Human Services Specialist - Anne Arundel County : Job Details

Anne Arundel County Government is hiring for a full-time, permanent Human Services Specialist position within the Department of Social Services.A Human Services Specialist provides supportive services to individuals and families to assist in preserving and re-establishing the family structure, promote a functional home climate, and teach clients to make use of community resources. The employee functions as a service team member by visiting clients' homes to identify needs, providing support to extended family, educating the family system on abuse and neglect issues, and providing assistance with activities of daily living, caregiving, and parenting.NATURE AND VARIETY OF WORKWork could involve developing treatment care programs to address the physical, emotional, and social needs of senior and special needs citizens. The complexity of work involves knowing the various resources and agencies available to meet client needs and provide them with the counseling, crisis intervention, and administrative assistance required to meet their particular needs.Work also includes serving as an advocate for and protecting the rights of residents of long-term care facilities, which involves receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints made by and on behalf of residents to nursing homes, domiciliary care homes, and assisted living facilities.The scope of work addresses the needs of a target population or an individual member. The success of a program has a direct impact on the quality of life of seniors and special needs individuals. General guidance and moderate supervision are received from a program supervisor in performing tasks. Work is evaluated for compliance with operational policies and procedures and the results attained in administering each case. Work may require meeting with clients outside a normal office setting through the home or site visits.RESPONSIBILITIESMonitors and assesses the needs and problems of seniors and special needs citizens and their families through personal interviews in the home or other appropriate locations.Develops care plans that alleviate or minimize the impact of problem areas.Advocates for residents' rights in nursing homes and assisted-living communities.Locates and arranges for the timely delivery of appropriate health, social, and community resources.Provides counseling, case management, and crisis intervention, and acts as an advocate for assigned clients and their families to keep the client safely in the community.Assists clients with completion of administrative applications, advocates on their behalf, and provides follow-up to ensure that services are rendered, and/or explores other options for resolution of problems.Makes recommendations to improve programs, procedures, and effectiveness of service delivery to the target population.Interprets social service and aging program policies and procedures to clients and other persons making inquiries.Reviews client needs as required through in-home face-to-face interviews and adjusts service levels as needed.Prepares comprehensive and accurate client records in accordance with pertinent regulations, and submits statistical and other reports as needed.Attends appropriate meetings on case management issues and in-service training as necessary to maintain professional standards and currency in resources pertinent to seniors.Receives, investigates, and seeks to resolve complaints made by and on behalf of residents of long-term care facilities.Visits local long-term care facilities to monitor conditions and to assist in establishing effective resident councils.Assists callers seeking long-term care placement information.Observes confidentiality standards, maintains client files, and collects and enters accurate statistical information on program activities using computerized systems.Reports to the proper authorities instances of abuse, financial exploitation, and life-threatening conditions existing in long-term care facilities.Establishes and maintains working relationships with long-term care facilities, State agencies, and law enforcement agencies to facilitate working effectively on problems of the population served.Performs related work as required.KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIESConsiderable knowledge and understanding of Federal and State laws regarding one of the following: regulations and standards about the various types of long-term care facilities; Medicare; Medical Assistance and related insurance programs.Considerable knowledge of the Older Americans Act, other laws, regulations, and policies about specific senior programs.Considerable knowledge of human services systems, programs, and benefits for older adults.Ability to express ideas clearly, both orally and in writing.Skill in interviewing and counseling individuals and families.Skill in analyzing and interpreting client information and making sound decisions.Ability to maintain accurate client records and statistical reports.EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCEEducation: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in social work, nursing, psychology, or a related area.Experience: Two (2) or more years of experience in human services program areas; casework or community organizational services in a public or private social service agency and a valid non-commercial Class C motor vehicle operator's license.Note: Accredited University or College is the recognition from an accrediting agency that an institution maintains a certain level of educational standards. The U.S. Department of Education maintains a database of accrediting agencies it recognizes for schools within the United States.For a University or College outside the United States, the applicant must provide documentation of accreditation and educational equivalency, which can be accomplished through a credential evaluation service. Applicants with a foreign degree must provide this documentation upon the close of the announcement.Preference will be given to applicants with the following:Master's degree in social work, nursing, psychology, or a related area preferred.Experience working with children and/or families.A License as a Bachelor of Social Work from the Maryland State Board of Social Work Examiners.#J-18808-Ljbffr