City of Framingham, MA                                     August 3, 2026

Position:                      Assistant Social Services Director

Department:              Callahan Center

Salary Range:            PR5A: $76,682 - $95,345

                                        Anticipated Hiring Range: $76,682 - $86,356

Schedule:                    Mon, Wed & Thu: 8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

                                        Tue: 8:30 a.m. -7:30 p.m.

                                        Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

                                        Hours per week: 37.5             

The nationally accredited Callahan Center is a multi-purpose center for people 55 and older. This 25,000-square-foot, fully accessible facility offers a wide range of exercise and recreational programs for little or no cost to participants. The Council on Aging strives to improve the healthy aging of a broader segment of the 55 and older population of Framingham. Social Services staff are available to provide a broad range of support services, assistance with applying for benefits, and referrals for services. Bilingual staff provides support in Spanish and Portuguese and the Center supports LGBTQ+ older adults and their allies.

 For more information, please see the Callahan Center/Senior Services website and the Callahan Courier Newsletter.

The City of Framingham is currently a 100% onsite work environment.

• Position will remain open until filled. Priority will be given to those who apply withing the first 14 days.
• This position is covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City of Framingham and the SEIU Local 888 Professional Union.
• The Callahan Center is located at 535 Union Avenue, Framingham, and is accessible by the MWRTA (routes 2 and 3).
• We seek to hire a candidate who shares our commitment to Framingham and values civility, collegiality and working in a coordinated team environment to serve the City of Framingham.
• The City of Framingham is committed to the ongoing pursuit of strategic diversity initiatives that help to position diversity, equity, and inclusion as central to municipality and community-wide excellence in the City of Framingham.
• The City of Framingham is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer.

Position Purpose:

Position is responsible for assisting the Social Services Director in advocating for, coordinating, and implementing social services in accordance with NASW standards for residents over the age of 55 in Framingham. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.

Essential Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. 

• Assesses older adult needs regarding physical and mental health, and ability to function; provides case management services to identify appropriate actions and options available to seniors, adult children, and families in need. Provides crisis intervention, as needed.
• Refers participants for legal, financial, medical, and psychiatric services; serves as liaison with health and service providers; provides for the continuity of care for participants; assists with completion of various forms and applications for service, such as housing and other benefit programs.
• Makes home visits to unsanitary or cluttered dwellings when individuals are unable to travel to the office. Reports suspected cases of abuse and neglect to the appropriate authorities. Accompanies the Veterans Service Officer on home visits and welfare checks. Works with agencies requesting assistance to identify appropriate emergency housing.
• Arranges transportation and volunteer transportation escort for participants.
• Provides supportive counseling for participants with psychosocial needs or concerns. Develops and conducts psychosocial education programs.
• Conducts outreach to the community of older adults through home visits and attendance at various events to promote participation in the Center's programs and services.
• As a mandated reporter, files reports with Elder Protective Services as warranted.
• Identifies new and existing community resources and providers and updates support-group information for older adults and caregivers.
• Provides crisis intervention and acts as an advocate for Framingham residents identified through City departments, including Building, Veterans Services, Public Health, and Fire and Police Departments, and through local health-care advocates and agencies.
• Works as an interdisciplinary team member with other City departments as needed.
• Coordinates the City's Hoarding Task Force activities. Implements Hoarding Case Management for residents aged 55+ to help ensure that clients living in hoarding or substandard housing maintain corrective measures and safe, sanitary living conditions. Refers cases back to the Building, Veterans, Public Health and Fire Departments when clients do not comply with corrective measures.
• Serves as a liaison for other City of Framingham departments and local social and health-care agencies, establishing common ground so all involved parties can work together cooperatively.
• Attends educational seminars to remain current on elder social-services events and laws.
• Facilitates various support groups and serves on the City's Opioid Settlement Task Force and Age Well activities.
• Collaborates with community pilot programs that benefit older adults.
• Performs all similar or related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Must be certified and maintain certification as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Must obtain CPR and defibrillator use certification after hire.
• Must have a Class D driver’s license.
• Must have reliable transportation.
• At least three (3) years of social services experience, preferably with elders.
• Suitable results of a Massachusetts CORI/SORI background check prior to hire and every two years thereafter.
• Knowledge of:
• local, state, and federal level senior services preferred
• Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, and Excel programs
• Ability to:
• assess and evaluate situations and provide appropriate counseling
• mediate, collaborate, multi-task, and be patient and flexible
• access the Internet to obtain information in support of department operations
• clinically assess and evaluate a situation in order to secure a solution to a problem
• Needed skills:
• listening to older adults and offering fair and impartial counseling
• calm and effective response in crisis situations
• proficient case management, consultation, and crisis intervention

Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions. The City of Framingham is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Framingham will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is necessary to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the City of Framingham’s Human Resources department at 508-532-5490 or koleary@framinghamma.gov.

Physical Skills: Some physical demands are required to perform the work, such as providing assistance to older adults. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of walking, and standing when conducting site visits.

There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as medical equipment.

Motor Skills: Duties may involve assignments requiring application of hand and eye coordination with finger dexterity and motor coordination. Examples may include operating a personal computer.

Visual Skills: Position requires the employee to routinely read documents, computer screen, and reports for understanding and analytical purposes.

Supervision Required:

Employee works under the general direction of the Social Services Director.

The Assistant Social Services Director plans and carries out the regular work in accordance with standard practices and previous training, with substantial responsibility for determining the sequence and timing of action and substantial independence in planning and organizing the work activities, including determining the work methods.

The employee conducts a comprehensive assessment of a problem and uses problem-solving and clinical skills to develop a plan of action or intervention. Instructions for new assignments or special projects usually consist of statements of desired objectives, deadlines, and priorities. Technical and policy problems or changes in procedures are discussed with the Social Service Director, but ordinarily the employee plans the work, lays it out, and carries it through to completion independently. Work is generally reviewed only for technical adequacy, appropriateness of actions or decisions, and conformance with policy or other requirements; the methods used in arriving at the result are not usually reviewed in detail.

Supervisory Responsibility:

Supervises one position; also performs non-supervisory work that is of the same kind and level as is done by the employee being supervised. May act as supervisor during the temporary absence of the Social Services Director. Employee provides direction and guidance to department MSW interns and part-time social services staff and volunteers.

Work Environment:

Employee performs work in an office setting, attending outreach meetings, and making presentations in the community.

Occupational Risk:

Duties generally do not present occupational risk to the employee.  Personal injury could occur, however, through employee failure to properly follow safety precautions or procedures.

Confidentiality:

Employee has access to confidential client records and information of the department.

Accountability:

Consequences of errors or poor judgment may include missed deadlines, monetary loss, legal repercussions, personal injury, danger to public health/safety, or adverse public relations.

Judgment:

The work requires examining, analyzing, and evaluating facts and circumstances surrounding individual problems, situations, or transactions, and determining actions to be taken within the limits of standard or accepted practices. Guidelines include a large body of policies, practices, and precedents which may be complex or conflicting, at times.

Judgment is used in analyzing specific situations to determine appropriate actions. The employee is expected to weigh efficiency and relative priorities in conjunction with procedural concerns in decision-making. Requires understanding, interpreting, and applying federal, state, and local regulations.

Complexity:

The work consists of the practical application of a variety of concepts, practices, and specialized techniques relating to a professional or technical field. Assignments typically involve evaluation and interpretation of factors, conditions or unusual circumstances; inspecting, testing, or evaluating compliance with established standards or criteria; gathering, analyzing, and evaluating facts or data using clinical assessment skills; or determining the level of intervention required to achieve solutions to a client’s problem.

Nature and Purpose of Relationships:

Relationships are with co-workers, the public, families, and with groups and/or individuals who have conflicting opinions or objectives, diverse points of view or differences where clinical skills are required to achieve support, concurrence, acceptance or compliance to a solution; and/or one-on-one relationships with a person who may have psychiatric issues, where gaining a high degree of persuasion may be required to obtain the desired effect. The employee may represent to the public a functional area of the municipality on matters of procedures or policy where perceptiveness is required to analyze circumstances in order to act appropriately.

Apply at the link below:

https://selfservice.framinghamma.gov/ess/EmploymentOpportunities/JobDetail.aspx?req=27013&sreq=1&form=JOB1&desc=ASSISTANT%20SOCIAL%20SERVICES%20DIRECTOR