Social Worker-Invest/Assess and In-home services (CPS)

Stanly County; Albemarle (NC); On-site; USD 40,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

Stanly County is seeking a Social Worker responsible for providing investigative, counseling, and case management services for children at risk of neglect or abuse. This complex role involves performing assessments, managing cases, and collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure child safety. Suitable candidates should hold a degree in Social Work and be prepared for a rotating on-call schedule.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited college or university.
• One year of social work experience with Master's degree.
• Two years of social work experience with Bachelor's degree in Social Work.

Responsibilities

• Receive and evaluate reports of suspected child abuse and neglect.
• Conduct CPS assessments to determine risk and necessary interventions.
• Provide in-home services and coordinate with families and agencies.

Skills

Counseling

Case Management

Crisis Intervention

Negotiation

Problem Solving

Interpersonal Skills

Education

Master's degree in Social Work

Bachelor's degree in Social Work

Bachelor's degree in any field

Job description

This is advanced, professional-level casework providing protective, investigative, counseling, and case management services for children who are at risk for neglect and/or abuse. Employees are assigned to local departments of Social Services and provide social work services, including treatment and immediate response to crisis situations for at-risk children in the most complex cases in the departments. Work involves an investigation of alleged neglect and abuse, substantiation of the alleged neglect or abuse as prescribed by federal and state guidelines, providing expert testimony in court hearings, and following up with case management and preventive services for clients. Employees analyze situations and determine appropriate courses of action immediately or in short time spans, often under very stressful conditions. Employees may provide group, family, or individual treatment to clients of any age and any developmental, mental, medical, substance abuse, financial, or family problem. Employees typically report to a Social Work Supervisor III under general supervision. Employees may have combined investigative and treatment roles or may have separate functions depending on the size and organizational structure of the departments of Social Services. This position works a rotating on-call schedule, which may require night and weekend work. The primary duties of this position would include: (1) receiving reports of suspected child abuse, neglect, or dependency and evaluating these reports to determine if the reported information meets the statutory guidelines for child maltreatment (2) CPS assessments to gather sufficient information to determine the following: if child maltreatment occurred, if there is a risk of future maltreatment and the level of that risk, if the child is safe within the home and, if not, what interventions can be implemented to ensure the child’s protection and maintain the family unit intact if reasonably possible, continuing services needed to reduce the risk of maltreatment occurring in the future, and out of home placement if necessary to protect the child from harm (3) provision of CPS in-home services where the worker and families determine the strategies to be used to change the conditions and behaviors that resulted in child abuse and neglect; to work with the family, their support system, and other service providers to reduce or eliminate the risk of maltreatment (4) to seek removal of custody through the juvenile court when the child cannot be maintained safely in the home of the parent or caretaker or voluntarily placed safely with relatives or other kin while services are continued (5) placement of children in foster homes or group care-settings, which includes direct treatment and counseling for the children themselves, their biological families and their foster families; and preparation of cases for court and testimony in juvenile court and criminal court (6) develop and implement permanent plans for children such as reunification with parents, adoptive placement or other kinship placements (7) position may be assigned other related duties and activities as deemed appropriate by the supervisor. Competency in computer skills required.

Comprehensive knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of Child Welfare and social work, and their application to social services casework, group work and community programs.

Thorough knowledge of the federal, state and local laws, ordinances, standards and regulations, and department policies and procedures of the Children/Family Services division of the Department of Social Services.

Thorough knowledge of family and group dynamics and risk factors impacting families' ability to protect and care for children.

Thorough knowledge of counseling and intervention methods and techniques.

Thorough knowledge of HIPAA guidelines and ability to apply guidelines to client information and records

Good knowledge of human behavior and variables affecting behavior, including socioeconomic challenges.

Good knowledge of current social, economic and health trends and services, and the ability to adapt trends to practical program applications and link families with services needed.

Good knowledge of governmental, private, and/or nonprofit organizations and resources and programs in the community.

Good knowledge of occupational hazards and ability to use safety precautions in a professional and decisive way.

Skill in assessing and evaluating child maltreatment indicators.

Skill in negotiating and problem solving.

Skill in developing and implementing effective case management plans, and the ability to identify client needs to be met.

Skill in preparing and maintaining accurate records and reports, and the ability to analyze large amounts of information and data.

Skill in public and interpersonal relations, and the ability to relate well with others and perform under stressful conditions.

Ability to demonstrate sound judgment, integrity, resourcefulness, accuracy, thoroughness and the physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position,while maintaining an ethical standard of care.

Ability to read and interpret complex materials.

Ability to conduct home visits.

Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with racially and socio-economical diverse populations to express information and ideas clearly and concisely.

Ability to plan, prioritize and respond to demands of a heavy caseload in a prompt and effective manner.

Ability to recognize and analyze problems, gather relevant information, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Ability to gather, analyze, interpret, comprehend and communicate complex information and in complex situations.

Ability to monitor cases and take action in emergency situations.

Ability to establish and maintain working professional relationships with the county attorney, judges, court personnel, physicians, guardians, law enforcement, co-workers, DSS staff and other agencies.

Ability to collaborate with others and work as part as a team.

Ability to assist with disaster management during major weather and other disaster events (i.e. staff shelters, assist with special outreach and prevention activities and assist with recovery efforts); requires flexibility with working hours as established schedules may change and ability to adjust during quickly changing and stressful situations.

Ability to effectively use computer applications such as spreadsheets, word processing, calendar, e-mail and database software.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree in Social Work AND one (1) year of social work experience; OR

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work AND two (2) years of social work experience; OR

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in any field AND four (4) years of direct Child Protective Services social work experience.

Anyone with a Human Services or 4-year degree may apply as “work against appointments” and will be considered.

Must have a valid NC driver’s license and reliable transportation.

Stanly County DSS Work Against Information:

Social Worker I Salary: $40,171; after two years of experience, Social Worker II
Social Worker II Salary: $48,087; after three years of experience, Social Worker III
Social Worker III Salary: $52,612; after three years of experience, fully qualified as a Social Worker IAT Salary-$55,031.