigator Program, the position provides advanced case management on complex DV-impacted cases, applying specialized knowledge of safety protocols, protective orders, enforcement considerations, and trauma-informed practices. The position analyzes case circumstances, determines appropriate administrative or judicial actions within established policies, and ensures that all casework complies with federal and state requirements. The position supports district teams by offering consultation on DV-related case actions, reviewing documentation for accuracy and safety, conducting safety-focused compliance reviews, and serving as a resource when safety questions arise. The position may assist with sensitive case preparation, coordinate with courts and community partners, and help influence non-custodial parents toward compliance when safety factors are present. Through advanced casework, team support, and the application of safety-centered procedures, the Program Consultant – Safety Navigator ensures that child support cases involving domestic violence are handled with accuracy, timeliness, and a focus on family safety and well-being. The position will provide direct support to Home Office and Field Operations.

Note: This is a full-time, restricted federal grant-funded position set to expire on 8/31/2027. The continuation of this position is contingent upon the availability of grant funds.

Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience providing guidance and technical assistance to colleagues or staff on complex case matters, including coaching on proper procedures, documentation standards, or safety protocols.
• Demonstrated experience engaging directly with individuals in crisis, trauma, or conflict within a human services or child support setting, with the ability to de-escalate and navigate sensitive situations professionally.
• Demonstrated experience independently managing a caseload of complex or high-priority cases, balancing competing deadlines while maintaining accurate documentation and timely case actions.
• Demonstrated experience gathering and reviewing case records, interviewing parents and involved parties, analyzing case circumstances, and determining appropriate administrative or judicial actions to achieve results.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including experience preparing case documentation for court or administrative proceedings and clearly explaining child support processes to parents, community partners, and staff.
• Skill in using a personal computer, automated information systems, remote-access tools, email, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Demonstrated experience applying trauma-informed practices and domestic violence safety principles in a case management or human services setting, including working with protective orders, safety planning, and confidentiality requirements.

Additional Considerations

• Knowledge of Child Support Enforcement program services.
• Direct experience managing child support cases involving domestic violence, including applying safety protocols, maintaining heightened confidentiality, and coordinating safe case progression for survivors.
• Experience serving as a resource or subject matter expert for staff on DV-impacted cases, safety procedures, or child support program requirements.
• Experience preparing legal documents, reviewing case materials for accuracy and compliance, and supporting court or administrative proceedings.
• Experience collaborating with domestic violence service providers, community partners, law enforcement, or courts to support safe and appropriate case actions.
• Experience gathering, organizing, and evaluating client or case documentation to support decision-making and maintain accurate case records.
• Direct experience working with survivors of domestic violence in a case management, advocacy, or human services capacity, with sensitivity to safety planning and trauma-informed engagement.
• Experience working in federal grant-funded projects.

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

To be considered for this position, you must submit a Commonwealth of Virginia application or resume through the on-line “Virginia Jobs” (RMS) employment site no later than 11:55 p.m. on the closing date listed. Each application is reviewed for documentation that shows the applicant meets the minimum and additional qualifications stated in the job announcement. The decision to interview an applicant is based on the information provided. This website will provide confirmation of receipt when the application is submitted for consideration. Please refer to your RMS account for the status of your application and this position. Multiple positions may be filled from recruitment.

Please be advised that this position may be approved to work onsite for two days per week and work remotely for three days per week.
VDSS values the service and experience of our Veterans. As such, Veterans are encouraged to apply and receive preference in the hiring process. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps and other national service alumni also are encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodations are available to applicants, if requested, during the application and/or interview process.

Virginia Department of Social Services does not provide sponsorship.

The Virginia Department of Social Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages diversity within its workforce.

We are a “Virginia Values Veterans” (V3) official certified company and state agency that provides hiring preference to Veterans and Members of the Virginia National Guard in support of Executive Order 29, (2010). If you are a Veteran or Virginia National Guard Member, we urge you to respond accordingly on your state application or resume. Minorities, Individuals with disabilities, Veterans and people with National Service experience are encouraged to apply. For more information about our employment practices, please visit our “Vision, Mission and Strategic Plan”. Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment within 90 days of the closing date.

In addition to a rewarding work experience, VDSS offers excellent health and life insurance benefits, pre-tax spending accounts, state funded Short and Long Term Disability, paid holidays, vacation, tuition assistance, free wellness programs, and a state retirement plan with options for tax-deferred retirement savings including employer matching – Employee Benefits.

If you have been affected by Policy 1.30 Layoff as a state employee and possess a valid Interagency Placement Screening Form (Yellow Form) or a Preferential Hiring Card (Blue Card), you must submit this document through the “Virginia Jobs” (RMS) employment site when you apply.

Selected candidate(s) must successfully pass a fingerprint-based criminal history background check. A record of criminal history does not automatically bar an applicant from consideration. Employment verification will be conducted to include current/previous supervisory employment reference checks.

VDSS will record information from each new employee’s Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) into the Federal E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

Selected candidate may be required to assist the agency or state government generally in the event of an emergency declaration by the Governor.

Contact Information

Name: VA Dept. of Social Services, Div. of Human Resources

Phone: dssrecruitment@dss.virginia.gov

Email: dssrecruitment@dss.virginia.gov

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.