Summary This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, ACYF-Children's Bureau, located in Atlanta, Georgia, Boston, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, Dallas, Texas, Denver, Colorado, Kansas City, Missouri, New York, New York, Philadelphia, Tennessee, San Francisco, California, Seattle, Washington, and Washington, District of Columbia. Responsibilities The incumbent serves as a technical resource/consultant in the application of Federal regulations and procedures through the Child and Family Service review process, providing technical assistance and advice in conducting Child and Family Service reviews; participating in joint planning with States; applying analytical and problem solving techniques in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of State Child and Family Service programs; participating in engaging the State in continuous assessment and quality improvement efforts; and recommending and monitoring program improvement actions and strategies. This position represents the full performance level. Duties Include: Assists in the planning and coordination of State-specific review procedures, time frames, steps, and functions with State and local agency officials, other Federal staff, and contractors. Analyzes interim findings to assess compliance with Federal laws and determine the efficacy of administrative and technical methods. Collects and evaluates information from sources like statewide assessments and qualitative data from case reviews and interviews. Applies national standards to State performance in Child and Family Service programs, develops comparative analyses, and makes recommendations. Works with team leaders to analyze and interpret statewide data and qualitative information related to child welfare policy and practice. Reviews cases of children and families for on-site Child and Family Service reviews and conducts interviews with various stakeholders. Prepares documents such as preliminary assessments, final reports, and letters of notification, identifying areas requiring corrective action. Participates in entrance and exit conferences to present information on State Child and Family Service reviews and discuss findings and program improvement planning. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic AND Specialized Experience requirements as noted below. Basic Requirement: You must meet one of the items listed below (A, B, or C): A. Possess a degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position. (Must provide transcripts) B. Possess a combination of education and experience -- that provided you with the knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. (Must provide transcript) C. Possess four years of appropriate experience that demonstrates acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. Specialized Experience:GS-12: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing (3) of the (4) duties listed below: 1. Overseeing the administration of State or Tribal child protective services, foster care and/or adoption programs with oversight/administration of programming in all political subdivisions of the jurisdiction or over a region(s) if oversight in that jurisdiction is provided on a regional basis. 2. Identifying needs and deficiencies of a State or Tribal child protective services, foster care and/or adoption program on a jurisdiction-wide or regional level, as appropriate with responsibility for developing and implementing response to bring about improvement. 3.Coordinating and leading assessments of a State or Tribal child protective service, foster care and/or adoption program on a jurisdiction-wide or regional level, as appropriate. 4. Preparing documents such as preliminary assessments, final reports, and/or letters of notification to accurately identify areas requiring corrective action. Documenting Experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through national Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=app All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. Education If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. This position requires specific coursework and/or a degree to meet the basic education requirement. You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages. INCENTIVES Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc. In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public. Veterans' Preference - https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/veterans/veterans-preference/#content Reasonable Accommodation: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please see Agency Contact Information for whom to contact for more info. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. You must contact the HR contact on the vacancy announcement at least three business days before the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance. For more information on disability employment, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/ Career Transition Program: This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee\_guides/career\_transition.asp Political appointment: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. If you are unable to apply online, please contact the Mid-Atlantic Services Branch at NORFOLKMAIL@OPM.GOV for more information.