Position Information

This position may be being filled at the Trainee or Full Performance level.

This is a re-opening to expand the pool of qualified candidates for a bilingual candidate. If you have already applied for this position, there is no need to re-apply unless you wish to update your application.

The Child and Family Services Division of the Department of Human Services (DHS) is hiring an experienced Clinician to join the Arlington County Child Advocacy Center (CAC). The CAC is a multi-agency program located at DHS on Washington Blvd. which provides comprehensive services for victims of child abuse and neglect throughout the investigation, intervention, treatment, and prosecution of reported cases. Four Arlington County Agencies participate in the CAC including the Department of Human Services, the Arlington Police Department, the Commonwealth Attorney's Office, and the Arlington County Attorney's office. The goal of the CAC is to maximize efficient and effective investigations of child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse, and/or neglect while minimizing the trauma to child victims of abuse. The CAC Clinician ensures that the service needs of CAC clients and families are met.

To learn more about this program, please visit

Responsibilities of this position include:

• Provide immediate support, needs assessments, crisis intervention, and psycho-education for child abuse victims, siblings, and non-offending caretakers;
• Complete required case record documentation including service plans, progress notes, and assessment summaries;
• Coordinate and co-lead the non-offending caretaker individual and group services;
• Implement the outcome measurement tools, scoring sheets, and compile mandated reports; and
• Serve as client's advocate, making referrals to appropriate providers, identifying resources, and coordinating with other team members and service providers.

The ideal candidate will have previous experience with victim services and collaborating with community partners. The disclosure of sexual abuse and/or severe physical abuse often presents as a crisis, requiring the flexibility to immediately assess needs and risk. Families present with high levels of distress and confusion. The CAC Clinician will work closely with the investigative team while advocating for the child's and family's needs, often without prior notice or preparation.

Arlington County DHS is committed to delivering client services in an effective, equitable, respectful, and trauma-informed manner. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring our clients are approached, engaged and cared for in ways that demonstrate competency, sensitivity and awareness of factors which impact the client experience including but not limited to: cultural identity, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, religious/spiritual ascription, physical capability, cognitive and literacy levels, sexual orientation, and linguistic needs.

Selection Criteria

MINIMUMS:

Full Performance:

• A Master's degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or other directly related clinical discipline;
• A clinical practicum in a child welfare setting and/or child mental health treatment setting providing diagnostic, treatment and case management services prior to graduation; and
• Two years of post-Master's degree experience providing professional clinical social work services, one year of experience in a child welfare and/or child mental health treatment setting providing diagnostic, treatment and case management services.

Trainee*:

• A Master's degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or other directly related clinical discipline; and
• A clinical practicum in a child welfare setting (foster care, adoption, child protective services, family preservation, permanency planning, or domestic violence) prior to graduation.

*Depending upon qualifications, a training period will be established to last no longer than the equivalent of 24 months. At the end of the training period, the employee must meet experience, training, proficiency and certification requirements for the journey level position. Once the candidate qualifies, the one-year probationary period will begin.

SUBSTITUTION: A directly related higher-level clinical degree may substitute for the Master's degree education requirement and one year of related work experience. In the case of the substitution, the remainder of the qualifying work experience must have been gained after the higher level degree was awarded.

DESIRABLES: Preference may be given to candidates with experience in one or more of the following:

• Bilingual: English/Spanish;
• Child abuse treatment services;
• Providing trauma informed services;
• Serving diverse populations;
• Working within the court or legal system; and/or
• Virginia licensed or license-eligible as a LCSW, LMFT, LCP, or LPC.

Special Requirements

An assessment of oral Spanish proficiency will be required before a candidate can be appointed to the bilingual position(s). The incumbent in the position(s) will receive the language pay premium on all hours worked and on paid leave hours.

Applicant must possess, or obtain by time of appointment, a valid motor vehicle operator's license from the applicant's place of residence or willingness to use alternative modes of transportation. The applicant must authorize Arlington County to obtain, or the applicant must provide a copy of the applicant's official state/district driving record. An offer of employment may be contingent upon a favorable review of the applicant's driving record.

A pre-hire background check will be made on all candidates who are selected for employment. It may include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history. You may be required to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain your background information.

A state of Virginia Central Registry check will be performed.

Additional Information

Work Hours Monday through Friday. A flexible schedule to accommodate evening appointments is essential including a minimum of two evenings per week to be set at the time of hire.

An online application is required.

Full performance salary range: $57,387.20 - $87,630.40
Trainee salary range: $53,393.60 - $81,598.40

The employee may travel within Arlington to conduct home visits in the client's homes, to schools, and other collateral sites based on case/client needs and to court to testify on specific cases.

This is a grant funded position and is contingent upon funding availability. This grant-funded position currently funded through June 30, 2022 with potential for renewal.

Your responses to the supplemental questionnaire are considered part of the application process and are required for this position. Please do not give "see resume" as a response to the questions. Incomplete applications will not be considered.