Social Worker III (Licensing/Placement)

Gaston County Government; Gastonia (NC); On-site; USD 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Gaston County Government (Gaston Social Services) is seeking a social services professional to provide case management for children in foster care and custody. Responsibilities include attending court hearings, coordinating visits, documenting child life histories, and obtaining services for medical, educational, and emotional needs.

The ideal candidate holds an MSW or related master's in human services, with experience in child welfare, case documentation, and family collaboration.

Qualifications

• MSW from an accredited school of social work.
• Master's degree in counseling from an accredited college/university in a human services field with one year of related experience.
• BSW from an accredited school of social work with completion of the Child Welfare Collaborative.
• BSW with one year of directly related experience.
• Bachelor's degree in a human services field with two years of related experience.
• Bachelor's degree with three years of related experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide case management for children in DHHS custody and seek permanency.
• Document and prepare reports, court filings, and family/collateral communications.
• Coordinate visits between child and family and arrange needed services.
• Transport and accompany children to appointments and court when needed.
• Participate in Permanency Planning Team and related meetings; attend trainings.
• Prepare monthly statistical reports and participate in mandatory emergencies and duties.

Skills

Communication

Child development knowledge

Separation & loss knowledge

Education

MSW

Master's in counseling (human services)

BSW with Child Welfare Collaborative

Bachelor's in human services

Job description

Gaston Social Services: Protecting, caring for and empowering children and adults who are temporarily or permanently unable to care for themselves through the administrating of federal, state and county programs focused on improving the well-being of our citizens.

The anticipated hiring range for this position is $27.45 - $32.60

The duties listed below are not all of the duties that may be assigned but are those that are considered as essential for an employee to perform.

• Providing case management services for children in custody of the Department of Health & Human Services and aggressively seeking permanence for them, including [1] seeing each child, [2] attending all court hearings and preparing all necessary reports and documentation, [3] contacting and seeing all appropriate family members and collaterals, [4] coordinating and facilitating visits between child and family, [5] advocating for and obtaining all services the child needs (medical, emotional, education, as well as placement), [6] making home visits (announced and unannounced) to removal home and foster home/group facility – all of such as is required by NCDHHS-Division of Social Services Policy, North Carolina Juvenile Statue, and through local court direction.
• Creating a case file that captures and specifically documents a child's life while in foster care and away from family/caretakers. Social worker prepares pictures, correspondence, medical records, educational records, running narratives that document all DHHS activities, copies of all court paperwork and order, Permanency Planning Team paperwork case plans developed with caretakers, risk assessments, strengths and needs assessments, visitation plans, referrals for child of parent, release of information forms, any mental health records, visitation plans, eligibility for funding forums, all identifying information (such as birth certificates and social security numbers), social histories, home studies, parental information – assessments, criminal histories, past CPS involvements, referred programs progressnotes (i.e., DV Groups, Substance Abuse, therapists, parenting groups, etc.).
• Transporting and accompaniment of child (and sometimes caretakers) to appointments that help to achieve the well-being or permanency goals, visitation between child and caretaker, drug screenings of caretakers, and court.
• Participating and preparatory work for Permanency Planning Team Meetings, Child & Family Team Meetings, Treatment Team meetings for children and mental health needs, and Care Review Meetings for oversight of treatment level and appropriate placements.
• Participating in weekly unit/team staffing, individual staffing (as needed), local trainings, professional development trainings, and state-mandated trainings.
• Preparing monthly reports capturing statistical data.
• Must be available to work mandatory emergency shelters & other duties as assigned.

• MSW from an accredited school of social work
• Masters degree in counseling from an accredited college/university in a human services field and one year of directly related experience.
• BSW from an accredited school of social work and completion of the Child Welfare Collaborative(Child Welfare positions only)
• BSW from an accredited school of social work and one year of directly related experience.
• Bachelor's degree in a human services field from an accredited college/university and two years of directly related experience
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university and three years of directly related experience
• Valid Driver's License.

The ideal candidate will have good communication skills in working children & adolescents, and appropriate child development knowledge. Knowledge of separation and loss impact for children being removed from their family and home environment would be especially helpful.

A copy of a transcript must be included with the application.

FAILURE TO ATTACH YOUR TRANSCRIPTS WILL RESULT IN YOUR APPLICATION BEING REJECTED.

The applicant selected must undergo a criminal background check and pass a drug screening test prior to employment. In compliance with G.S. 153A-94.2 (b), if the position being filled requires an applicant for employment to work with children in any capacity, the County must require the applicant, if offered the position, to be subject to a criminal history record check conducted by the SBI. These checks must be performed in accordance with G.S.143B-1209.26, which authorizes the SBI to provide fingerprint-based state and national criminal record checks to cities and counties.