Official Site of The State of New Jersey

The Department of Children and Families provides many employee benefits, including but not limited to: 

• Alternative Workweek Program*
• Deferred Compensation
• Health, Dental and Life Insurance
• Flexible and Health Spending Accounts
• Pension
• Telework*
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness
• Benefit Leave (Vacation, Sick, Administrative Leave)
• 13 Paid Holidays

*Pursuant to Department policy, procedures and/or guidelines.

**Notice:  Individuals who have received services from the Department of Children and Families or its divisions as children and youth are encouraged to apply.

**RESIDENCY LAW**

Effective September 1, 2011, NJ PL 70 (NJ First Act), requires all State employees to reside in New Jersey, unless exempted under the law, or current employees who live out-of-state and do not have a break-in service of more than 7 calendar days, as they are "grandfathered."  New employees or current employees who were not grandfathered and who live out-of-state have one year after the date of employment to relocate their residence to New Jersey or request an exemption.  Current employees who reside in NJ must retain NJ residency, unless he/she obtains an exemption.  Employees who fail to meet the residency requirements or obtain an exemption will be removed from employment.

As a Family Service Specialist Trainee (Bilingual or Non-Bilingual), you will perform field and office work involving collecting, analyzing and recording significant facts.

Responsibilities may include responding to child abuse/neglect referrals, responding to requests for child welfare services, in-home visits and arranging for residential or foster care placements. 

NOTE: During the first 12 months, employees hired in the position of Family Service Specialist Trainee (Bilingual or Non-Bilingual) will attend a comprehensive in-service training program, in addition to performing field and office casework duties.

Salary: $61,510.13

Here's What You Need

Family Service Specialist Trainee (Bilingual or Non-Bilingual)

• EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS - Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience:
  • Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (preferred)

                - OR

• • Four (4) years of professional experience in social work, direct support counseling, guidance, or case management involving high risk child abuse and neglect or other problematic situations involving counseling services to clients with social, emotional, psychological, or behavioral problems including gathering and analyzing information, determining needs, and planning and supporting and/or carrying out treatment plans.
• NOTE: Bachelor’s degree in social work or Master’s degree in Social Work is preferred. A Social Work related degree will be seriously considered.

• Because driving of state vehicles with clients is an essential function of this position, the following may disqualify you from consideration: driving record with five points or more within the past five years; any driving under the influence conviction within the past five years; or, any combination of three motor vehicle violations/license suspensions involving the unsafe operation of a motor vehicle within the last five years, excluding parking violations.
• The ability to read, write, speak, understand and communicate sufficiently in English to perform the duties of the position
• For bilingual positions only, to successfully pass an examination to test your ability to communicate effectively in both Spanish and English.

Educated outside of the United States?

You must submit, at the time of application, an evaluated transcript including specific course evaluations. The evaluation must be done by a recognized evaluation service. If you don’t know of an evaluation service, you can contact:

World Education Service, Inc.
P.O. Box 745
Old Chelsea Station, New York, NY 10011
Phone : (212) 966-6311
Fax: (212) 966-6395
E-mail: info@wes.org
Web address: www.wes.org

How to Apply

You must email your cover letter, area of interest form, and resume indicating that you hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university to dcf.resume@dcf.nj.gov

Please indicate the title you are applying for in your email and/or cover letter.

Your resume then will then be reviewed for proper qualifications/requirements and recorded into a database for tracking purposes. You will receive an acknowledgement letter and may be asked to complete some necessary paperwork to be mailed back to DCP&P. You may be contacted by a Human Resource Representative, who will schedule you for an interview. If you are not initially selected for an interview, but meet the qualifications of the position, your resume will remain on active file for one year. During that year, you may be contacted at any time to be scheduled for an interview.

Appointees who are hired into the Family Service Specialist Trainee (Bilingual or Non-Bilingual) position and successfully complete the required 12-month training program and pass the final trainee exam will be eligible to be promoted to the title of Family Service Specialist 2 (Bilingual or Non-Bilingual in Spanish and English).

Veterans

Are you a veteran? If so, proof of your NJ Veterans Preference is required at application.  Please provide a copy of your New Jersey Civil Service Commission NOTIFICATION OF VETERANS STATUS along with your cover letter and resume. For information on how to apply for Veterans Preference in the State of NJ, please visit the Civil Service Commission's website at www.state.nj.us/csc/seekers/veterans/.

SAME APPLICANTS

If you are applying under the NJ “SAME” program, your supporting documents (Schedule A or B letter), must be submitted along with your resume by the closing date indicated above. For more information on the SAME Program visit their Website at: https://nj.gov/csc/same/overview/index.shtml, email: CSC-SAME@csc.nj.gov, or call CSC at (609) 292-4144, option 3

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the State of New Jersey, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at StudentAid.gov/PSLF.

Under close supervision of a Supervising Family Service Specialist 1, or 2 or other supervisory official in the Department of Children and Families, assists professional staff in providing services to clients with social, emotional, psychological or behavioral problems which may include transportation services, training and work programs, home and money management, setting up medical or dental appointments, family planning services, parenting techniques, receiving complaints involving desertion and abusive parents and supplementary supportive visits under the close supervision of a case worker; does other related duties.

Transporting clients to various appointments and visits is a main function of this position. 

Salary: $37,611.24

Requirements

One year of experience in social services providing services to clients which may include providing basic information, services like transportation and overseeing visitatio, and gathering information regarding history to ascertain client needs.

NOTE:  Thirty (30) semester hour credits from an accredited college, which must include twelve (12) semester hour credits in the behavioral sciences, may be substituted for one (1) year of the experience listed above.

A valid driver's license is required to perform the essential functions of this position. Because driving a state vehicles is an essential function of this position, the following may disqualify you from consideration: driving record with five points or more within the past five years; any driving under the influence conviction within the past five years; or, any combination of three motor vehicle violations/license suspensions involving the unsafe operation of a motor vehicle within the last five years, excluding parking violations.

Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.

Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

How to Apply

You must e-mail your cover letter, area of interest form, and resume to: dcf.resume@dcf.nj.gov

Please indicate the title you are applying for in your email and/or cover letter.

Your resume will then be reviewed for proper qualifications/requirements and recorded into a database for tracking purposes. You will receive an acknowledgement letter and may be asked to complete some necessary paperwork to be mailed back to the office of Human Resources. You also may be contacted by a Recruitment Specialist, who will schedule you for an interview. If you are not initially selected for an interview, but meet the requirements of the position, your resume will remain on active file for one year. During that year, you may be contacted at any time to be scheduled for an interview.

Veterans

Are you a veteran? If so, proof of your NJ Veterans Preference is required at application.  Please provide a copy of your New Jersey Civil Service Commission NOTIFICATION OF VETERANS STATUS along with your cover letter and resume. For information on how to apply for Veterans Preference in the State of NJ, please visit the Civil Service Commission's website at www.state.nj.us/csc/seekers/veterans/.

SAME Applicants

If you are applying under the NJ “SAME” program, your supporting documents (Schedule A or B letter), must be submitted along with your resume. For more information on the SAME Program visit their Website at: https://nj.gov/csc/same/overview/index.shtml, email: SAME@csc.nj.gov, or call CSC at (833) 691-0404.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the State of New Jersey, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at StudentAid.gov/PSLF.

Under the close supervision of a supervisory official, assists in researching laws, rules, and regulations, investigating facts, and preparing documents for use in briefs, pleadings, appeals, and other legal actions.  

Responsibilities may include researching legal areas of concern for the legal staff members and prepare formal correspondence relating to issues involving the work of the agency, other agencies, courts, legislators, and other parties.  Also may include drafting less complex memoranda, communicating discussion of legal topics including memorializing the legal research, preparing informal correspondence in response to citizen inquiries and other similar matters.  In addition, review cited legal decisions to determine their precedential value and maintain and organize files to assure accessibility to those records and that such information can be retrieved upon request. 

Salary: $45,146.92

Requirements
Graduation from an accredited college or university with an Associate's degree in Paralegal Studies or, an Associate Degree and a Certificate of Proficiency in Paralegal Studies. 

Note: Rule 1:20-20(a) prohibits attorneys that may have been disbarred, resigned with prejudice, transferred to disability-inactive status, or under suspension from the practice of law in this or any other jurisdiction from being employed as paralegals/legal assistants in the state of New Jersey.

A valid driver’s license is required to perform the essential functions of this position.  Because driving of state vehicles is an essential function of this position, the following may disqualify you from consideration: driving record with five points or more within the past five years; any driving under the influence conviction within the past five years; or, any combination of three motor vehicle violations/license suspensions involving the unsafe operation of a motor vehicle within the last five years, excluding parking violations.

The ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate sufficiently in English to perform the duties of the position.  American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.

How to Apply
You must e-mail your cover letter, area of interest form, and resume to: job.posting@dcf.nj.gov

Please indicate the title you are applying for in your email and/or cover letter.

Your resume will then be reviewed for proper qualifications/requirements and recorded into a database for tracking purposes.  You will receive an acknowledgement letter and may be asked to complete some necessary paperwork to be mailed back to the office of Human Resources.  You also may be contacted by a Recruitment Specialist, who will schedule you for an interview.  If you are not initially selected for an interview, but meet the requirements of the position, your resume will remain on active file for one year.  During that year, you may be contacted at any time to be scheduled for an interview.

Veterans
Are you a veteran? If so, proof of your NJ Veterans Preference is required at application.  Please provide a copy of your New Jersey Civil Service Commission NOTIFICATION OF VETERANS STATUS along with your cover letter and resume. For information on how to apply for Veterans Preference in the State of NJ, please visit the Civil Service Commission's website at www.state.nj.us/csc/seekers/veterans/.

SAME Applicants
If you are applying under the NJ “SAME” program, your supporting documents (Schedule A or B letter), must be submitted along with your resume. For more information on the SAME Program visit their Website at: https://nj.gov/csc/same/overview/index.shtml, email: SAME@csc.nj.gov, or call CSC at (833) 691-0404.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness
As a prospective employee of the State of New Jersey, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at StudentAid.gov/PSLF.