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Children and Family Services Specialist 1 (NY HELPS)

New York State Civil Service

Valhalla, NY · HybridFull-time$70–89K/yrSeen 1w agoSeen in employer's feed 3 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$70–89K/yr
Location
Valhalla, NYHybrid
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

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Job overview

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services seeks a Children and Family Services Specialist 1 to oversee and monitor voluntary agencies and local social services departments across the region. The role includes in-person program reviews and technical assistance visits, case reviews, data collection and assessments, written reports, and monitoring Program Improvement Plans to promote the safety, well-being, and permanency of children and youth receiving services.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Child Welfare ServicesProgram ReviewsTechnical AssistanceCase ReviewsData CollectionAssessmentsReport WritingProgram Improvement PlansData Entry

Qualifications

Six Years of Child and Family Services ExperienceAssociate Degree or Experience EquivalentBachelor's Degree or Experience EquivalentMaster's Degree or Experience EquivalentDoctorate or Experience EquivalentOne Year Permanent Competitive or 55b/C Service

Full job description

NY HELPS Yes

55-b/c Eligible Yes

Agency Children & Family Services, Office of

Title Children and Family Services Specialist 1 (NY HELPS)

Occupational Category Other Professional Careers

Salary Grade 18

Bargaining Unit PS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)

Salary Range From $69964 to $88970 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Permanent

Internship No

Jurisdictional Class Non-competitive Class

Travel Percentage 60%

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 8 AM

To 5 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? Yes

County Westchester

Street Address Westchester Regional Office (Spring Valley) - Child Welfare and Community Services Regional Ops - Valhalla

117 East Stevens Ave Suite 201

City Valhalla

State NY

Zip Code 10545

Duties Description The Westchester Regional Office (WRO) is charged with providing oversight and monitoring responsibilities to the 26 voluntary agencies and 9 Local Departments of Social Services throughout the region which encompasses Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester counties. The responsibilities for this position include but are not limited to in-person program reviews, in-person technical assistance visits, case reviews, data collection and assessments, preparing written reports, monitoring the implementation of Program Improvement Plans (PIPs), data entry, and various other essential task that are necessary to promote the safety, well-being and permanency of children/youth receiving services.

Minimum Qualifications Transfer: One year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service in this title or in a title eligible for 70.1 transfer. Open to the Public: This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).*To be considered for appointment through NY HELPS, candidates must meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications for this position. The qualifications for the full SG 18 level are: Six years of experience providing services to children and their families either in the inspection, management, or administration of: foster care programs; day care programs; adoption programs; domestic violence programs; youth detention facilities; or other providers of care, support, and assistance to children, assuring compliance for certification or licensing purposes; or providing, supervising, monitoring, or administering services for children, adults, or their families, including but not limited to: providing social casework, case planning, case management, counseling, crisis intervention, advocacy on behalf of clients, or direct investigation of potential abuse and neglect in one or more of the following settings: human services; juvenile justice; criminal justice; local departments of social services; or local voluntary childcare service programs.An associate degree may substitute for two years of experience; a bachelor’s degree may substitute for four years of experience; a master’s degree may substitute for five years of experience; and a doctorate may substitute for six years of experience.This position may be designated 55 b/c and is subject to verification of applicant eligibility.

Additional Comments Core operating hours for office-based positions within the agency are 8-5. Exact shift within that timeframe will be discussed at the time of the interview. *For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title maybe filled via a non- competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply. At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualifiedCandidates who took and passed the most recent holding of the Professional Careers Opportunities (PCO) Exam are encouraged to apply.Background Investigation Requirements:1) All prospective employees will be investigated through a Criminal Background Check (CBC), which includes State and federal Criminal History Record Checks. All convictions must be reported; conviction of a felony or misdemeanor, or any falsified or omitted information on the prospective appointee’s employment application, may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case will be determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of State and federal laws, rules, and regulations. Prospective employees will be fingerprinted in order to obtain a record of their criminal history information, and may be required to pay any necessary fees. 2) All prospective employees will be screened against the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). Prospective employees will be required to pay any necessary fees. 3) For Division of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth (DJJOY) prospective appointees will be checked against the Staff Exclusion List (SEL) maintained by the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Prospective employees whose names appear on the SEL as having been found responsible for serious or repeated acts of abuse or neglect will be barred from appointment and may have their names removed from the eligible list(s) for the title(s) if applicable. The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is an equal opportunity employer. OCFS does not discriminate based upon age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, military or veteran status, sex, disability (including pregnancy-related conditions), predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, marital status or status as a victim of domestic violence, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We devote special attention to dismantling racial injustice and recognize that diversity in our workforce is critical to fulfilling our mission. We are committed to the diversity of our staff, and encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply. In furtherance of Executive Order 31 and OCFS’s mission to have a diverse workforce, all people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. All applicants must be dedicated to working in and sustaining an environment of inclusion that affirms and celebrates the backgrounds, learned and lived expertise, whole identities, and individual perspectives of our staff. Applicants of all backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to self-identify during the application process.

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

Name New York State Office of Children and Family Services

Telephone 518-473-7936

Fax 518-473-6122

Email Address [email protected]

Address

Street Bureau of Personnel - TAB

52 Washington Street, 231 North

City Rensselaer

State NY

Zip Code 12144

Notes on Applying Qualified candidates should e-mail their resume and letter of interest to [email protected] You MUST include the Vacancy number of the position in the subject line of your email and/or cover letter to ensure receipt of your application. In order to qualify you for the position when you have current or prior New York State employment, you may be contacted by OCFS Personnel for your social security number to confirm your employment history.

How this job compares

Set against the 697 open Social Services jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 6, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$70–89K/yr
  • New York median$60–64K/yr88 salary ranges
  • US median$53–59K/yr199 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $79K, is 27% above the New York median midpoint ($63K) — in the top quarter of Social Services salary ranges in New York.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 186 open Social Services jobs in New York and 697 across the US. 2% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in New York
Experience
This posting asks for at least 6 years of experience — more than three in four Social Services postings that state a minimum ask for (median 2 years, across 402 postings).
Education
167 of the 697 open Social Services jobs (24%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 6, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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