SENIOR HUMAN SERVIC COUNSELOR SUPV - SES - 60005161

Requisition No: 852115 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: SENIOR HUMAN SERVIC COUNSELOR SUPV - SES - 60005161

 Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 60005161 

Salary:  $46,200.18 to $50,820.12 Annually 

Posting Closing Date: 05/12/2025 

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 highly responsible and professional position that will serve as a Senior Human Services Counselor Supervisor – SES. 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:

• This position requires lifting, pulling, and squatting.  Duties of this position require the incumbent to be knowledgeable of and utilize the principles of Total Quality Management.  The employee in this position is responsible for providing supervision to their subordinates and reports to the Residential Services Director.  This position will interact with their social services staff and the residents. This position requires specialized knowledge related to services of individuals committed under Florida Statutes, Chapter 394 and Chapter 916.  They must have a working knowledge of court procedures and the Florida Mental Health laws.  This position requires skills in the areas of administration, consultation, organization, and supervision; in addition to the direct service skills traditionally attributed to the field of professional social work.  This position requires that the employee demonstrate good rapport and cooperative working relationships with residents, visitors, co-workers, and supervisors.  The employee will adhere to conventional norms of courtesy and ethics in interaction with others.
• Supervisory duties include:
• Supervises all Human Services Counselors and motivates employees to improve the quality and quantity of work performed.  Provides individualized clinical supervision as needed. 
• Assists in screening for Human Services Counselor applicants.
• Provides in unit training of new Human Services Counselors after completion of their training. (Written correspondence should be maintained.)
• Disseminates information pertaining to social services and other important sources of information, and training on new/revised policies and procedures. 
• Ensures social work documentation meets required standards by completing random quarterly audits.
• Distributes caseload and monitors and plans work flows, deadlines, work objectives, and time utilization with Human Services Counselor.  Directs the work of employees to ensure best use of time and resources.
• Ensures social work coverage to the civil units is provided.                                                                                                         
• Consults with community organizations and agencies to ensure specific resident needs are met.
• Serves as a member of the External Screening committee.
• Participates in Unit and Dorm activities and meetings to coordinate, review and recommend policy and procedures.
• Develops and implements staff development and training programs for social services staff.
• Provides assistance with developing policies and procedures, and ensures implementation thereof.
• Ensures that all documents are completed accurately and timely.
• Provides coverage in unit in the event of an absence.
• Assists with identifying and representing social services, as well as developing cohesion and standardization for communication, developing training programs, and recruiting social work interns.
• This is a professional position responsible for coordinating social services, counseling guidance, and discharge planning (i.e., identifying alternative living environments, securing financial benefits, identifying barriers to discharge, etc.) with individuals with acute or chronic mental disabilities, who are emotionally disturbed, indigent, or assigned a legal status of civil and ex-forensic. Ensure staff have monthly contact with case management and interacts with Community Case Managers and Forensic Specialists during case management visits to maintain effective working relationships, and assists with the development of  Discharge Plans and Conditional Release Plans.
• Is sensitive to cultural diversity issues and maintains effective, professional therapeutic relationships with their employees and  individuals with acute and/or chronic mental deficiencies. 
• Assists in creating and revising assessments to better identify pscychosocial stressors which affect mental illness and mental health.  Assists with the completion of necessary social services assessments (as needed) to include Comprehensive Psychosocial summaries, Baker Act Summaries, Advance Directive documents, and other documents associated with discharge planning in at timely manner, ensuring that Quality Assurance requirements are met, and Continuity of Care plans for residents being discharged are arranged.  Represents the unit and social services department at legal hearings (if applicable).  Maintains assessments in compliance with Department of Children and Families, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healtchare Organizations, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabiltive Facilities, Performance Improvement and Planning, and Florida State Hospital Operating Procedures.  Updates all discharge lists in a timely manner and reports information to the Residential Services Director.
• Attends inservice training, reviews policies, and/or continued education programs to enhance job knowledge.  Develops and implements staff development and training programs for social services staff.  Serves as Task Supervisor or Field Educator (MSW) for graduate and undergraduate social work interns in practicum setting.
• Attends and participates in scheduled meetings associated with position and appointed committee meetings as assigned.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

• Knowledge of theories and practices in counseling, social work or rehabilitation.
• Knowledge of professional ethics relating to counseling.
• Knowledge of interviewing techniques.
• Ability to supervise people.
• Ability to provide counseling and guidance to others.
• Ability to determine work priorities, assign work, and ensure proper completion of work assignments.
• Ability to actively listen to others.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to communicate effectively.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and three years of professional experience in developmental disabilities, special education, mental health, counseling, guidance, social work, health or rehabilitative programs.
• A master's degree from an accredited college or university can substitute for one year of the required experience.

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;
• And more!

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.