Protective Services Specialist Sitka; PCN

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.

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 Sitka, Alaska. The position is open to Alaska Residents.

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 is based out of the Sitka Field Office and travel as needed for coverage to the Southeast Regional Field Office locations which consist of Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, or Craig. Responsibilities include investigating reports of child abuse and/or neglect, preparing plans for intervention, soliciting the cooperation of the family and others, gathering information about family dynamics, developing plans to ensure child safety, assisting parents in addressing protective factors, placing children with a relative or licensed foster home when applicable, providing ongoing and/or in-home services to families, writing and submitting reports to Court, working closely with Tribal/Community Partners, maintaining frequent contact with parents and caregivers, and making referrals to other service providers and agencies.

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.

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 Insurance Benefits, Retirement Benefits, Paid Leave, and twelve paid holidays per year.

This position is a region-wide position that covers Family Services and Initial Investigations as needed, typical in remote Southeast Alaska locations. The Southeast Regional Field Offices consist of Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, and Craig. The Sitka OCS Field Office is located in Sitka on Baranoff Island. The Sitka OCS office is proud to partner with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska in order to provide services which have been nationally recognized.

Travel to these cities throughout Alaska may be required. The work we perform is critical and significantly impacts the communities we serve. As a result, the Office of Children's Services works on evenings and weekends as well as weekdays, so overtime and on-call work are expectations of our workers.

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.
• Self-Management
  :
  Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative and commitment toward completing assignments in a timely manner.
• Decision Making
  :
  Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions.
• Advocacy
  :
  Develops and presents the client’s interests in all matters.
• Teamwork
  :
  Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; works with others to achieve goals.

The job class uses competency based minimum qualifications. Please ensure your application supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the…