Domestic and Sexual Violence Counselor – Social Services Specialist III

Job Type: Location Type: Not Specified

 

Salary : $70,711.26 – $117,851.76 Annually
Location : ALEXANDRIA (KP10), VA
Job Type: FT Hourly W BN
Job Number: 25-00538
Department: Family Services
Opening Date: 03/01/2025
Closing Date: 3/14/2025 11:59 PM Eastern
Pay Grade: S25
Posting Type: Open to General Public

Job Announcement
This position includes a signing bonus of $2,500 (full-time) for new county hires.

This is an exciting time to join Fairfax County Government as we shape racial and social equity policies in the county through the One Fairfax Policy. Using this framework, we intentionally consider equity when making policies or delivering programs and services. To learn more, we highly encourage you to watch the Becoming One Fairfax-An Introduction to Key Concepts video by clicking and visit the One Fairfax webpage In alignment with One Fairfax, DFS is committed to strengthening the well-being of its diverse community. To learn more about DFS and its Mission, Vision, and Values, please click

Experience in psychotherapy (e.g. counseling, clinical psychology, or marriage and family therapy) counts as social work experience.

ABOUT THIS POSITION
Under general supervision of the Counseling Services Supervisor, performs the below duties and responsibilities:

• Provides individual, group, and family therapy to adults and children affected by domestic or sexual violence, stalking, or human trafficking
• Performs assessments and develops treatment plans for providing services, to include crisis intervention, stabilization, and short-term treatment with an emphasis on intervention and prevention and appropriate referrals for continuing care
• Provides case consultation for other service providers
• Performs counseling services duties including community and professional training, volunteer training and supervision, intern supervision, meetings with professionals in the community, hotline coverage, and scheduled on-call overnight availability for crisis response
• Perform other duties as assigned to support the department and/or division to include supporting after hours services such as LAP Line and Hospital Accompaniment.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position job description.)
Contributes to the development of protocols, policies, procedures, grants and contracts for a social services program, department, and other entities;
Assists the supervisor in planning and carrying out training for new staff, providing guidance to staff. May directly supervise staff, and covers for the supervisor in their absence;
Serves as a policy expert in an area of social work specialization;
Conducts comprehensive clinical assessments and prepares and implements service plans;
Works with clients to develop a plan of service to meet social, health, emotional and economic needs. With the client, formulates objectives and identifies actions to resolve the clients’ problems;
Provides crisis intervention on a timely basis to clients or families whose well being is seriously and immediately threatened, to include Child Protective Services after-hours;
Makes assessment of risks posed to clients in accordance with state and local policies, and works to ensure risks are eliminated or minimized;
Represents the agency in court proceedings; prepares testimony and testifies in Juvenile, Circuit, Criminal, Civil and Federal Courts;
Advocates and assists families and individuals in obtaining services (e.g., mental health, intellectual disability, alcohol and drug, housing referrals, home based services, training and medical services);
Communicates and works with colleagues, clients and the community in a manner that supports the agency and program goals and objectives;
Participates as a contributing member on interagency, multi-disciplinary teams, community groups and professional organizations;
Collaborates and contributes to child specific teams on non-agency cases as assigned to assist in identifying community resources and services for families;
Provides training and education on a variety of social work topics;
Uses automated technology and hard copy files to maintain and update case data, notes, documents, records, contacts and summaries of information;
Manages and maintains program data and outcomes.
Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)
Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of social work;
Thorough knowledge of current social service problems and methods/approaches to address issues;
Thorough knowledge of regulations and guidelines relating to the assigned area of social service specialization;
Knowledge of casework supervision practices and procedures;
Ability to analyze case information and to reach sound decisions on the basis of such information;
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing;
Ability to use automated technology to establish and maintain case records;
Ability to maintain professional ethics and confidentiality of client information;
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of individuals.;
Ability to schedule and manage workload sufficiently to meet deadlines;
Ability to provide guidance, direction, supervision and coaching to less-experienced staff;
Ability to provide management and oversight of a program or project.
Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree, plus three years of professional social work experience. A master’s degree in a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED
None.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, a driving record check, and a Child Protective Services Registry check to the satisfaction of the employer.

This position is considered essential personnel and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster).

Additional Work Schedule Requirements: Flex schedule, evening, and on-call work required to meet client needs.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in a field related to counseling, social work, psychology, or marriage and family therapy
• At least 24 months of experience directly providing psychotherapy specifically to treat trauma
• Possess a clinical license in a psychotherapy field (LCSW, LPT, LMFT) in the state of Virginia.
• Demonstrated experience in broadly addressing the impacts of domestic or sexual violence with victims.
• Completed and applied professional training in a trauma-specific treatment modality
• Bilingual in English and Spanish

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Ability to operate keyboard driven equipment. Ability to use automated technology to access, input, retrieve, and process information. Ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing. Ability to lift 15 lbs. Ability to transport self to various work sites across the County not accessible via public transportation. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include a practical exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home () and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. EEO/AA/TTY.

#LI-RS1
Merit Positions

Fairfax County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
• Group Term Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• LiveWell Program
• Flexible Spending Programs
• Paid Leave (annual, sick, parental, volunteer activity, and more!)
• Paid Holidays
• Contributory Retirement Plan
• Deferred Compensation
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employees’ Child Care Center
• Commuter Benefit Program
• Continuous Learning Opportunities

NOTE: Fairfax County Government is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more information about the PSLF program: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service

For additional details please visit the
Non-Merit Positions

1. Non-Merit Benefit Eligible: scheduled to work a minimum 1,040 hours and no more than a maximum of 1,560 hours in a calendar year.
   • Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
   • Flexible Spending Program
   • Deferred Compensation
2. Temporary: scheduled to work a maximum of 900 hours in a calendar year.
   • No benefits

01

What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

• Less than 12th grade
• High school diploma or GED
• Some college
• Associate’s degree
• Bachelor’s degree
• Master’s degree
• Doctorate degree

02

Please indicate all major(s) or minor(s) for your completed degree(s). Check all that apply.

• Counseling
• Public administration
• Human services
• Education
• Psychology
• Social work
• Other (related field)
• Other (non-related field)
• Not applicable

03

If you answered “Other (related field)” or “Other (non-related field)” for the previous question, please list the discipline of your degree. If this question does not pertain to you, or you do not have a degree, enter “Not applicable”.
04

How many years of full-time equivalent professional social work experience do you have?Note: “social work” is defined as an academic discipline and profession that concerns itself with individuals, families, groups and communities in an effort to enhance social functioning and overall well-being.

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years

05

Do you currently possess a valid driver’s license?

• Yes
• No

06

Do you possess specialized experience in treating children in psychotherapy? Check all that apply.

• Possession of a certification in a child-focused or play therapy model
• At least one year of full-time equivalent – paid or internship – experience emphasizing psychotherapy with children (caseload at least 50% children or families served with their children)
• Experience offering psychotherapy services to children or families and children together
• Specialized graduate-level coursework or specialized training in providing psychotherapy to children or to families and children together
• None of the above

07

Do you have experience, paid or otherwise, providing counseling or advocacy services to any of the following people impacted by domestic or sexual violence. Check all that apply.

• Children/teens impacted by domestic violence
• Children/teens who have been sexually abused
• Adult survivors of sexual violence
• Adult survivors of domestic violence
• None of the above

08

Do you have experience, paid or otherwise, providing psychotherapy focused on treating trauma to any of the following people? Check all that apply.

• Child/teen survivors of trauma (including family or sexual violence)
• Adult survivors of childhood trauma (including family or sexual violence)
• Adult survivors of adulthood trauma (including family or sexual violence)
• None of the above

09

Can you provide bilingual or multilingual counseling services in English and any other language(s) below? Check all that apply.

• Spanish
• Korean
• Farsi
• Japanese
• Vietnamese
• Other
• None of the above

10

If you answered “Other” for the previous question, please indicate the foreign language(s) that you are fluent in. If this does not apply to you, enter “N/A”.
11

Do you possess a valid license in a clinical profession in the Commonwealth of Virginia? Check what best applies to you.

• Yes, license obtained more than 12 months ago
• Yes, license obtained within the past 12 months
• No, but requirements for licensure are expected to be met in the next 24 months
• No, and requirements for licensure will not be met in the next 24 months

Required Question