Social Worker (Child Protection)

Association of Minnesota Counties

Minnesota

On-site

USD 71,000 - 100,000

Full time

13 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Vacation, sick leave and holiday pay

Health, preventive dental and life保险

Job summary

Wright County Health & Human Services in Buffalo, MN is seeking a Full-time Social Worker (Child Protection) to perform intake, outreach and assessments, provide case management and safety planning, and participate in court proceedings when required.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree in social work (or related field with one year of experience), knowledge of child protection laws, strong communication, and a valid driver’s license; MnCHOICES certification within six months is preferred.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in social work or related field with 1 year of related experience.
Knowledge of child protection laws, court procedures, and service coordination.
Ability to perform intake, assessments and case management with evidence-based practices.

Responsibilities

Performs intake, outreach and assessment with communities, systems, families and individuals and provides social service interventions utilizing evidence-based practices and standards.
Meets with clients to identify needs and services; obtains and reviews evaluations for program eligibility.
Develops case plans, provides services and performs case management activities; conducts investigations; performs assessments and screenings for health and safety and ongoing services.
Consults with Supervisor and may consult with County Attorney's office regarding legislation, data practices and ethical dilemmas; provides training to and serves as a resource to others.
Oversees, mentors, and participates in orientation activities and training of newly hired social work staff, students and interns.
Reports maltreatment, death and serious injuries; testifies and provides documentation in legal proceedings.
Maintains knowledge of programs, laws and procedures by attending meetings, training and conferences.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Case management

Court experience

Knowledge of social work

Data entry

Education

Bachelor's degree in social work

Bachelor's degree in related field + 1 year experience

MnCHOICES Assessor certification within 6 months

Tools

MS Office

Database systems

Job description

Social Worker (Child Protection)

Salary

$33.97 - $48.23 Hourly

Location

Government Center, 3650 Braddock Ave NE, Buffalo, MN 55313, MN

Job Type

Full-time

Job Number

2026 August - Social Worker CP

Department

Health & Human Services

Opening Date

08/18/2026

Closing Date

9/1/2026 11:59 PM Central

General Definition of Work

Full time Child Protection Social Worker with Wright County Health & Human Services. Child protection social workers provide an array of services to families, provide assessments, intervention services, safety planning services, case management, and court intervention, if necessary. Social workers work both voluntarily with families and through court intervention under a CHIPS petition with the main goal being family preservation in all cases. Child protection social workers must be able to attend and participate in court trials regularly.

Hiring pay range is $33.97/hr. - $38.05/hr. depending on qualifications and direct work experience. Please note this position is in-office work setting.

Essential Functions

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Performs intake, outreach and assessment with communities, systems, families and individuals and provides social service interventions utilizing evidence-based practices and standards.
Meets with clients to identify needs and services; obtains and reviews diagnostic evaluations for program and service eligibility.
Develops case plans, provides services and performs case management activities; conducts investigations; performs assessments and screenings for health and safety and ongoing services; develops written support and service plans; reviews, monitors and adjusts as necessary; addresses crisis situations, advocates for client services and provides services or refers clients for services and placements with community providers; contacts law enforcement or emergency services as necessary; delegates to support staff as necessary.
Consults with Supervisor and may consult with County Attorney's office regarding legislation, data practices, and ethical dilemmas; provides training to and serves as a resource to others in Department, community, schools or other County Departments regarding program rules and requirements and County practices; updates and maintains program resources.
Oversees, mentors, and participates in orientation activities and training of newly hired social work staff, students and interns.
Reports incidences of maltreatment, death and serious injuries of adults and children; testifies and provides documentation in appeals and legal proceedings.
Maintains knowledge of programs, laws and procedures by attending meetings, training and conferences, and reviewing technical literature.
Performs other duties and activities as assigned.

Education And Experience

Minimum Qualifications & Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Bachelor's degree in social work; or bachelor's degree in a related field and one year of related experience in social work/health and human services.

Special Requirements

Two years of related work experience in Health and Human Services is preferred.
QDDP Status upon hire may be required.
MnCHOICES Assessor certification within six months of employment.
A valid driver's license or evidence of equivalent mobility is also required upon hire.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Knowledge of social work theory and practice fundamentals; knowledge of human behavior principles and theory; knowledge of, and ability to interpret and apply, laws and regulations related to mental health, chemical dependency, adult and child protection, licensing, child welfare, adoption, and physical and developmental disability programs; knowledge of local, State, and Federal laws, rules, regulations and policies pertaining to assigned area including knowledge of court procedures and practices; knowledge of computer systems and programs used to administer Human Service programs; knowledge of County government work flows and processes; skill in the use of standard office equipment, including computers and software programs; verbal and written communication skills sufficient to effectively present information and respond to questions from a wide variety of audiences; reading comprehension skills sufficient to read and understand medical reports and technical and legal documents; interpersonal skills sufficient to exchange and/or convey information, receive work direction, and maintain effective working relationships; ability to perform data entry into various databases; ability to deal effectively with demanding/challenging individuals and individuals in crisis; ability to pay attention to detail and effectively organize time and anticipate, plan and successfully respond to changing circumstances; ability to perform all job duties in compliance with safety guidelines and with an ongoing awareness of safety practices; ability to communicate courteously and professionally while maintaining positive working relationships with others when carrying out all job functions.

Physical Requirements

This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 25 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel and tasting or smelling, frequently requires repetitive motions and occasionally requires standing, walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms, pushing or pulling and lifting work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating machines, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work occasionally requires exposure to fumes or airborne particles, exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals, exposure to outdoor weather conditions, exposure to the risk of electrical shock and exposure to bloodborne pathogens and may be required to wear specialized personal protective equipment; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Benefits