Human Services Worker jobs in Tallahassee, FL

Requisition No: 814262 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: HUMAN SERVICES WORKER I - F/C - 60006571

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 60006571 

Salary:  $32,760.00 annually/$1,260.00 bi-weekly 

Posting Closing Date: 04/15/2024 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Human Services Worker I

Department of Children and Families

Florida State Hospital

Chattahoochee, Florida

Open Competitive or Internal

Vacancies in Forensic and Civil Services

Evening and Night Shift positions will receive a $3.00 per hour shift differential.

This posting will be used to fill position vacancies in OPS and Career Service.

Current employees will be compensated in accordance with the DCF salary policy.

What will you do:

This is work responsible for providing residential care, assisting with enrichment activities and supporting the treatment, psychiatric rehabilitation, stabilization and recovery of people with a mental illness.  As a Human Services Worker you will treat people in a respectful manner that preserves their dignity and rights and maintain a professional caregiver relationship with people served.

How you will make an impact:

The Incumbent is responsible for preserving the rights, safety and security of people served by observing them:

• At all times to learn what type of environment and interactions make them feel safe, secure and calm and to identify distressful stimuli or triggers: 

When providing ward coverage.

When escorting to and from activities and appointments to ensure that they arrive safely.

During meals to monitor intake and ensure that they don’t choke or trade food.

When a person served is placed on special observation status to address dangerous or high risk behaviors.

When a restrictive intervention such as seclusion or restraints is used to assess for release criteria and immediately identify health needs that may arise.

Communicating with them:

• At all times to develop a trusting, caregiver relationship and identify signs of distress or health concerns.

When a person served is placed on special observation status, in the seclusion room or in restraints to assure the person that he or she is safe, help them develop trust in you as a caregiver and identify signs of distress or health concerns.

Intervening:

• To separate them from distressful stimuli and assist in resolving conflict.
• To ensure that people served are not neglected, abused or exploited; or to ensure that it is reported to the abuse hotline if they are.
• To ensure safety during medical or disaster emergencies.
• To ensure safety when a person served is exhibiting a behavior dangerous to self or others, which may involve the use of physical holds and placing people served in a seclusion room or mechanical restraints.

Qualifications:

• Must be 18 years of age at time of hire
• Ability to attend a 1 - 2-week mandatory training course that will include completion of a CPR certification. This training could be scheduled during day, weekend, and evening hours.

Physical agility requirements for Direct Care Staff:

• Must be able to ambulate up and down a stairwell.
• Must be able to assist with evacuation of persons served during an emergency situation.
• Must have normal vision and hearing, including use of corrective devices.
• Must be able to work with or around cleaning chemicals and supplies. 
• Must be able to do repetitive movements with arms, hands, neck and head.
• Must be able to demonstrate competency, as appropriate, in all areas of training, some of which requires physical activity such as;

CPR and MANDT

Must be able to bend, twist, turn, kneel, stoop, squat, push, pull, lift and walk extended distances. 

Must be able to physically operate all equipment necessary to do job tasks.

Must be able to lift and carry 20 pounds.

Must be able to sit and/or stand for one hour without a break. 

Must be able to work 16 hour shifts on occasion.

Must be able to remain alert while on duty. 

Must be able to drive an EZ Go or vehicle if job essential

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Service Planning:  Participates in service planning and ensures adherence to plans.
• Daily Living Skills:  Works with resident to ensure completion of daily living activities.
• Crisis Management:  Maintains a safe environment by proactively using verbal and non-verbal communication and intervention skills in accordance with our non-coercive strategies and trauma-informed care.
• Documentation:  Documents information factually and objectively.
• Observation, Assessment, & Monitoring:  Provides safe and supportive observations, accurate assessments and effectively monitoring residents as assigned.
• Escort & Transport: Escorts and transports residents to appointments, activities, etc.
• Activities:  Provides group and leisure activities.
• Advocacy:  Advocates for residents’ recovery.
• Build Relationships:  Builds and maintains appropriate relationships and interactions with residents, families, providers, co-workers.

Candidate Profile (application) must be completed in its entirety.

• When applying, attach required education, certification, or licensure. 
• Include supervisor names and phone numbers for all periods of employment.
• Account for and explain any gaps in employment so that the hiring process is not delayed.
• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications. 
• It is unacceptable to use the statement “See Resume” in place of entering work history.
• If you experience problems applying online, please call the People First Service Center at (877) 562-7287.

Additional Information/Requirements

• This position will require night, weekend, and holiday work; including working on scheduled off duty days and various shifts.  This position has also been designated as an essential position.  Incumbents are expected to work during emergency situations or natural disasters and may be required to work before, during and beyond normal work hours/days.
• The incumbent in this position will work with residents who have been charged with felony offenses and may have psychiatric disorders. 
• The incumbent in this position will assist residents in completing oral care, bathing, and showering as well as driving them to facilities and medical appointments etc.
• If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida.  Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you will be required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.
• The position will perform all job tasks in accordance with laws, rules, regulations, policies, and requirements applicable to state and federal laws or procedures.
• Participation in the State of Florida Direct Deposit Program is required as a condition of employment per F.S. 110.113, and enrollment must be completed within the first 30 calendar days of your appointment.

DCF Mental Health Treatment Facilities are tobacco free.

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits.

For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

Growth Opportunities:

With 12,000 employees across the state DCF promotes opportunities and training for all.  Our jobs are among the most challenging, complex, and difficult in State government. They are also among the most rewarding. All employees are encouraged to take advantage of available Department opportunities for advancement and professional development.

Where you will work:

Florida is the only state that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.  In other words, no matter where you land in Florida, you’re never more than 60 miles from a body of saltwater.  And if the beach isn’t your scene, there are 175 state parks to explore!  Meanwhile, Floridians hail from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, and walks of life, making it an incredibly diverse melting pot that many residents and visitors to Florida love.  The Sunshine State is a great place to live and work – Come join our team!

About Department of Children and Families:

Mission: The mission of the Department of Children and Families is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.

Vision: We are a highly skilled workforce committed to empowering people with complex and varied needs to achieve the best outcomes for themselves and their families. In collaboration with community stakeholders, we will deliver world class and continuously improving service focused on providing the people we serve with the level and quality that we would demand and expect for our own families.

Values: A workforce that operates with integrity maintains loyalty to a code of ethics that requires the courage to take responsibility for providing the highest quality of service to the vulnerable. We are a solutions-focused learning organization built on a foundation of transparency in action and accountability of results. Both within the organization and among our stakeholders, we thrive in a culture of respect for diversity of opinion that is nurtured through open communication. High performing and committed, we are unified in our goal of excellence in achieving quality outcomes for those we serve.  To learn more please visit https://www.myflfamilies.com/.

SELECTIVE SERVICE:  Male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS) before their 26th birthday or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS.  Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.  For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov.  We hire only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers.

BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUIREMENT: It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and, if applicable, Chapter 408, F.S.

No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.  Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.