Protective Services Specialist 1/2

The individual in this position is responsible for Child Protection Services. Depending on the needs of the agency, this position can either be in Family Services or Investigations & Assessment, or a Generalist covering both. Starting as a level 1 or 2 is dependent on experience and qualifications. This position has a wide range of duties, including investigating reports of abuse and/or neglect, preparing plans for intervention by soliciting the cooperation of the family and others, gathering information about family dynamics/functioning, developing plans to ensure child safety while assisting parents in addressing their diminished protective factors, placing children out of the home with a relative or licensed foster home when necessary, providing ongoing and/or in-home services to families, writing and submitting reports to the Court, working closely 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 regarding the different programs within the Office of Children’s Services, please review the OCS Practice Model (Download PDF reader) posted on our website. 

The Office of Children's Services strives for a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and wellbeing are paramount and employees at all levels promote a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully.

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.

Everything we do is underpinned by our Core Values (Download PDF reader) of Hope, Integrity, Respect and Empathy.

The Office of Children's Services promotes a commitment to work-life balance and an organizational culture that values each team member. We are committed to building and sustaining an equitable and inclusive work environment where the cultural diversity of our employees and clients is celebrated and valued.

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. Hybrid telework may be considered after successful completion of the probationary period. 

We have offices throughout Alaska and applicants may ask at time of interview about the salaries and cost-of-living for individual locations. Where our vacancies may be located at any one time will change, so if you want to know where the current vacancies are located, please contact hss.ocs.pssrecruitment@alaska.gov

Depending on your selected OCS office, travel may be frequent or minimal. Travel in outlying areas may involve small aircraft and overnight stays.

For information on community or communities you are interested in (including schools, hospitals, housing) please review the Alaska Community Profiles.

The work we perform is critical, therefore the Office of Children’s Services requires staff to work after hours, on-call shifts on a rotational basis after they are trained. Overtime is also an expectation when deemed necessary. OCS staff are considered essential, so are expected to work during pandemic and other natural disasters.

Screening for COVID-19 symptoms is required of all staff each workday. Employees working in the field may be required to undergo COVID-19 testing with negative test results if travelling into communities that require a negative result. This position requires the use of Personal Protective Equipment.

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 go to the following link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs

 Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:

For a Protective Services Specialist 1, 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.

 

For a Protective Services Specialist 2, 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.

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.

For your application to be evaluated you must answer the Supplemental Questions. Be specific in your answers and tell us how you acquired the relevant experience. Please use complete sentences and proof-read your submissions when answering the supplemental questions. Your responses will be considered a writing sample and will be used to determine which applicants will advance to the interview phase of the recruitment process. 

This position is flexibly staffed. This vacancy may be filled at either the 1 or 2 level, depending on the applicant's training and/or experience. The full range of salaries is listed above. Starting salary will be determined by the level the position is hired at. If filled at Level 1, promotion to the Level 2 will occur upon successful completion of the probationary period and required training, as well as the applicant meeting the minimum qualifications of the higher job class.

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.

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.

When using work experience not already documented in your application, please provide the employer 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.

NOTE: Attaching a resume or curriculum vitae is not an alternative to filling out the application in its entirety. Noting "see resume or CV" or any similar response on any portion of your application may lead to a determination your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.

The State of Alaska does not provide VISA Employer sponsorships.

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.

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 ALEXsys 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/

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.

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.

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

Name: OCS Recruitment

Phone: (833) 627-5627

Email: hss.ocs.pssrecruitment@alaska.gov