DSHS ESA Social Service Specialist 2

About the role

The Economic Services Administration (ESA), Community Services Division (CSD), is seeking a Social Service Specialist 2 to join our team at the Community Services Office, located in Yakima, WA.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive social service assessments for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled and Housing and Essential Needs programs (ABD/HEN) and the WorkFirst program to identify physical, psychological, vocational, and social barriers to self-sufficiency.
• Develop clear case plans and Individual Responsibility Plans with each person you serve.
• Review medical evidence to determine incapacity, disability-related exemptions, and eligibility pathways.
• Process Aged, Blind, and Disabled and Housing and Essential Needs decisions within required timelines.
• Support and track Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance applications, including referrals and appeals.
• Monitor WorkFirst participation, review required reports, and take timely action when activities are overdue.
• Complete specialized assessments such as Pregnancy to Employment and Time Limit Extensions.
• Cookordinate services with medical providers, mental health professionals, chemical dependency treatment providers, domestic violence advocates, and community partners.
• Document all case actions accurately in agency systems and follow established policies and procedures.

Requirements

• Comfort supporting people with complex needs.
• Skill in listening deeply, understanding each person’s circumstances, and using that information to shape assessments, case plans, and participation requirements that support stability and progress.
• Ability to interact with clients, coworkers, medical providers, and community partners with tact, professionalism, and courtesy — even during challenging conversations or emotionally charged moments.
• Capability to interpret medical documentation, determine eligibility pathways, take timely case actions, and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment with competing demands.
• Comfort using multiple automated systems and applying program manuals, the Washington Administrative Code, and agency procedures to ensure accurate, policy-aligned work.
• Skill in navigating change, managing stress, and de-escalating conflict while maintaining focus, professionalism, and a steady presence for the people you support.

Qualifications

• For Social Service Specialist 1 (SSS1): A bachelor’s degree or higher in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, criminal law/justice, or a closely related field; OR a combination of education and/or relevant experience totaling four or more years.
• For Social Service Specialist 2 (SSS2): Twelve months of experience as a Social Service Specialist 1 and completion of the agency’s Social Service Specialist training program; OR a master’s degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, criminal law/justice, or a closely related field, and one year of paid social service experience equivalent to a Social Service Specialist 1; OR a bachelor’s degree in one of the above fields, and two years of paid social service experience equivalent to a Social Service Specialist 1.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Comfort supporting people with complex needs.
• Skill in listening deeply, understanding each person’s circumstances, and using that information to shape assessments, case plans, and participation requirements that support stability and progress.
• Ability to interact with clients, coworkers, medical providers, and community partners with tact, professionalism, and courtesy — even during challenging conversations or emotionally charged moments.
• Capability to interpret medical documentation, determine eligibility pathways, take timely case actions, and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment with competing demands.
• Comfort using multiple automated systems and applying program manuals, the Washington Administrative Code, and agency procedures to ensure accurate, policy-aligned work.
• Skill in navigating change, managing stress, and de-escalating conflict while maintaining focus, professionalism, and a steady presence for the people you support.

Pay

Details on pay are not provided in the given job posting.

Schedule

The work schedule is 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday in-office at the Yakima Community Services Office.