ADAPT Domestic Violence Counselor (Social Services Specialist III) - Fairfax County

Anger Domestic Abuse Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) Counselor (Social Services Specialist III) provides a full range of assessment and intervention services in an innovative, competency based domestic violence intervention program for adults. Responsible for intake, referral, comprehensive behavioral health assessment (including mental health and substance abuse clinical assessment) and referral, collaboration with the criminal justice system and social services referral agents, psych educational skills-based group preparation and leadership, volunteer and intern supervision, and strong team-based collaboration skills. Requires strong communication, teaching, and counseling skills to be able to provide compassionate, competency based, motivation enhancing intervention with typically court mandated clients in a context of safety and accountability. Position requires travel across multiple work sites in Fairfax County and regular schedule will include work up to three evenings per week with semi-annual training events on weekend days. Position also requires participation with the agency domestic violence and sexual assault hotline to include several monthly shifts on the hotline on both direct and on-call (24-hour) status.

Desired competencies:

• Knowledge of and ability to assess and provide treatment for clients with mental health and substance use disorders and or to support such intervention when needed with other agencies and personnel.
• Knowledge of how trauma impacts and relates to domestic violence problems (as a victim, perpetrator and/or witness).
• Knowledge about current practices and controversies in domestic violence intervention.
• Ability to establish rapport with mandated clients and other concerned persons.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with subordinates, co-workers, county officials, public and private sector organizations, community groups and the general public.
• Public speaking competency. Position requires frequent participation in panel discussions, work groups and workshops. Ability to prepare and deliver effective presentations.
• Competency based counseling and motivational interviewing skills. Required to intervene with clients who may at times challenge program limits and expectations.
• Risk and lethality assessment skills as well as the ability to intervene when risk (harm to self/others) is high to ameliorate risk. This may include crisis intervention skills.
• Ability to teach group and individual participants specific emotional regulation techniques, monitor progress, and address needs for remediation when progress is hampered by motivational, language, cognitive or other barriers.
• Ability to provide telephone emergency counseling, support, lethality assessment, safety planning over 24-hour on call shifts and to provide face-to-face accompaniment support to sexual assault and domestic violence victims in a hospital setting.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish

Illustrative Duties:

• Contributes to the development of protocols, policies, procedures, 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.
• Serves as a policy expert in an area of social work specialization;
• Coordinates or oversees the daily activities of a program or project to include, oversight of administrative functions/requirements associated with the program or project, evaluation of the program or project for its impact/effectiveness, and making recommendations for changes or improvements;
• Conducts comprehensive clinical assessments and prepares and implements service plans;
• Works with clients to develop a plan of service to meet social, emotional and needs. With the client, formulates objectives and identifies actions to resolve the clients' problems;
• 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;
• Works with the community to identify families, children and individuals needing services and to coordinate these services using a wrap-around approach;
• 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;
• 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.