Posting number: 54145
Department: Family & Community Services
Division: Office of Children's Services
Job classification: Protective Services Specialist 1
Posting type: Open
Categories: Community Services, Public Safety, Social Services, Human Services, Community and Social Services
**THE RECRUITMENT PERIOD FOR THIS VACANCY HAS BEEN EXTENDED**
Come join the State of Alaska!
This job class uses Competency Based minimum qualifications (MQs). Please read the
Competency Based MQ instructions below to learn more.
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The Department of Family and Community Services,
Office of Children's Services (OCS) is
recruiting for full-time Protective Services Specialist 1/2/3
in Craig or Juneau Alaska.
The position is open to Alaska Residents Only.
What You Will Be Doing
As a Protective Services Specialist (PSS), you will be responsible for Child Protection Services in the Family Services unit, the Investigations & Assessment unit, or as Generalist covering both. This position is based out of the Craig Field Office or Juneau Field Office. The Southeast Regional Field Offices consist of Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, and Craig.
If working in the Craig Field Office, incumbents would only travel as needed for coverage primarily to Craig and other communities throughout Southeast Alaska and to the Southeast Regional Field Office locations.
If working in the Juneau Field Office, incumbents in this position will typically work two weeks in the office (50%) and spend two weeks traveling (50%) each month. Travel from Craig or Juneau could range from a day trip to a full week or longer and may involve small aircraft or other forms of transportation.
Successful applicants will start at a level 1, 2 or 3 depending on experience and qualifications. This case carrying position has a wide range of duties, including investigating reports of child abuse and/or neglect, preparing plans for intervention by soliciting the cooperation of the family and others, and gathering information about family dynamics/functionality. The Protective Services Specialist will develop plans to ensure child safety while assisting parents in addressing their diminished protective factors, place children out of the home with a relative or licensed foster home when necessary, provide ongoing and/or in-home services to families, write and submit reports to the Court, work closely with Tribal/Community Partners, frequent face-to-face and telephonic contact with parents and caregivers of children in custody and make referrals to other service providers and agencies.
For more information: OCS Practice Model
Mission and Values/Culture: The Mission of the Office of Children's Services is: Ensuring the safety, permanency and well-being of children by strengthening families, engaging communities, and partnering with Tribes.
The Office of Children's Services is dedicated to a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and wellbeing are paramount. Employees all contribute to building a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully.
Everything we do is underpinned by our Core Values
Benefits of Joining Our Team
The Office of Children's Services is committed to an organizational culture that values each team member. We are committed to building and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment. We celebrate and value the diversity of our employees, partners, and families we serve.
Your first twelve months in the agency are probationary and considered a training period, with formal virtual training, on-the-job training with your supervisor, and with other colleagues.
While this is a field-based position that involves working in the community, part-time telework within the duty station is an option upon eligibility.
Full-time benefits of this position include but are not limited to: Insurance Benefits; Retirement Benefits; Paid Leave; and twelve paid holidays per year. Please see the benefits tab on this posting for more information.
The Working Environment You Can Expect:
This position is region-wide and covers Family Services and Initial Investigations or Generalist as needed, typical in remote Southeast Alaska locations. The Southeast Regional Field Offices consist of Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, and Craig.
This position is based out of the Craig Field Office or Juneau Field Office. Please select location preference in the supplemental questions of this job posting.
The Craig Field Office is located on beautiful Prince of Wales Island in the village of Craig, Alaska. Prince of Wales is a world class hunting and fishing location, with hundreds of miles of roads through stunning scenery where wildlife abounds. A vibrant culture adds to the richness of life on Prince of Wales. If working in the Craig Field Office, the incumbent in this position would only travel as needed for coverage primarily to Craig and other communities throughout Southeast Alaska and to the Southeast Regional Field Office locations. Travel to be expected is day trips and occasional overnights, 0-2 times a month or 0-2 times a year.
The Juneau Field Office is located in the heart of the Mendenhall Valley, conveniently located near shops, restaurants and the bus line. If working in the Juneau Field Office, the incumbent in this position will typically work two weeks in the office (50%) and spend two weeks traveling (50%) each month with occasional day trips and some overnights to other southeast communities.
Child protection work requires working in small villages, often located significant distances apart in isolated communities. Protective Services Specialists need to be adept at engagement in both Initial Assessment and Family Services work with families served.
The work we perform is critical and significantly impacts the communities we serve. As a result, the Office of Children's Services (OCS) requires staff to work after hours and on-call, work in the evenings and weekends as well as weekdays, so overtime is also an expectation when deemed necessary. OCS staff are considered essential, so are expected to work during pandemic and other natural disasters. Travel may be frequent or minimal. Travel varies and is based on regional needs. Travel to villages or cities for placement or visitation varies based on regional needs. Travel in outlying areas may involve small aircraft or other forms of transportation and overnight stays.
The typical workweek may include some caseworker visits at school or in resource family homes, virtual and in-person court attendance, and mostly working independently in an office setting.
Our teams are based around having a strong work ethic and high ethical standards, believing in treating all people with dignity and respect, as well as being self-motivated, organized and honest. We are all about getting the job done while still contributing to a positive, upbeat work environment.
For information on the Craig or Juneau community (including schools, hospitals, housing) please review the Alaska Community Profiles
Who We Are Looking For:
We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies:
Please ensure your application (through work history, volunteer work, training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports/demonstrates how you possess the minimum required competencies for this position and be sure to thoroughly document it in your application.
Please read the information below carefully. This applies to your application submission.
To view the general description and example of duties for the position please go to the following link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs
If you can imagine yourself in this role, we encourage you to apply!
Competency Based Minimum Qualifications Instructions
This job class uses competency based minimum qualifications. Please ensure your application (through work history, volunteer experience (duties summary), training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.
Competency Description
The competency description(s) listed below have been designed to promote a common understanding of the essential elements of the job class. They highlight the more general and customary knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), tasks, and behaviors used to describe the competency. They typically list expectations, as opposed to specific tasks, and are to be used only as parameters and guidelines. A competency’s description is not intended to exclusively define every KSA, task, and behavior needed to successfully meet the competency, but rather to provide the manager/agency with a broad reference of options as to how an applicant can meet the job expectation.
Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:
equivalent to those typically gained by
Training in a social science, behavioral science, health science, guidance and counseling, or a closely related field and/or experience providing assistance, information or referrals to the general public related to social services, health care, or legal services; in child, adult, family, or group case management, licensing, or probation services; or providing care or services to delinquent juveniles.
“Typically gained by” means the prevalent, usual method of gaining the competencies expected for entry into the job.
“Training” and “education” in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, and on-the-job), from accreditedand unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post-secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.
equivalent to those typically gained by
Training in a social science, behavioral science, health science, guidance and counseling, or a closely related field and/or progressively responsible professional experience providing assistance, information or referrals to the general public related to social services, health care, or legal services; in child, adult, family, or group case management, licensing, or probation services; or providing care or services to delinquent juveniles.
“Progressively responsible” means indicating growth and/or advancement in complexity, difficulty, or level of responsibility.
“Professional experience” means work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment.
At the time of the interview, please provide the following:
*Professional is defined as a supervisor or an individual who has direct knowledge of your work performance.
Special Note:
Supplemental Questions
For your application to be evaluated you must answer the Supplemental Questions.
The State of Alaska (SOA) uses four levels of proficiency to measure and describe an applicant's level of competence in applying certain behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities to accomplish a specific task. The proficiency levels are Mastery, Fluency, Literacy, and Discovery. You will need to rate your proficiency for each competency listed in the supplemental questions.
You must also complete the “ References” section in the application. In the reference section please provide contact details for a minimum of three (3) individuals who can attest to your work performance, technical skills, and job competencies, in which one (1) of the three (3) references must be a current or former direct supervisor.
Please be sure to check your junk folder for any messages that may be sent to you about this recruitment.
EDUCATION
To verify education being used to meet the required minimum qualifications, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials being used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position and are required with each application. (Unofficial are okay, please ensure that the institution/URL name is listed on the transcripts). Transcripts can be attached at the time of application, provided at the time of interview or if not provided, transcripts will be required prior to appointment.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements, if applicable. If utilizing this education you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. state university reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the state university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Omission of required documentation listed will result in an incomplete application and you will not receive further consideration.
WORK EXPERIENCE
When using work experience not already documented in your application, please provide the employer's name, your job title, dates of employment, and whether full-or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and minimum qualifications are clearly met. Work experience needed to meet the minimum qualifications must be documented in the application. If the application does not support minimum qualifications, the applicant may not advance to the interview and selection phase of the recruitment. A resume will not be used to determine that minimum qualifications have been met for the position in which you are applying.
If you are currently or previously been appointed to a flexibly staffed position, please ensure your work experience within a flexibly staffed position indicates the actual dates employed at each level. Ensure your time and any subsequent flex promotion(s) are documented as a separate position. This is required as there are minimum qualifications that require experience at a particular level in which the lower level may not be considered. If this information is not accurately reflected in your application this may cause the processing of your application for consideration to be delayed.
LEGAL EMPLOYMENT
The State’s online recruitment system, Workplace Alaska, requires applicants to certify that they have a legal right to accept employment in the United States. It is the responsibility of the employee to maintain the appropriate documentation to accept or continue legal employment. The State of Alaska does not function in the role as an employer sponsor.
The State of Alaska does not provide VISA Employer sponsorships.
RECRUITMENT SCOPE
This position is open to Alaska Residents only. Please check our residency definition to determine if you qualify.
MULTIPLE VACANCIES
This recruitment may be used for more than one (1) vacancy. The applicant pool acquired during this recruitment may be used for future vacancies for up to ninety (90) days after this recruitment closes. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply to each recruitment notice to ensure consideration for all vacancies.
APPLICATION NOTICE
You can ONLY apply for this position through the Workplace Alaska website or via hardcopy application. If you accessed this recruitment bulletin through a job search portal such as AlaskaJobs or any other database, you MUST use a Workplace Alaska online or hardcopy application to successfully apply. Instructions on how to apply with Workplace Alaska may be found on the Workplace Alaska "How to Apply" webpage, found here: http://doa.alaska.gov/dop/workplace/help/
NOTICE
Questions regarding the application process can be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 800-587-0430 (toll free) or (907) 465- 4095.If you choose to be contacted by email, please ensure your email address is correct on your application and that the spam filter will permit email from the 'govermentjobs.com' domains. For information on allowing emails from the 'governmentjobs.com' domains, visit the Lost Password Help page located at https://www.governmentjobs.com/OnlineApplication/User/ResetPassword
EEO STATEMENT
The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities, who require accommodation, auxiliary aides or services, or alternative communication formats, please call 1-800-587-4095 in Juneau or TTY: Alaska Relay 711 or 1-800-770-8973 or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at: P. O. Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal opportunity employer.
WORKPLACE ALASKA APPLICATION QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE
Questions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1-800-587-0430 (toll free) or (907) 465-4095 if you are located in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to recruitment.services@alaska.gov.
For applicant password assistance please visit: https://www.governmentjobs.com/OnlineApplication/User/ResetPassword
For specific information in reference to the position please contact the hiring manager:
Laureen Larsen
Talent Acquisitions Specialist
(907) 334-2457
The State of Alaska is a public sector employer taking care of a variety of needs across the great state. As an employer the State of Alaska opens up opportunities for employees to live and work in a place unlike any other.
