Salary: $80,496.00 - $108,228.00 Annually
Location : Pierce County - Puyallup, WA
Job Type: Full Time - Permanent
Job Number:
Department: Dept of Children, Youth, and Families
Division: CW Field Operations - Region 5
Opening Date: 08/31/2026
Closing Date: 9/7/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Salary Information: The high end of the salary range, Step M is typically a longevity step

Description
Job Title: Adoptions Social Service Supervisor 5 (SSS5).
Location: Puyallup, WA - Region 5 (Region Map). This full-time permanent position requires time in the field and the office. Travel is a requirement of this position. This position will travel within its assigned areas of work, and the incumbent may be required to travel with clients as cases require, as well as travel to attend training and meetings in other locations.
Closes: 09/07/2026
Salary: $80,496 - $108,228 Annually. Assignment Pay: This position will receive 10% assignment pay. This is in addition to the regular base salary; the required duties include performing visits in unregulated environments, such as private residences, to conduct investigations for allegations of abuse and/or neglect to assess the safety of vulnerable children.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is seeking a Social Service Specialist 5 (SSS5) to supervise Social Service Specialists for Region 5 in the Adoptions Unit. This supervisory position will manage Adoptions/CFWS staff who are stationed at the Tacoma and Puyallup Offices. The culture of the regional programs permanency team is collaborative, supportive, innovative, and passionate about the work. Our office is focused on supporting our team as they learn and develop their skills in child welfare practice. If you have child welfare experience and are looking for an opportunity to expand your leadership skills, mentor others, and continue your professional growth and development in a supervisory role, we encourage you to apply.

Click here to learn more about DCYF.

The Opportunity:
In this role, you will use your strong assessment and engagement skills to supervise Social Service Specialists. You will provide staff with advanced-level guidance and specialized case management knowledge to accomplish the agency's goals of child protection, permanency planning, and enhancing child well-being, ensuring child safety is at the forefront of all decision-making. This position provides Social Service Specialists with on-the-job training, mentoring, feedback, coaching, and consultation, including field observations and modeling of case management skills and techniques. This position tracks performance and expectations of their staff and holds them accountable for ensuring they are following DCYF policy, regional practice, State and Federal law, and the Indian Child Welfare Act. In performing all assigned duties, the Adoption Supervisor adheres to the Child Safety Framework with a focus on child safety through the life of a case, and permanency and wellbeing through understanding and respecting the strengths of clients, including their heritage, cultural beliefs and values, communication and learning style. When working as a Social Service Specialist 5, this position makes sure its staff are knowledgeable of racial equity and social justice framework and are implementing culturally relevant, ADA-sensitive, and individualized service plans with clients, which are goal-directed, have specific behavioral objectives, and are time-limited. The unit supervisor is responsible for providing regular, thorough clinical reviews and consultations; monitoring assigned client cases; applying child welfare practice principles, laws, rules, and policies; and assessing and intervening in assigned workloads when necessary.

Some of what you will get to do:

• Supervise and mentor a unit of Social Service Specialists and complete casework.
• Provide mentoring, coaching, counseling, consultation, on-the-job training, and feedback.
• Manage and support Social Service Specialists in formal training plans who are transitioning to fieldwork.
• Perform quality assurance on staff documentation, assessments, reports, case management, and payment initiation.
• Ensure Social Service Specialists document case activities and information gathered within the case file and FAMLINK.
• Prepare written staff performance evaluations utilizing the Performance Evaluation system.
• Consult with administrators and human resources regarding corrective or disciplinary action.
• Timely hiring of new staff when vacancies occur and following HR process to update PD and fill positions as needed.
• Train new and existing staff to gather accurate and complete information, organize information, and make case decisions.
• Keep staff informed of policies, rules, and regulations affecting their jobs and the children and families they serve.
• Provide consultation and oversight to ensure accurate application of the child safety framework.
• Review and revise service referrals, letters, court reports, and assessments.
• Review case activities with parents and relatives to establish case goals, identifying services for the family.
• Evaluate progress of children moving towards permanency by utilizing shared planning to obtain input from others closely connected to the case.
• Initiate payments within FamLink for child placement and child/family services.
• Coordinate with other supervisors to ensure appropriate coverage for the office.
• Participate in supervisory, administrative, and individual meetings and conferences.
• Attend and testify in Superior Court.

Required Qualifications:
Eight (8) years of paid social service experience* AND30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline.
OR
A Master's degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences or any Master's degree which includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline AND three (3) years of paid social service experience*.
OR
A Bachelor's degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences or any Bachelor's degree which includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline AND four (4) years of paid social service experience*.
OR
One (1) year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 4 (SSS4).
OR
Two (2) years of experience as a Social Service Specialist 3 (SSS3).
AND

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

NOTE: A two-year Master's degree in one of the above fields that included a practicum may be substituted for one (1) year of paid social service experience.

*Paid social service experience must include at least one (1) year of assessing risk and safety to children and providing direct family-centered practice services.
In addition to those required qualifications, our ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following:

• Prior public child welfare experience with mandatory clients.
• A Master's Degree in Social Work.
• Previous case management experience working with children and families in Child Welfare Programs (CPS, CFWS, Adoptions/Permanency, or Afterhours).
• Current knowledge of applicable laws, rules, and policies on the delivery of child protective and child welfare services within Washington State.
• Experience implementing risk assessment in cases using the preferred risk assessment model and child safety framework.
• Experience using FamLink and maintaining Famlink documentation.

How do I apply?
In addition to completing the online application, please attach the following:

• College Transcripts - an unofficial copy is acceptable for application purposes
• Cover Letter
• Resume

Supplemental Information:
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is committed to Washington's children and youth growing up safe, healthy, and thriving. We invite all candidates to join us in our goal to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. If you are excited about this role but you believe that your education and/or experience might not align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway.

The incumbent must successfully complete Supervisor Core Training (SCT) within one year of initial appointment.

Must successfully complete formal training courses as required by law, policy, and regional requirements within twelve months of initial appointment.

This position requires a minimum of at least two years of driving experience and a valid driver's license.

This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). For more information:

If you need an accommodation throughout the application/interview process, contact If you're experiencing technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or email Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 360-664-1960.

Degrees must be obtained from an accredited college or university whose accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or a foreign equivalent verified by a NACES-approved organization at naces.org. Foreign Equivalency certification must be attached to the application for degrees obtained outside the U.S.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and wish to claim Veteran's Preference MUST attach a copy of their DD214, NGB Form 22, or Predischarge Certification (issued not more than 120 days prior to End of Term of Service (ETS) by date of submission). If claiming preference based on Predischarge Certification, the individual will be required to provide their official discharge documentation, such as a DD Form 214, NGB Form 22, or equivalent, within 30 days after the date of discharge. Please black out (redact) the Social Security Number before attaching any documents. For additional information on Veterans' Preference and guidance on how to determine if you are eligible, .
2026-07168
More than Just a Paycheck!
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Read about our benefits:
The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.

Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.

Insurance Benefits
Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.

Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.

To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.

Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.

Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.

The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation
State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.

Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This