Service Specialist I or II at Frederick County Government – Frederick, Maryland

Non-exempt (compensatory and/or overtime eligible), full-time; 40 hours per week; Monday – Friday; 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. full-benefits

This position, located within the Division of Aging, is responsible for the coordination of services for Service Coordination for Seniors program participants and their families as they navigate and access community services, and other resources to reach their identified goals. This position will be responsible for home visits, providing social supports, informal coaching, and advocacy for participants to successfully reach their goals. This position is an integral part of the Service Coordination team. Supervision is received from the Services Supervisor.

NOTE: The upper pay range reflects possible wage rates for internal County transfers and promotions, which are calculated per County policy. For external hires, offers are made at the base wage rate.

Frederick County Government values the principles of diversity and inclusion, and strives to ensure equal opportunities for its workforce, applicants and community members. If you are a person who wants to make a difference, give back to your community, and be a voice for change, apply to Frederick County Government today.

TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE:
Frederick County offers an extensive compensation package to reflect how highly we value our employees. The following is what you can expect in your first year as a full-time benefited Frederick County Government employee.

• 11 days of Vacation leave with increase after 2 years of employment
• 15 days of Sick leave with unlimited annual carryover
• 11 paid holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays
• Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan options to include generous County Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution (if enrolled in the high-deductible plan). This is part of a full range of benefits including Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending
• 100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit
• County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
  • Vesting after 5 years of service
  • Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc.
• Work/Life balance programs include: Employee Assistance Program and Employee Wellness Program
• Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Other employee-paid benefits such as Deferred Compensation Plan, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Lifetime Benefit with Long Term Care plan.
• Coming in 2025: Employee Health Center with no or low-cost primary and urgent care

For more information, visit our benefits page on the Frederick County Government job opportunities webpage.

• Perform initial assessment to identify participants who meet eligibility requirements; develop “What Matters Most” plan of care for participants; manage assigned caseload; develop solutions to effectively link participants and agencies
• Plan for, facilitate, and continually update plans via written and/or electronic documentation in the Division's database within 24 hours after participant contact
• Promote and encourage participants’ engagement and self-management to achieve the identified “What Matters Most” goals
• Identify, discuss and help to solve potential barriers related to participant’s home setting; work with participant to resolve barriers
• Problem solve with participants, intervene in crisis situations and provide appropriate resource and referral information
• Research, identify, refer and coordinate resources/services to achieve goals; as needed, coordinate follow-up assessments to assist in identifying needed changes to service plans
• Develop and establish trusting relationships with Service Coordination participants and their families using culturally appropriate practices and principles
• Advocate on behalf of participants; provide resource information and educate them to reach goals; assist with completing appropriate applications, renewal and registration forms for programs; provide ongoing follow up to ensure that their goals are being met and/ or new goals are identified
• Perform monthly follow ups and ongoing interviews, or at greater frequency if needed, with participants via phone calls, home visits and other setting visits
• Participate in trainings and programmatic reporting
• Discuss and clearly convey participant issues; participate in service coordination team meetings
• Coordinate health promotion activities and education for participants, optimizing participant independence through providing education and links to community resources
• Provide regular updates to the Services Supervisor including participant status, and reporting which clearly describe progress, define needs or describe an issue
• As a member of the Service Coordination team, identify areas of inefficiency and participate in quality assurance improvement plans
• As needed, assist participants with scheduling and traveling to appointments; connect participants with transportation resources; provide appointment reminders as needed
• Attend regular staff meetings, trainings/learning opportunities and other meetings as requested
• Participate in community outreach initiatives
• Promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging practices within the Division of Aging & Independence and within the Service Coordination Program
• Perform other related duties as required

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Any single position may not be assigned all duties listed above, nor do the examples cover all duties that may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The qualifications/requirements, knowledge/skills/abilities and physical requirements or working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Level I Requirements ($25.70-$41.13 per hour):

• Associate’s degree in human services, social work or a closely related field
• Minimum 2 years of direct service work experience in social work, counseling, or another human services field
• Additional education or training may substitute for a portion of the work experience requirement

Level II Requirements ($27.50-$44.01 per hour):

• Bachelor’s degree in human services, social work or a closely related field
• Minimum 1 year of direct service work experience in social work, counseling, or another human services field

Requirements for both levels:

• Possession of a valid automobile operator’s license
• Current Service Coordinator certification recognized by the American Association of Service Coordinators or ability to obtain certification within 6 months of hire
• Possession of current CPR, First Aid, and Stroke Smart Training, or ability to receive training and certification within 6 months of hire

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / ABILITIES:

• Ability to maintain County authorized driver privileges
• Considerable knowledge of community resources appropriate to the needs of Service Coordination participants
• Ability to provide service coordination in compliance with Federal, State and local rules, regulations and policies
• Thoughtful understanding of the importance or diversity, equity and inclusion dynamics, which includes cultural sensitivity and awareness
• Ability to actively listen with empathy and encourage participants to communicate their needs
• Ability and willingness to provide emotional support, encouragement and motivation to participants
• Strong clerical skills, with ability to accurately prepare and maintain records and program documentation
• Ability to effectively access and utilize computerized systems, including Microsoft Office Suite, to enter and maintain related data and statistics
• Ability to effectively organize work, establish priorities and complete assigned duties with minimal supervision
• Ability to work with sensitive, personal information and maintain appropriate confidentiality
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with participants, team members, community organizations, co-workers, other members of the helping community and the general public, with particular sensitivity to the needs and priorities of older persons
• Strong and effective spoken and written (English) communication and listening skills, including the ability to clearly convey client needs and participate in case management team meetings
• Must be flexible and aware of situations in which escalation to a member of the Service Coordination team is necessary
• Ability to maintain pertinent and professional and ethical standards all times
• Ability to develop and maintain working relationship with persons of diverse educational, cultural and economic backgrounds; public officials and program administrators; co-workers and the general public
• Ability to stay current with industry trends by referencing professional literature or publications, including Web-based information

PREFERENCE MAY BE GIVEN FOR:

• Work and/or volunteer experience in a community-based environment
• Secondary language skills, particularly in Spanish
• Experience working with the senior population
• Experience providing case management and/or service coordination

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS:

• While working in this position, the employee is required to frequently sit, walk and drive; occasionally lift up to 20 pounds, reach and make repetitive motions
• While working in this position, the employee is required to constantly work indoors; occasionally work in dirty and dusty environments, potentially exposed to infectious diseases and required to wear protective equipment

• Required certifications must be maintained throughout employment
• Ability to provide own transportation to training session, home visits and meetings
• Availability for varied work hours as needed, including some evenings and weekends as needed to accommodate meetings, appointments and outreach events

KIND OF EXAMINATION (may include)

1. An evaluation of training and experience
2. One or more interviews
3. A pre-employment drug test without marijuana
4. A pre-employment background investigation through use of a public records search