Placement Coordinator Social Service Specialist ; SSS- Spokane

Overview

Our vision is to ensure that “Washington state’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy—thriving physically, emotionally, and academically, nurtured by family and community."

Job Title: Placement Coordinator Social Service Specialist 3 (SSS3)

Location: Spokane, WA. This is a hybrid position with three telework days and two in-office days per week. This telework schedule is subject to change to meet business needs. This position serves all offices in Region 1. For a detailed view of DCYF s regional boundaries, please review the regional information.

Closes: 1/31/26

Salary: $5666 - $7622 monthly

The primary function of this position is to determine if children are safe with their families and caregivers, intervene to protect children who are not safe, and develop a case plan with the family and caregivers to remedy the situation. You will assess and plan to ensure timely permanency outcomes for all children on your caseload, including reunification, adoption, guardianship, and third-party custody plans.

• Placement coordination and placement entry.
• Apply child welfare practice, principles, law, rules, and policy in assessing and placing children.
• Maintain thorough knowledge and excellent working relationships with foster parents, placement agencies, other placement coordinators, and office staff.
• Prepare required documents for placement and respite.
• Keep track of placements and respite through approved electronic documents.
• Provide ongoing assessment of risk.
• Assist in the development of strength-based and client-involved plans to address areas of need.
• Assist with evaluating the progress of children via communication with foster care placements and relay information to the social worker for action.
• Document case activities and maintain case records within FAMLINK for child placement and child/family services.

Social Service Specialist 3:

• Six (6) years of paid social service experience and 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline, and 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline. OR
• Bachelor’s degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or any degree with 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline and two (2) years of paid social service experience. OR
• Master's degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or any degree including 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Service discipline and one (1) year of paid social service experience. OR
• One (1) year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 2. AND
• The ability to take action to learn and grow. The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

* Paid social service experience must include at least one year of assessing risk and safety to children and providing direct family-centered practice services.

• Ability to competently evaluate, analyze, and assess the risk and safety of children and implement appropriate procedures using the agency s risk and safety assessment tools.
• Ability to interpret and apply current laws, rules, and policies on the delivery of child protective and child welfare services.
• Ability to partner with community partners and professionals to develop and maintain resource teams to support children and families.
• Ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with a child s caregiver (parents, foster parents, relatives, kin, or facility staff).
• Competent computer skills, including typing and basic programs such as Word and Excel.
• Ability to learn the agency s software programs.
• Proficiency in using email calendar and meeting functions.

As a Social Service Specialist, you are required to successfully complete a mandatory 9.5-week Worker Core Training (WCT). This training provides foundational knowledge and skills, including assessing risk and safety, supporting child well-being, gathering information, and conducting case and permanency planning. Training includes practice through classroom activities, simulations, and debriefs. You will be assigned…