Caseworker III

Theuniversityunion; Black Hawk (CO); On-site; USD 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Theuniversityunion is seeking a Full-Time Social Services Worker in Black Hawk, CO. The role focuses on intake, ongoing casework for adults, children and families where abuse or neglect is suspected, and extensive assessment, counseling, crisis intervention, and resource coordination.

Primary duties include child protection intake, ongoing protection cases, adult protection, court testimony, and collaboration with community partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a human services field or acceptable alternative.
• N/A
• Must complete Colorado Child Welfare Training Academy within first year.

Responsibilities

• Conducts assessments of alleged abuse or neglect and safety planning for children and adults.
• Completes extensive case documentation for court reports and case plans.
• Responds to crisis calls and provides crisis intervention as needed.
• Provides home visits, connects clients to services, and coordinates with partners.

Skills

Communication skills

Crisis intervention

Case management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services

Job description

• Location 15193 Highway 119,Black Hawk, CO, 80422,United States
• Base Pay $28.84 - $37.43 / Hour
• Job Category Human Services
• Employee Type FT Non-Exempt

Contact information

Description

Primary Responsibility: Provides intake and ongoing social casework services to adults, children and families where abuse or neglect is present or suspected. Assignments include the provision of extensive assessment and situational evaluation, counseling, crisis intervention, resource mobilization and information and referral around all areas of child and adult protection.

Work will involve each of these areas

• Child Protection Intake: Assesses allegations of abuse/neglect and refers clients to appropriate services.
• Child Protection Ongoing: Carries ongoing caseload that specializes in child protection, family and adolescent crisis response, delinquency and parent/child conflict, emancipation planning and facilitating adoptions. Assessing for safety continues throughout the life of each case.
• Adult Protection: Actively participates in the intake process of taking referrals; the investigation and assessment of allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation to those who are aged, vulnerable or disabled; crises intervention; assessment of client’s strengths and capabilities; case management; advocacy and referrals to other agencies to further support the client. When required, petitions to the courts for legal/judicial intervention if it is in the best interest of the client. This includes decision making on behalf of the adjudicated client for whom the county department is the legal guardian.

Department: Human Services

Immediate Supervisor: Child & Adult Protection Program Manager

Pay Grade: NE11 - $28.84 - $37.43

Hiring Range: $28.84 – $33.13

Status: Full-Time

Classification: Non-Exempt

Primary Place of Work: 15193 HWY 119 Black Hawk, CO 80422

Main Job Duties

• Conducts assessments of alleged physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect; determines if situation warrants the recommendation of placing children outside the home; supervises placement of children and coordinates parent/child visits; works with treatment teams to determine when and if a child should be recommended to return to the home.
• Completes extensive case documentation as required at all levels in child and adult protection assessments and cases, which includes preparing court reports and social histories. Develops and writes reports that demonstrates appropriate, clear and professional documentation for court reports, case plans, recommendations, contacts, assessments, etc.; develops case file information; completes forms and writes correspondence.
• Makes evaluation and assessment of need for services; provides crisis intake and/or develops long-term case plans appropriate to the adult, child(ren) and family. Monitors progress of clients and modifies case plans and services as needed.
• Answer hotline calls for child welfare and adult protection. Receive incoming calls of a possible crisis nature. Gather all information needed utilizing screening questions and document in the state-wide data bases.
• May provide individual or family counseling on an ongoing or crisis basis to children and their parents who are experiencing parent-child conflict.
• Makes home visits with clients on a regular basis. Organizes services such as life skills, childcare, day treatment, therapy, parenting support, Medicare/Medicaid resources, assisted living or nursing facilities and in-home services. Provides information on available services.
• Works proactively and positively in collaboration with our community partners to include law enforcement, District Attorney’s Office, courts, hospitals, home care providers, service providers, schools, assessment centers and any other community partner pertinent to the assessment or case.
• Makes contacts with community resources such as law enforcement and medical personnel to obtain additional information, coordinate services or secure their assistance.
• Participates in staff meetings with school, mental health facilities, child protection review teams and other professionals involved with the family members.
• Testifies in court on a variety of ongoing cases; makes recommendations to the courts on abuse and neglect cases, placement of children, guardianship of adults and custody investigations; confers with lawyers, children, parents, witnesses and significant others in reference to their respective roles.
• Serves as an information and referral source to the public.
• Provides a variety of ancillary assignments as needed including preparing and maintaining client records, completing required forms and reports and entering computer information.
• Maintains and upgrades professional knowledge, skills, and development by attending seminars and training programs as appropriate.

Additional Job Duties

• Performs other duties as assigned by the Human Services Director and any duties needed to stabilize an emergency situation.
• May provide Adult Protective Services for the County that involves investigations of abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults. Provides ongoing services as needed.

Hours

• Must be available for on-call coverage.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree. Preference for a Bachelor’s Degree in a Human Services Field; or current Volume 7 requirements.
• Must successfully complete the requirements of the Colorado Child Welfare Training Academy as a condition of their continued employment with the County. Must complete annual training to maintain child welfare and adult protection certifications.
• Must have family engagement skills to work with adults, children and families in mitigating risk and enhancing safety that will be used in the office, client homes and in the community. Must have the ability to advocate for the adult, child and/or families, testify in court and de-escalate potentially volatile situations.

Ability to

• Establish rapport with complex, dysfunctional clients.
• Recognize, assess, and analyze a variety of complex barriers and propose effective solutions.
• Organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines and follow up on assignments with minimum direction. Ability to understand, interpret and communicate complicated policies, procedures and protocols.
• Accurately and effectively transmit and receive information that is necessary to the accomplishment of goals and objectives, including effective written and oral communications in English; ability to testify effectively in court hearings; and the ability to listen.
• Exercise independent judgment and critical thought.
• Maintain effective working relationships with medical, law enforcement, education, legal, and psychiatric professionals; members of the judicial system; clients; community organizations and resources; foster parents and other members of the agency for the purpose of developing effective treatment plans for clients, to help clients solve problems, and to educate the community about child abuse and neglect.
• Work efficiently and effectively as a team member within the department.
• Ability to adapt to and apply changing federal and state rules and regulations
• Ability to work with community partner agencies
• Computer knowledge: Microsoft Office and Google Suites; with the ability to learn new programs.
• Working knowledge of and skill in interviewing techniques, crisis intervention methods and relevant treatment modalities.

Working knowledge of

• Theories, principles and concepts of social casework practice related to child protection;
• Casework principles and methods of human needs and behavior pertaining to child development, parenting, attachment and separation;
• Social group work principles and methods;
• Medical symptoms related to injuries or failure to thrive in children;
• Battered child syndrome, and the laws dealing with child abuse, neglect and other dependency conditions;
• Community resources, agency rules, regulations and procedures related to child protection issues.
• Considerable travel is required in order to make home visits and to visit foster parents and children/adults in placement.
• Must be able to work with clients who may be angry, verbally abusive and hostile.
• Must pass background check, including traffic and criminal.

Certifications

• Must possess a valid Colorado Driver’s license without any restriction due to driving record. Must also be able to drive a county vehicle.
• Must possess FEMA 100 and 700 certifications within 6 months of employment.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

• Some work is performed in a standard office environment. Work also involves a considerable period of time away from a standard office environment, much of which consists of driving for home visits, collateral contacts and transporting clients; including children, families and adults.
• Work may occur in situations in which incumbent is threatened with