CLASS SPECIFICATION

COMMUNITY SERVICES AIDE III

DEFINITION OF CLASS:
This is community service work which involves providing instruction, advice and guidance to, coordinating efforts to assist, and advocating with government agencies for clients, clients' families, and community groups with a broad range of problems/service needs. Contacts include clinic physicians and nurses, individuals, families, local organizations, and representatives of County, State and the Federal Government to identify, coordinate and disseminate information on, and make referrals to available services; to provide subject-matter advice based on an area of expertise; to increase awareness and advocate for services and service improvements; and to coordinate, facilitate, or resolve problems in service delivery. Public service and assistance is provided to clients/clients' families on demand or on an on-going basis, and involves lengthy and detailed questioning or interviewing to determine the nature of assistance required. Once the service needs are determined, assistance can normally be provided.
A Community Services Aide III performs work under the direction of a higher level supervisor, independently planning and carrying out successive steps in the work, and resolving problems/adjusting to deviations in work assignments in accordance with established policies, procedures, and practices. Situations to which existing guidelines cannot be applied are typically referred to a supervisor. While the service provided is not normally reviewed, the techniques, methods, and approaches are reviewed for conformity with existing guidelines and requirements. Complexity of the work derives from determining what needs to be done, or what action is appropriate, depending on an analysis of the subjects or issues involved in each assignment or case. A Community Services Aide III generally coordinates client assistance cases rather than higher level, professional staff; and this work directly impacts clients' social, physical, or economic well-being. An employee in this class analyzes individual cases and works as a liaison to maximize the efficiency of service provision; e.g., helps people in crisis or need (including children, disabled and newcomers) work through their varied problems, helps community groups obtain assistance to accomplish neighborhood projects, works with service providers to identify service inadequacies and advocates to correct them. Work is performed in public and private settings, including offices, homes and neighborhoods, clinics, and involves occasional exposure to some discomforts and unpleasantness. Work may involve occasional exposure to infection, contagious disease, or clients whose behavior is aggressive and unpredictable; risk mitigation measures include alertness, thorough hand washing and use of gloves or masks. Physical demands may include long periods of standing; sitting for prolonged periods at a desk or workstation; steadying clients and helping them walk; kneeling, bending and stretching to access files; finger manipulation to record, retrieve and use data; and the physical demands of driving, such as eye-hand/foot coordination.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES: (Illustrative Only)
Performs as an interpreter for non English speaking clients.
Helps individuals to define personal and/or family problems, and to decide on and follow courses of action to solve those problems; assesses clients' needs and eligibility for assistance; and identifies and eliminates barriers between clients and the services they need.
Acts as a liaison between client groups and social service agencies to solve varied problems, which frequently involves telephoning on a client's behalf, accompanying clients on appointments, or translating personal correspondence.
Provides life skills instruction to clients in such areas as parenting, housekeeping, personal hygiene, self-sufficiency, and work readiness.
Provides acts of registered or licensed practical nursing as authorized by a Community Health Nurse (RN) and determined by an RN to be appropriate for assignment to a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA); and, advocates for the client and provides interface between clients and case manager or other providers in order to identify/eliminate barriers between clients and the services they need.
Obtain patient's blood specimens using techniques such as venipuncture (an employee in this class may be required to draw patient's blood specimens for examination by a physician, nurse, or transmission to a laboratory for analysis).
Provides input into the planning and organization of, and leads therapeutic recreational activities for clients.
Serves as a resource person maintaining current information in a specific program area (i.e., housing, immigration, employment, or legal aid) or combination of areas to improve the health, education, economy and general welfare of designated communities.
Ensures availability of services needed in a community by establishing liaison with both public and private health, social service and educational agencies.
Attends meetings of local groups to assist them in community projects by serving as a consultant, speaker and resource person; and promotes involvement of individuals and community leaders in projects.
Identifies acute community problems and initiates action to provide services by contacting appropriate agencies and advocating for assistance, providing support to clients applying for services, and conducting follow up to evaluate effectiveness of service delivery.
Participates in the planning and coordinating of workshops for local groups to assist them in community projects, and in arriving at solutions to neighborhood problems.
May train and oversee the work of lower level Community Services Aides and/or volunteers.
Prepares and maintains client records involving progress and contact notes, internal and external correspondence; and completes statistical reports concerning clients served/services provided.
Performs related duties as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience: Three (3) years of experience providing delivery of social, health and/or public assistance services.
Education: Completion of high school or High School Certificate of completion recognized in the State of Maryland
Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of family dynamics, human development, crisis intervention, and case management.
Knowledge of the principles and methods of community organization.
Knowledge of available resources and applicable regulations to deliver social, health, and/or public assistance services.
Knowledge of human relations and group behavior with respect to organizing and directing support for improvement programs.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, and to prepare and maintain client notes, correspondence, and statistical summary reports.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public and members of public and private agencies, and sensitivity to clients' cultural and socioeconomic differences.
Ability to attend meetings or perform other assignments at locations outside the office.
Special Minimum Qualification:
May be required to have bi lingual ability (English and a foreign language), depending on position assignment.

LICENSE:
Selected individual positions in this class assigned to draw blood must possess
a current license to practice phlebotomy in the State of Maryland issued by the National Phlebotomy Association or similarly recognized national organization (pertains only to positions in this class where drawing blood is a job-related duty).
Selected individual positions in this class assigned on a regular basis to perform acts of registered or licensed practical nursing as delegated by a Registered Nurse must possess a current Maryland Certified Nursing Assistant certification (CNA).
Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator's license when required for job related duties.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD:
Individuals appointed or promoted to this class will be required to serve a probationary period of six (6) months, during which time performance will be carefully evaluated. Continuation in this class will be contingent upon successful completion of the probationary period.

MEDICAL PROTOCOL: Limited Core Exam and Drug/Alcohol Screen.

Class Established: June 1975
Revised: November 1980
January 1987
November 1994(M)
January 2000(M)
November 2001
November 2006
January, 2007
April 2010