Social Worker III IA&T - In Home/Foster Care

Chatham, County of (NC); Pittsboro (NC); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Chatham County Department of Social Services seeks a dedicated child welfare social worker to provide in-home and foster care services, assessing family needs, safety, and permanency planning. The role emphasizes collaboration with families, placement providers, and partner agencies to ensure well-being of children.

The position requires advanced training in social work, strong case management skills, and the ability to testify in court when necessary.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work and one year of social work experience; or a Bachelor’s degree in social work with two years of social work or counseling experience; or related fields with equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Monitor safety of children in homes with identified neglect or abuse; conduct assessments of family strengths and needs.
• Assess safety and risk of continued harm to children.
• Engage families in case planning to promote safety and permanency.
• Coordinate services across medical, educational, mental health, and social supports for foster care children.
• Prepare comprehensive court reports and testify in court when needed.
• Maintain case records per policy and participate in on-call rotations.

Job description

Are you a compassionate social worker driven to make a lasting difference in the lives of children and families? Do you want to join a collaborative team that’s dedicated to protecting vulnerable children and empowering families to thrive? Are you seeking an environment that cultivates a strong sense of teamwork, promotes a healthy work-life balance, and places a high priority on employee wellness and mental health? Do you want to enjoy exceptional benefits that reflect how much we value your commitment and passion for helping others? If you’re seeking a meaningful career where your work truly matters—and a workplace that genuinely cares we’d love to hear from you.

This position operates within the child welfare unit of the agency and provides In-Home and Foster Care social work services to monitor and maintain the safety of children where neglect or abuse has been identified. This position conducts assessments to accurately identify the strengths and needs of the family system and assess the risk of continued harm to the children. Works to strengthen the family’s capacity to protect and nurture children and provides referrals to community services.

**NOTE** Two professional references including one from a current or previous supervisor is required.

The following essential functions serve as a general guide for this position. Position functions are subject to change based on departmental needs and external factors including, but not limited to, regulatory requirements.

• Monitor the safety of children in their homes where neglect or abuse has been identified and conduct assessments that accurately reflect the strengths and needs of the family system;
• Assess the safety of children and risk of continued harm;
• Actively works with parents and families to engage them in the case planning process and guide them towards safety and permanence for their children;
• Work with families to strengthen their capacity to protect and nurture children through referrals to community resources;
• Conduct home visits to see children, placement providers, and families face to face and in their home environments per NC DHHS policies;
• Coordinate the medical, dental, educational, mental health, and psychiatric services for children in foster care;
• Facilitate shared parenting with placement providers, and family time between children, parents, and siblings;
• Participate in Child and Family Team and Permanency Planning review meetings;
• Work collaboratively with a wide array of partners including the parents, Guardian ad Litem program, foster and relative placement providers, treatment providers, and attorneys in case planning activities;
• Develop comprehensive family services agreements to outline the activities that the social worker and parents will do to be able to safely maintain their children in the home and/or to return them to the home safely;
• Attend and participate in child planning conferences;
• Prepare comprehensive court reports including recommended plans for permanency, participate in associated court proceedings, and testify in court as needed;
• Document all case activities in the record per local and state policy and required timeframes, thoroughly and accurately;
• Participate in the rotation for on-call for children’s services;
• Participate in shelter operations or other weather-related incidents as needed;
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Master’s degree from an accredited school of social work and one year of social work experience; or a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited school of social work and two years of social work or counseling experience (one year of work experience can be credited for completion of the social work collaborative); or Master’s degree in a counseling field and two years of social work or counseling experience; or a four-year degree in a human services field or related curriculum and three years of social work or counseling experience; or graduation from a four-year college or university and four years of experience in rehabilitation counseling, pastoral counseling or a related human service field providing experience in the techniques of casework, group work or community organization; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

• Considerable knowledge of child welfare practice and policy including abuse, neglect, and dependency;
• Considerable understanding of trauma and its impact on children and families involved with the child welfare system;
• Skilled in the ability tomanage conflict, remain neutral and fair, engage people and build trust, and promote collaboration and consensus toward positive outcomes;
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize work assignments, and be flexible with scheduling as needed;
• Ability to quickly and competently assess the risks and safety of the home environment, employ negotiation skills in complex situations, and de-escalate emotional and tense situations;
• Ability to work independently and manage day-to-day tasks;
• Thorough knowledge of social work principles, techniques, and practices, and their application to complex casework, group work, and community and system issues;
• Knowledge of a wide range of medical, behavioral, and/or psychosocial problems that children and families may be experiencing;
• Considerable knowledge of family and group dynamics and a range of intervention techniques, governmental and private organizations, and resources in the community, laws, regulations, and policies that govern the program;
• Ability to prepare documentation such as comprehensive court reports;
• Ability to competently testify in court as needed;
• Ability to communicate effectively with individuals from varying cultures and backgrounds via phone and through personal contact and provide equitable treatment to all;
• Ability to use best practices, strategies, professional judgment, and time management skills in complex situations;
• Ability to plan and coordinate with both internal and external parties;
• Ability to deal tactfully with others and to exercise good judgment in appraising situations and making decisions;
• Ability to be flexible and to work as a team player;
• Ability to demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills;
• Ability to demonstrate excellent listening skills;
• Ability to demonstrate good public relations skills;
• Skill in operating standard office equipment such as computers, phones, fax machines, and scanners;
• Ability to perform work using local and state technology systems including NCFAST, CWIS, Northwoods, iiReception, Microsoft Office, internet browsers, virtual meeting platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and other commonly used electronic programs;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with county officials, department heads, court partners, peers, associates, and the general public.

Physical Requirements

This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 50 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking, hearing and repetitive motions, frequently requires touching or feeling and occasionally requires standing, walking, climbing, balancing, reaching, pushing, pulling and lifting; work has standard vision requirements; work requires vocal communication to express or exchange ideas orally; work requires hearing to perceive information at normal spoken levels; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data; work is generally performed in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic.) Must be able to operate a vehicle and perform fieldwork.

Work settings include the Department of Social Services, referral/resource agencies, and the homes of individuals. Home visits are made to often crowded, unsanitary dwellings, which lack proper lighting, handicap access, and other amenities. In addition, homes are often sub-standard and may be infested with pests. The worker is exposed to regular traffic hazards and adverse weather conditions.

Special Requirements

**Must be fingerprinted and successfully pass a Criminal History Record Check with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations (NCSBI)**

Must possess a valid North Carolina driver's license.

Must complete all applicable required training including Confidentiality, Civil Rights, FEMA and Red Cross Shelter Training, Bloodborne Pathogens, applicable adult services program training, new employee orientation, and Chatham County Department of Social Services Policy and Procedures.