HUMAN SERVICES WORKER I - F/C - 60005316

Requisition No: 850812 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: HUMAN SERVICES WORKER I - F/C - 60005316

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 60005316 

Salary:  $33,760.00 Annually 

Posting Closing Date: 04/20/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state of Florida’s social services agency. The agency oversees services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking and public assistance. The agency’s mission 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.

Within DCF, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program office is recognized as the single state authority for substance abuse and mental health services. The Office of SAMH is statutorily responsible for the planning, evaluation, and implementation of a comprehensive statewide system of care for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and adults with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

Florida State Hospital (FSH) is a mental health treatment facility owned and operated by the State of Florida and is part of the Department of Children and Families. The department’s mission 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.”

FLORIDA STATE HOSPITAL IS A TOBACCO FREE FACILITY.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION RESPONSES TO THE QUALIFYING QUESTIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST BE VERIFIABLE BASED ON YOUR SUBMITTED APPLICATION.

This is a full-time position (40 hours per week) scheduled between the hours of 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Work hours may vary on a weekly basis depending on operational needs.

This is a highly responsible and professional position that will serve as a Human Services Worker I - F/C (Freedom House).  This position will collaborate with each section within the state facilities and be required to use independent judgement, take initiative in carrying out duties and responsibilities and should be extraordinarily detail oriented. 

Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:

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 Freedom House coverage.
• When escorting to and from activities and classes to ensure that they arrive safely.
• During meals at Canteen time or during activities to ensure that they don’t choke or trade food.

Communicating with them:

• At all times to develop a trusting, caregiver relationship 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.  During meals at Canteen time or during activities to ensure that they don’t choke or trade food.
• At all times to develop a trusting, caregiver relationship and identify signs of distress or health concerns.

Responsible for supporting the health and cleanliness of people served by:

• Maintaining a clean environment by making sure the Freedom House is cleaned daily.
• Housekeeping tasks such as, sweeping, mopping, taking out the trash, and wiping down all tables after classes and UFOM.
• Cleaning the coffee pot and preparing coffee daily.
• Organizing snacks and activity items daily.  Properly disposing of out-of-date snacks.      

Responsible for documenting:

• Behavior and events related to the well-being and recovery of people served.
• Distressful stimuli and triggers and behaviors that may represent medication side effects.
• Location of people served when transporting and during Freedom of Movement check-in/out times, as well as during class times with attendance.
• hospital-wide activity hours are entered after all major parties, events, evening activities, and weekend UFOM activities
• Discovery of contraband.
• Responsible for assessing needs and service provision by:
• Assisting with meaningful life activities including, but not limited to, mail and phone correspondence.
• Encouraging people served to attend scheduled or alternative engagement activities.
• Serving as a personal advocate by communicating with other service team members and documenting information. relative to the psychiatric rehabilitation, stabilization and recovery of people at the Freedom House and assisting with patient complaints, and monthly patient government meetings held at the Freedom House. 
• Performs other related duties as assigned. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of health care or the behavioral sciences.
• Ability to assist in carrying out treatment and rehabilitation activities centered around personal and social adjustments.
• Ability to assist in Patient Government meetings.
• Ability to observe changes in person served behavior patterns.
• Ability to assist persons served with personal care activities.
• Ability to assimilate data and recommend changes in policies, procedures and techniques.
• Ability to document effectively.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to ambulate up and down a stairwell.
• Ability to assist with evacuation of persons served during an emergency situation.    
• Ability to work with or around cleaning chemicals and supplies. 
• Ability 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. 
• Ability to bend, twist, turn, kneel, stoop, squat, push, pull, lift and walk extended distances. 
• Ability to physically operate all equipment necessary to do job tasks.
• Ability to lift and carry 20 pounds.
• Ability to sit and/or stand for one hour without a break. 
• Ability to work 16-hour shifts on occasion.
• Ability to remain alert while on duty. 
• Ability to drive an EZ Go or vehicle if job essential.

Minimum 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.
• Valid US Driver’s License.

Preferences:

• Candidate who has experience organizing and conducting special events.

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

• Health insurance
• Life insurance; $25,000 policy is free plus option to purchase additional life insurance
• Dental, vision and supplemental insurance
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions
  • (For more information, please click www.myfrs.com);
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year;
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Opportunities for career advancement
• Tuition waiver for public college courses

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

DCF EMPLOYMENT DISCLOSURES

US CITIZEN REQUIREMENT Only US citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers will be hired.

SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM REGISTRATION All selected 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).  Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.  For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov.

RETIREE NOTICE 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 required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.

BACKGROUND SCREENING 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, if applicable, also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and 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.