Job Opportunities in United States

JOB
This position is open to All Applicants. The Department of Family and Community Services,Office of Children's Services (OCS) is recruiting for full-time Protective Service Specialist 1/2located in Wasilla, Alaska.This position will be filled at either the 1 or 2 level depending on the applicant's qualifications and job experience.It is recommended that you apply for all levels if you are qualified.Protective Services Specialist 1: $27.67/hourly Protective Services Specialist 2: $31.83/hourly What You Will Be Doing: 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 a Generalist covering both. This case-carrying positions offer a 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.A PSS will develop plans to ensure child safety while assisting parents in addressing their protective factors by placing children with a relative or licensed foster home when applicable, provide ongoing and/or in-home services to families, write and submit reports to the Court, work closely with Tribal/Community Partners, make frequent face-to-face and telephonic contact with parents and caregivers of children in custody, and send referrals to other service providers and agencies.For more information: OCS Practice Model.Our Organization, Mission, and 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 and 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 eleven paid holidays per year. Please see the benefits tab on this posting for more information.Working Environment You Can Expect: This position is located in the Wasilla Field office. 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. These positions will either be in the Investigations & Assessment Unit or the Family Services Unit depending on the need for each unit.Starting as a level 1 or 2 will be dependent on the experience and qualification of the selected candidate. OCS Staff are considered essential, so are expected to work during pandemic and other natural disasters.Who We Are Looking For: We are seeking a candidate with the following desired competencies: Decision Making: Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.Self-Management: Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.Advocacy: Develops and presents the client’s, patient’s, and/or customer’s interests in all matters.Teamwork: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.Stress Tolerance: Deals calmly and effectively with high stress situations (for example, tight deadlines, hostile individuals, emergency situations, dangerous situations).Special Note: All positions require a valid Alaska driver's license and successful completion of a background investigation, including fingerprinting and a criminal records check.Additionally, while the Division does have vehicles assigned to it, they may not always be available for staff use. Mileage reimbursement is available when a personal vehicle is used for work-related matters. Current automotive insurance must be in place prior to use of a personal vehicle while conducting business on behalf of the State.Relocation reimbursement costs may be provided by the State of Alaska.For positions in this job class, a child protective history check will be performed per AS 12.62.160 and/or 13 AAC 68.315 including a background and fingerprint check.The successful candidate may be required to attend multiple training courses normally located in Anchorage.A cover letter is NOT required for this position. Your complete application, including supplemental questions, will be used to determine which applicants will advance to the interview phase of the recruitment and selection process.To view the general description and example of duties for a Protective Services Specialist 1/2, please visit following link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
PROTECTIVE SERVICES SPECIALIST 1:Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in: Analytical Thinking/Problem Solving: Uses a logical, systematic, and sequential approach to address problems or opportunities or manage a situation by drawing on one’s knowledge and experience base and calling on other references and resources as necessary.Customer Service: Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside State government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.Integrity/Honesty: Contributes to maintaining the integrity of the organization; displays high standards of ethical conduct and understands the impact of violating these standards on an organization, self, and others; is trustworthy.Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.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 accredited and unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post-secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.Special Note: Some positions require a valid Alaska driver's license and/or a background investigation including fingerprinting. These requirements will be indicated at the time of recruitment.PROTECTIVE SERVICES SPECIALIST 2:Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in: Analytical Thinking/Problem Solving: Uses a logical, systematic, and sequential approach to address problems or opportunities or manage a situation by drawing on one’s knowledge and experience base and calling on other references and resources as necessary.Customer Service: Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside State government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.Integrity/Honesty: Contributes to maintaining the integrity of the organization; displays high standards of ethical conduct and understands the impact of violating these standards on an organization, self, and others; is trustworthy.Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.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.“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 accredited and unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post-secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.“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.Special Note: Some positions require a valid Alaska driver's license and/or a background investigation including fingerprinting. These requirements will be indicated at the time of recruitment.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
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 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/Online Application/User/Reset Password For specific information in reference to the position, please contact the hiring manager at: Name: Hayden Almond, Talent Acquisition Specialist Phone: 907-334-2473Email: Hayden.Almond@alaska.gov