Requisition ID:
48850 Work Location:
Human Services - Virginia Beach Blvd offices Pay Range:
G.23, $51,708.80 - $80,142.40 Starting Salary:
Minimum of the Pay Range Work Schedule:
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Part Time Hours/Wk:
Job Open Date:
4/20/26 Application Deadline:
5/4/26 Job Duties:
The City of Virginia Beach Department of Human Services is recruiting for a Family Services Specialist I (FSSI) to work in our Child Protective Services divisions. The FSSI will, under the supervision of a Human Services Supervisor, investigate and assess alleged child maltreatment. The FSSI must be able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team facilitating a team approach with police, medical, social work, and mental health professionals.
Specific duties include, but are not limited to:
- Manage a high-volume workload of CPS referrals and demonstrate the ability to make independent decisions based on knowledge of policies and procedures.
- Document detailed, and accurate investigative narrative, dispositional assessments, safety assessments, and risk assessments.
- Engage children and families to maximize information gathering and to build trust to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to ensure child safety.
- Utilize trauma informed strategies to overcome challenges and build upon family strengths
- Spend time in the community visiting client’s homes, schools, court, and collateral visits that are pertinent to each family’s referral.
- Conduct safety and risk assessments on an ongoing basis with each assigned referral. Review assigned referrals with their immediate supervisor, or designee.
- Take appropriate actions to ensure that children are separated from unsafe situations by utilizing natural support in the family and community and at last resort recommending placement in foster care.
- Write court affidavits and petition the Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court for child protective orders and or emergency removal orders.
- Organize and participate in Family Partnership Meetings and varieties of team meetings designed to support and engage families.
- Receive and screen new allegations of child abuse/neglect. Make appropriate validity decisions and make plans for immediate response to new CPS referrals.
- Ensure that all referral interviews and interactions are documented within 24 hours.
- Work in collaboration with police, mental health professionals, emergency medical services partners with triaging families and conducting investigations.
- Standby on-call duties after normal business hours on a rotating basis.
The City offers a generous benefits package which includes health, dental and life insurance, retirement, and savings plans, maternity/paternity and parental leave, and Holidays and paid leave.
A $3,000 hiring bonus is being offered for this position. Hiring bonuses shall only be for new hires of original full-time employment or reemployment as defined in Human Resources Policy No. 5.0.
- $500 will be awarded in the first paycheck.
- $1000 will be awarded upon completion of the six (6) month interim performance evaluation with an overall rating of “Meets Expectations”.
- $1,500 will be awarded upon completion of the employee’s one (1) year probationary period and a performance evaluation with an overall rating of “Meets Expectations”.
Official City Job Description:
https://virginia-beach-departments-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/city/job-descriptions-pay-plans/Family-Services-Specialist-I-02307.pdf
Working Conditions:
https://workingcondition-summary-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/B.006542.2.pdf
Minimum Requirements:
MINIMUMS: Must possess a minimum of a Bachelors degree in a human services field (social work, counseling, gerontology, guidance and counseling, family and child development, psychology or sociology); or possess a Bachelors degree in any field accompanied by a minimum of two (2) years related experience in a human services area. Must have, or obtain, a current and valid Virginia or North Carolina drivers license in accordance with Virginia or North Carolina DMV drivers license eligibility requirements.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: All employees may be expected to work hours in excess of their normally scheduled hours in response to short-term department needs and/or City-wide emergencies.
Additional Requirements:
DMV Transcript: Required
CDL: Not Required
DOT History: Not Required
CPS Check: Required
Physical: Not Required
Respirator: Not Required
Polygraph Review: Not Required
Psychological Screening: Not Required
Attachments Required: Resume
Preferences:
Child Protective Services experience
Crisis intervention experience
Court testifying experience
Family engagement experience
Case documentation experience
Bachelors in Social Work or equivalent
Special Instructions:
- Please complete the application in its entirety and include your resume if required by the posting.
- Your responses to any "Supplemental Questions", if attached to this requisition, must be supported by the information you provide on your application and/or resume; or otherwise demonstrated during the hiring process.
- You will not be able to access the details of this job ad once the closing date has passed. If you would like to retain this information, please take a screen shot or print using your browser's printing capability.
VRS Contribution: All full-time employees are required to contribute 5% of annual salary toward their retirement account; in accordance with VRS retirement provisions. This will be handled through a pre-tax payroll deduction.
Drug Free Workplace: The City of Virginia Beach maintains a drug free workplace.
