SUPERVISING FAMILY SERVICE SPECIALIST 2
Bilingual In Spanish And English
Career Family: SUPERVISING FAMILY SERVICE SPECIALIST
Supervising Family Service Specialist 2 is a state title in New Jersey's competitive civil service, which means the way in is an open exam rather than a direct appointment.
On pay it sits at the foot of the Supervising Family Service Specialist ladder. One promotion up is Supervising Family Service Specialist 1, whose band tops out about $12,667 higher. On paper it calls for a master's degree, though the specification lets enough relevant experience stand in for the degree. Pay on the FY2027 schedule runs $83,582 to $122,832, and state payroll currently lists about 672 people in the title, most of them at Children and Families.
How to apply
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Exam
This is an application to sit an exam and be placed on an eligible list for this title, not an application for a specific job. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. There may be no current vacancy behind it, and the list it produces may not be certified for months or years.
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Exam
Open to permanent employees in the competitive division who hold a qualifying lower title in the same unit. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. Like the open competitive exam, this places you on a list; it is not itself a job offer.
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Agency posting
Department of Children and Families posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
Pay ladder: Supervising Family Service Specialist series
- Supervising Family Service Specialist 2 — $87,507 – $128,719 (this title)
- Supervising Family Service Specialist 1 — $95,955 – $141,386
Promoting to Supervising Family Service Specialist 1 raises the top of the band by about $12,667. Its top salary lands around the 70th percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.
Rungs are ordered by FY2027 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 672 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $118,678. The agencies employing the most are:
- Children and Families (672)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.
Definition
Under the direction of a Local Office Manager or other supervisory official in the Department of Children and Families, supervises the delivery of social and protective services; assists in administering office activities according to agency policy in personnel, budget, systems, and training; coordinates service with other family and children's services providers and maintains positive relationships with concerned community groups and individuals; participates in the development of policy, procedures, and standards; does other related duties.
Examples of work
Assists in planning work activities and supervising subordinate staff in the delivery of social services, protective services, foster home finding and placement, residential placement, volunteer coordination, staff training, and resource development. Schedules, plans, and conducts conferences with subordinates to interpret policy; provides advice in handling difficult cases. Schedules, prepares materials for, and helps conduct training sessions to apprise staff of community resources, new social welfare theory, and Department policy and procedures; participates in the orientation of new staff and supervisors. Supervises work operations and/or functional programs, and has responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or discipline of employees. Delivers speeches and/or presentations to define the agency's role and services. Engages in community outreach with school systems, hospitals, clinics, institutions, and professional and community groups to promote the prevention of abuse and neglect. Provides case consultation with other professional staff to discuss family problems and treatment methods. Utilizes community resources for mental health, medical, vocational, educational, residential, and other assistance and provides recommendations on behalf of agency clients. Provides recommendations and develops plans for needed community services. Conducts surveys, studies, and investigations to evaluate and broaden program effectiveness. Analyzes the need for specialized social work activities within a local area based on client population; provides for needed services, which may include: protective services for children, and services to address domestic violence, sexual abuse, substance abuse, adolescent behavior, parenting skills and other issues. Works with a staff committee to review, develop and implement policies, procedures, standards and rules. Serves as a member of social planning groups and represents the Department at meetings and conferences. Prepares reports. When working as a consultant, trains and supervises unit supervisors and evaluates their performance. Lifts and carries children and secures them in car seats. Participates in the development of unit policy and procedure. Supervises the establishment and maintenance of records and files. Will be required to drive varied types of State vehicles for field work and/or transport clients. Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of the types of social service agencies likely to be of assistance in providing for the needs of those with social, emotional, psychological or behavioral problems. Knowledge of the economic, social, emotional, and other problems of abused and neglected family members and of possible emotional or other reactions to be anticipated. Knowledge of problems encountered in the investigation of child abuse referrals and other problematic family situations. Knowledge of counseling and interviewing techniques. Knowledge of the methods used to conduct investigations. Knowledge of the methods used to collect and analyze data. Knowledge of the signs of child abuse and neglect. Knowledge of community services and resources. Knowledge of assessment methods used to match children to Resource Families. Ability to interpret and apply Child Protective Services and child welfare policies and procedures. Ability to interpret and apply laws, rules and regulations to specific situations. Ability to supervise the collection of basic social data and develop appropriate social and other plans for children with a variety of emotional, mental, physical and social difficulties. Ability to represent the Department and participate in meetings and conferences. Ability to evaluate and review case plans and case recording. Ability to assign and instruct staff and supervise their work. Ability to assist in developing effective plans of action to address problems. Ability to monitor the effectiveness and appropriateness of services provided to meet the needs of children and families. Ability to plan, schedules, and conduct staff conferences. Ability to supervise the delivery of social and protective services. Ability to lift, carry, position and secure children in car seats. Ability to perform heavy lifting of children and their belongings. Ability to safely drive a State vehicle. Ability to conduct studies and surveys. Ability to prepare legal reports, affidavits, and depositions. Ability to remain calm and decisive in emergency situations, make immediate and critical decisions based on agency policy, and perform judiciously under pressure. Ability to supervise the establishment and maintenance of records and files. Ability to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. This job specification is applicable to the following title code(s) which are different work week or work month and/or variants of the job class title: Job Spec Code State, Local or Common Class of Service Work Week State Class Code Local Class Code Salary Range
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. NOTE: Appointments may be made to positions requiring bilingual skills. - Bilingual in Spanish and English SPECIAL SKILL: Applicants must be able to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in Spanish and English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience. Seven (7) years of professional experience in social work, direct support counseling, guidance, or case management involving high risk child abuse and neglect or other problematic situations involving counseling services to clients with social, emotional, psychological, or behavioral problems including gathering and analyzing information, determining needs, and planning and/or carrying out treatment plans. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and three (3) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. OR Possession of a Master's degree in Social Work, Psychology, Guidance and Counseling, Divinity, Marriage and Family Therapy, or other related behavioral science area; and two (2) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. A maximum of one year of non-caseload carrying experience may be credited toward the above-mentioned professional experience. A supervised social work field placement of three hundred (300) hours serviced through an accredited college or university or performed in a social service agency may be credited for one (1) year of the above-mentioned professional experience. "Professional experience" refers to work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the authority to act according to one's own judgment and make accurate and informed decisions. SCNL26N/AR26-Bilingual In Spanish And EnglishSCNL26N/AR26- This job specification is for government use only. Salary range is only applicable to state government. Local salaries are established by individual local jurisdictions. 1/10/2026