Protective Services Specialist Ketchikan; PCN

Overview

Come join the State of Alaska! This job class uses Competency Based minimum qualifications (MQs). The Department of Family and Community Services, Office of Children's Services (OCS) is recruiting for full-time Protective Service Specialist 1/2/3 in Ketchikan, Alaska. This position is open to Alaska Residents only.

As a Protective Service 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 involves investigating reports of child abuse and/or neglect, developing intervention plans with family cooperation, gathering information about family dynamics, ensuring child safety while assisting parents in addressing protective factors, potentially placing children with relatives or licensed foster homes when applicable, providing ongoing and/or in-home services to families, writing and submitting reports to Court, working with Tribal/Community Partners, frequent face-to-face and telephonic contact with parents and caregivers of children in custody, and making referrals to other service providers and agencies.

For more information: OCS Practice Model

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 contribute to building a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully.

Everything we do is underpinned by our Core Values.

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 may be 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.

This position is in Ketchikan, Alaska. Staff are considered essential and may be required to work after hours, on-call hours, through pandemics/natural disasters, and all holidays that land on their rotational work week. Travel varies based on casework or regional needs (0-2 times per month or per year). Travel to outlying areas may involve small aircraft. For information on the Ketchikan community, review the Alaska Community Profiles.

The work we perform is critical and significantly impacts the communities we serve. OCS works evenings and weekends as well as weekdays, so overtime and on-call work are expectations.

We value a strong work ethic, high ethical standards, dignity and respect for all people, and a positive, collaborative work environment.

We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position-specific competencies:

• Stress Tolerance
  :
  Deals calmly and effectively with high-stress situations (for example, tight deadlines, hostile individuals, emergency or dangerous situations).
• Self-Management
  :
  Sets well-defined goals; demonstrates initiative and commitment; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; shows responsible behavior.
• Decision Making
  :
  Makes sound decisions; considers impact; takes action to accomplish goals; fosters change.
• Advocacy
  :
  Develops and presents the client’s interests in all matters.
• Teamwork
  :
  Encourages cooperation, trust, and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.

If you can imagine yourself in this…